Brittany Murphy backed out of the role of Mary D'Annunzio.

Tested for the role of Penny Lane.

Brittany Murphy was beat out for the role of Alicia by Jennifer Connelly.

When Spike Lee was attached to direct RENT, he tested Brittany Murphy for the role of Mimi. He left the project before it was ever cast. When Chris Columbus signed to direct as a feature film, he recruited the original Broadway stars (with the exception of Daphne Rubin-Vega who was pregnant, and Fredi Walker who agreed herself she had aged too much).