Actor Bravely Rejects Role He Was Never Offered in Movie That Doesn’t Exist

In today’s episode of “Things The Internet Made Up,” we have a breaking story that will surely rattle you to your core: an actor has publicly stated he does not want a role that he was never offered for a movie that is not being made. Groundbreaking stuff, I know. The hero of our story is Josh O’Connor, an actor you might know from “The Crown” or as “not the mouse from Flushed Away,” as he so helpfully clarified [6].

During a recent, and apparently self-deprecating, hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live,” O’Connor took a brave stand against the tyranny of fan-casting. It seems the internet, in its infinite wisdom, saw his face, noted his fondness for the animated classic Ratatouille, and decided he MUST play the haplessly controlled chef, Linguini, in a live-action remake [1].

The Great Rat-Denial

With the world watching (or at least, the dozen of us who still watch SNL), O’Connor declared he has “no desire” to star in a live-action Ratatouille. But wait, in a shocking twist worthy of a daytime soap opera, he immediately followed up with, “I *would* kill as Linguini” [2, 3]. Ah, the tortured duality of an artist! To want, and not want, a fictional job. It’s all so terribly profound.

So why the public rejection of a non-existent offer? Let’s explore the deep, complex reasons:

He’s a ~Serious~ Actor Now: Having played Prince Charles, an actual human puppet, O’Connor is clearly looking to branch out. Moving from the British monarchy to being literally controlled by a rat might feel a bit too on-the-nose for his distinguished career [4, 5]. An artist must have standards, you know.
The Concept is Utterly Absurd: Let’s be real. A live-action movie about a rat pulling a man’s hair to make him cook is… a choice. O’Connor, a man of apparent taste, probably recognizes that some things are best left animated, before we all have to watch a CGI rodent get uncomfortably close to a pot of soup.

The Internet Always Wins (Sort Of)

This entire saga is a beautiful testament to the power of online fan culture, where a single off-hand comment can spawn an entire, unsolicited casting campaign. O’Connor’s monologue was a masterclass in acknowledging the internet’s fever dream without actually validating it. Well played, sir.

While some critics felt SNL’s writers left O’Connor “sidelined” in sketches that were “weak” and “disorganized” [7] (shocking, I know), he at least got to set the record straight on the great Ratatouille rumor of 20-whenever. His career will surely continue its upward trajectory, unburdened by the weight of a tiny, furry puppet master.

So let us all sleep better tonight, knowing that Josh O’Connor is safe from the clutches of a live-action Ratatouille. For now.

Actor Bravely Rejects Role He Was Never Offered in Movie That Doesn’t Exist

The Great Rat-Denial

The Internet Always Wins (Sort Of)

Sources (Because We Deal in Facts, Unlike Fan-Casting)

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