Voicing a character in a Walt Disney Animation movie has got to be the dream of so many actors, especially if you can sing. When it comes to Frozen alone, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and others have spoken about the joys of being part of the franchise. But, for every Hollywood star who’s earned a role among Disney legacy, there’s a ton of actors who’ve auditioned and been rejected for the role. And, as it turns out Nick Jonas auditioned for a role in the aforementioned 2013 movie.
Nick Jonas and his brothers were named Disney Legends last weekend at Anaheim’s D23 Expo for their history with Disney Channel. Interestingly, enough, Jonas recently revealed that he went out for a key character in Frozen. In his words:
I auditioned for Frozen. For Kristoff. I went in and they said ‘OK, what are you going to be singing today?’ I said: ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ They’re like ‘What do you mean, you don’t know? Do you have your sheet music?’ ‘No, no one told me…’ So, I just said, ‘Can you play, I don’t know what musical theater song.’ And, I bombed the audition. It was terrible.
Whoa! Just imagine being in the Camp Rock veteran's shoes at the time Frozen was released and became a runaway hit. Nick Jonas actually told this story to Bell, Menzel and Josh Gad during a special D23 episode of the Jonas' Brothers' Hey Jonas! podcast. The role, of course, ultimately went to Broadway actor Jonathan Groff, who's definitely great as the endearing iceman.
Nick Jonas definitely has an incredible range as a singer, so I doubt he truly “bombed” the audition. But, in fairness, the movie ended up casting more Broadway-leaning talent. Yes, Jonas actually got his start on Broadway, but he primarily did that as a child actor. On the other hand, Groff had a whole resume of work in musical theatre under his belt by the time Frozen came along.
Still, it's worth mentioning that in 2012, just a year before Frozen’s release, Jonas ended up returning to his Broadway roots for his first on-stage stint since he was a kid. He played the starring role inHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. But how did Jonas ultimately feel after the film was released to critical acclaim and box office success. Here’s what he said:
I didn’t spite watch it. I really did enjoy the first time.
Jonas isn’t the only actor who has spoken of a rough Frozen-related audition. Dylan O’Brien also tried out for a later-cut Frozen 2 character at an audition, where he didn’t know he’d have to sing. As he recalled, a “poor” casting associate had to “painfully” ask him to sing the chorus even though he knew he “[couldn't] sing.”
Nick Jonas’ audition story comes as fans await the release of Frozen III as part of the 2027 movie release schedule. Bell, Menzel and Gad attended D23’s Entertainment Showcase, where details on upcoming Disney movies were revealed. It was there that the trio revealed the first footage from the threequel. With this franchise still going strong, it would be cool if Jonas was able to land a spot in it at some point. If not, though, it seems that when it comes to his failed audition, he has definitely "let it go."
While we wait for Frozen III, you can watch the previous movies (and plenty of Nick Jonas as well) using a Disney+ subscription.
