The Women’s March sparked an interest in figuring out how many of my favourite films had a female leads, and if they didn’t which actresses could have played the parts instead if it had been a female character.

Being a director, I don’t have one single favourite film, I have hundreds, in every genre that exists. From this massive list, there are a few that I would have loved to have directed, of course, they were directed by male legends and are legendary films, so there’s no need for a remake, however, I started thinking about these films and wondering which actress I would have cast as the lead if I were directing it and the lead character had been changed to a female.

Here are 50 of my favourite films, which I wish I’d directed and the actresses that I would have cast as the lead . 

1. Viola Davis has really had her chance to shine in the last couple of years. Wish she had been given the opportunity sooner as there are so many roles that she could have played brilliantly but the one I would have loved to have worked with her on would have been John Milton in The Devil’s Advocate which to this day is still one of my favourite films
2. Being Australian, Cate Blanchett is actress I have always admired and wish to direct one day and I know she would have been perfect as Mrs Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Tilda Swinton is phenomenal and would have played Edward Scissorhands, Ellen Scissorhands brilliantly
4. Lindsay Lohan as Leonard in Memento
5. Nicole Kidman as Vincent in Collateral Being an Aussie, I can’t help but say anything Tom can do Nicole can do better; )
6. Helen Mirren is a legend and after seeing her in RED why couldn’t see be the lead in Mission: Impossible. Who is to say that ladies can’t kick as??? Who is to say that older ladies don’t kick ass. I know a lot that do, so let’s start glorifying them. Let’s kill the stereotypes that only young men are the tough masterminds and that women are their weak lovers.
7. Margot Robbie as Young in Self/less
8. Kate Beckinsale as Neo in The Matrix would have been way hotter
9. Helena Bonham Carter as Jack in The Shining
10. Alicia Vikander as Cobb in Inception
11. Sigourney Weaver as Riggan in Birdman
12. Chloë Grace Moretz as Eddie Limitless
13. Rosamund Pike as Cooper in Interstellar
14. Emily Blunt as Danny in The Master
15. Toni Collette as Nick in The Internship
16. Julia Roberts as Mr White in Reservoir Dogs
17. Sarita Choudhury as Theodore in Her, film now titled HIM
18. Kristen Bell as Mark In The Martian
19. Charlize Theron as Jeffry in Twelve Monkeys
20. Winona Ryder as Charlie in Rain Man
21. Jennifer Lawrence as Derek in American History X
22. Isla Fisher as Willy in Fracture
23. Jennifer Connelly as John in a Beautiful Mind
24. Mila Kunis as Travis in Taxi Driver
25. Thandie Newton as Clyde in Law Abiding Citizen
26. Anne Hathaway as Trevor in The Machinist
27. Priyanka Chopra as Robert in I Am Legend
28. Rose Byrne as Phil in The Hangover
29. Kate Winslet as Dr Malcome Corwe in The Sixth Sense
30. Geena Davis as Brody in Jaws
31. Naomi Watts as Tomas in The Fountain
32. Vera Farmiga as Milles in Se7en
33. Emma Thompson as Vincent in Heat
34. Jennifer Connelly as Freddie in The Master
35. Carey Mulligan as Davis in Demolition
36. Marion Cotillard as Léon in Léon: The Professional
37. Scarlett Johansson as John in Equilibrium
38. Claire Danes as Danny in Blood Diamond
39. Sienna Miller as Renton in Trainspotting
40. Jingchu Zhang as Brian in Cocktail
41. Julianne Moore Korben in The Fifth Element
42. Penélope Cruz as Gabriel in Swordfish
43. Rachel Weisz as the next 007, Jane Bond
44. Emma Stone would make a great Bourne
45. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a brilliant actress that would have been just as good as her brother in Nightcrawler
46. Felicity Huffman as J.J.Gittes in Chinatown
47. Audrey Tautou as Frodo in Lord of the Rings
48. Natalie Portman Teddy in Shutter Island
49. Angelina Jolie as Django in Django
50. Meryl Streep could have played all of these roles and much more but I guess I would have loved to have directed her in Forrest Gump

Let me know if you agree or disagree. If you disagree let me know the actress you wish could have played the part.

These are just a few films that I love and actresses that I think could have played the male lead. Of course, the actors did a brilliant job, however, I do feel that an actress could have done the same or an even better job if given the opportunity. It’s about giving them the opportunity which we are still not giving them because we are afraid that the rest of the world won’t believe if the character were female.

I have met some amazing women in high-powered positions as well as dangerous one, the type you position some still think that only men can have, but it isn’t true anymore and hasn’t been for a long time. Women do everything men do, and so it is high time that writers, directors, producers, Hollywood executives thoroughly looked at all the characters in a screenplay before it goes into production so see if the sex of some of the characters could be changed. Because if they can be changed they should be. If we are to see equality in the real world it must be seen on the big screen.

What I am basically trying to say, is that women don’t always have to be the love interests, the sexy seductresses, the best friends, the mothers and so no. They can be and are the gangsters, the CEOs, Lawyers, pilots, providers, murderers, scientist, the world leaders, the healers, the psycho’s, the war hero’s, the shakers and the movers and it’s high time Hollywood started to represent all these women.

When Hollywood starts giving the big characters, the important money making roles to women, the rest of the world will follow.