Natalie Portman has had a successful career that has included both blockbuster smashes (Thor, for example) and independent films (Brothers). She has a strong range that weaves its way across action films and romantic comedies, with her in leading parts with fantastic co-stars.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Portman rose to prominence as a young star among a sea of up-and-coming leading women striving for A-list status, putting her in contention for some of the greatest hits of the time. Romeo + Juliet, directed by Baz Luhrmann in 1996, was one of them. Portman came close to landing the coveted role of Juliet, but another young talent beat her to it.

Portman was cast in the film when she was just 13 years old and had little prior acting experience. For those who skipped English in ninth grade, Juliet was originally performed by a 13-year-old, but this proved to be a major flaw. Luhrmann soon cast Leonardo DiCaprio, who was 21 years old at the time, as Romeo. As a result of the enormous age gap, everyone was exceedingly uncomfortable, and Portman was fired (via The Things).

The studio was concerned about how the public would react to such a large age gap between the lovers. “It was a complicated situation and […] at the time I was 13 and Leonardo was 21 and it wasn’t appropriate in the eyes of the film company or the director, Baz. It was kind of a mutual decision too that it just wasn’t going to be right at the time.”

While they are both excellent performers who might have done an excellent job together, it was evident that this coupling would not work for this film.

Luhrmann replaced the character with Claire Danes, a 17-year-old TV sensation at the time. Even if there is still an age gap, the production felt more at ease with it. According to reports, the two didn’t get along on set, and it was because the elder DiCaprio didn’t take his work as seriously as his younger co-star.

Their love story, on the other hand, was believable, and they contributed to the film’s massive success among the young of the 1990s.

Danes would go on to star in films including The Rainmaker (1997), Brokedown Palace (1999), and The Hours after playing Juliet (2002). Danes has lately made headlines as the star of Homeland, and he will also appear in the forthcoming drama The Essex Serpent.

Natalie Portman benefited from it as well, since she appeared in a number of films in 1996, including “Beautiful Girls,” “Everyone Says I Love You,” and “Mars Attacks!”