While Matt Damon has spoken about turning down Avatar , director James Cameron has now revealed that it came down to three young actors, and that Sam Worthington was the least-favored by the studio. In an hour-long interview for Vanity Fair, Cameron reflected on his career and recalled the fight he had to put up for Worthington when he was casting Avatar . He said that Zoë Saldaña was the first to be cast because she was a trained ballet dancer, and had the requisite physicality and emotional range to play Neytiri. Worthington's "thick Australian accent," however, needed some work, according to the director. In the interview, Cameron revealed the name of one other up-and-comer vying for the lead role in Avatar , and said that the studio was really gunning for him.

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