Eminem was almost cast as the lead in the new film Jumper which opens nationwide this weekend. According to MTV News, the Detroit MC actually sat down with the film’s writer and director Doug Liman back in 2006 to discuss the role. Liman had originally cast actor Tom Sturridge as the lead in the movie, about a man who can teleport himself across vast distances, but 20th Century Fox wanted a more well known star. At that point Liman took meetings with both Em and Hayden Christensen, the actor who would eventually win the role. “[The idea to meet with the rapper] was sort of coming from the producer and [Eminem's] manager,” Liman explained to MTV News. “If I’ve proven anything to myself, it’s that I can tailor a role to an actor. [I could] develop the role with [someone like Eminem] and make it extremely specific to them,” he said of his thoughts at the time. “So as long as the person has acting chops, I’m open to talking to almost anybody for almost any role.” Although the studio was pushing for the director to cast Em because of his star power, Liman was convinced that Christensen was the right person for the role and stood his ground.