Pretty Please! Stars Who Begged for Roles — From Kate Winslet to Helen Mirren and More

Kate Winslet was so intent on winning the starring role of Rose DeWitt Bukater that she contacted director James Cameron directly, writing him letters and even going as far as to send him a single rose with a note stating, "I have to be your Rose."

Chris Evans said he was so nervous when he was in talks to play the part of Hugh Ransom Drysdale that he didn't "let [writer–director Rian Johnson] speak" during their first meeting.

"I think I was just kind of babbling the entire time about what I wanted to do with the role and what I thought I could bring and please cast me … Just begging," he said.

He got the part.

Halle Berry said she was coming "from the world of beauty pageants and modeling" and wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. She auditioned for director Spike Lee.

"I said, 'You know I really am eyeing this crack ho role,' and he said, 'No, no, I don't see you as the crack ho,' and I said, 'I AM the crack ho. Really deep down I'm the crack ho!' and he said, 'No, I don't see it,'" she shared.

Berry then begged him to wait while she washed her makeup off.

"I came back out and I got to read for the crack ho," she said. "I got the part. It was major for me."

When Margaret Qualley heard there was a sequel to her favorite movie, Happy Gilmore, in the works, she emailed her agents right away, saying, "Anything it takes. No part is too small. Please! I got to be part of this. I beg of you, please whatever it takes."

She snagged a "tiny part" but "I can die happy now," said Qualley.

When Ken Jeong heard about the flick, he knew he wanted to be part of it. He called director Jon Chu and said, "Look, this is literally the most important Asian-American movie since The Joy Luck Club.' I will do whatever you want me to do."

He booked the role of Goh Wye Mun, opposite Awkwafina.

Veteran actress Helen Mirren said she "didn't ask" Vin Diesel to put her in the speedy car franchise, she begged!

"I think I was at some function, and he was there, and I got introduced to him. And I was shameless, 'Oh God, I'd love to be in one of your movies! Please let me be in it … And then Vin, with that beautiful, deep voice of his, said, 'I'll see what I can do.'"

She was cast as "Queenie" in The Fate of the Furious, and that made Mirren very happy.

Timothée Chalamet said he auditioned to play the troubled Nic Sheff "three or four times" before he read with Steve Carell, and "it was a big process to get into … I basically got on my knees and was like please, please, please, let me do this. Like literally."

He has never stopped crowing about how grateful he was to get the part.

Brendan Fraser said he was in Shanghai with producer Bob Ducsay shooting a different movie when he said he got the green light from Paramount to do the movie.

Fraser immediately started his campaign, saying, "Hey, congratulations, that's great, good for you. Can I be in it? Please? Please? I'll wash your dog. I had a G.I. Joe. He dangled from his parachute strings in a tree one winter."

He got a cameo.

Scarlett Johansson said she has "been trying to get into the Jurassic Park franchise in any possible way for over ten years" because she's a huge fan.

She told producers of the newest dino film, "I'll die in the first five minutes! I can get eaten by whatever! I'll do the craft service. I'll do anything for it!"

She snagged the role of Zora Bennett in Jurassic World Rebirth.