Josh Gad relives making it to the final round of auditions forAvataronly to be cut for a unique reason. Directed by James Cameron and released in 2009, the sci-fi action epic stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine who joins forces with the native aliens of Pandora against invading humans. TheAvatarcastincludes Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, Stephen Lang as Miles Quaritch, Sigourney Weaver as Grace Augustine, Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, and Joel David Moore as Norm Spellman, but, Gad, best known for voicing Olaf inFrozen, is not among them.
In his new memoir,In Gad We Trust(viaEW), Gad reveals that he made it quite far in the audition process for the firstAvatarbefore losing out on the part. Gad reveals that he was up for “the role of Jake Sully’s best friend and translator to the alien race known as the Na’vi.” Though he doesn’t specify, Gad could be referring to Norm.
“I put myself on tape and shortly thereafter got a call that Cameron wanted to fly me to Los Angeles for a final callback at his Lightstorm production offices,” Gad writes. Ultimately, though, the actor didn’t get into the film because, as he puts it, “while James Cameron was said to be thrilled with my audition,when I was turned into a digital Avatar I supposedly looked like a tall, overweight Smurf.”
Norm Spellman’s Role Explained
It’s possible that Gad is exaggerating for comedic effect here, but theAvatarmoviesdo make a point of translating actors' likenesses into their Na’vi counterparts. This is especially true for those who play Avatars, instead of true Na’vi. When it comes to the native Na’vi, there’s evidently a little more flexibility since audiences aren’t seeing those actors as humans on-screen. Weaver, for example, who is 75, plays teen Na’vi Kiri inAvatar: The Way of Water.
Avatar: All 20 Na’vi Clans Explained (Cultures, Locations & Inspirations)
While the first Avatar movie focused primarily on the Omaticaya, the Avatar franchise has explored many more Na’vi Clans in the sequels and tie-ins.
Moore plays a prominent supporting role as Norm in the firstAvatar, eventually joining Jake in his fight against the RDA and opting to stay on Pandora after they’re defeated. Norm, a scientist, returned in the sequel and played a more minor role, and he’s set to appear once more in the upcomingAvatar: Fire and Ash. Presumably, he’ll be returning in the fourth and fifth movies as well. Norm sounds like the most likely character that Gad was up for, and, if so,he evidently missed out not just on one movie, but potentially five.
AfterFire and Ashlater this year,Avatar 4isn’t scheduled to hit theaters until 2029. The fifth movie is scheduled to arrive in 2031.
Could He Still Appear In The James Cameron Franchise?
Gad is a strong comedic actor, and likely would have made for a great ally to Jake in theAvatarmovies. That being said, Cameron’s sci-fi franchise excels, in part, due to its casting. Even though Norm is a minor character compared to Jake and Neytiri,it’s still hard to imagine anyone other than Moore playing him at this point.
Though Gad definitely won’t be appearing in the upcoming third movie, it’s possible, though perhaps unlikely, that he could enter the world ofAvatarin the fourth or fifth movies. Those movies have both been written, but, aside from some work that’s been done on the fourth, haven’t yet been filmed. After missing out on the first movie, there could be a character inAvatar 4or5for Gad to take on.
Avatar
Cast
Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron. Set in the 22nd century, it follows a paraplegic Marine sent to the moon Pandora on a mission. He becomes conflicted between his orders and defending the indigenous Na’vi civilization.
