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The Beatles biopics may have cast their John, Paul, Harry and Ringo, however countless British stars auditioned for the coveted roles – and Sex Education’s Asa Butterfield was one of them.
The 29-year-old has revealed that he went up for the role of George Harrison in The Beatles – a series of four films with each focusing on one of the band’s iconic musicians. Stranger Things and Gladiator 2 star Joseph Quinn was ultimately cast as Harrison, with Babygirl’s Harris Dickinson playing John Lennon, Hamnet’s Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney and Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
In an interview with The Times, Butterfield admitted that he was interested in playing the late Harrison. “I did audition for George Harrison,” he said.
Harrison Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn for The Beatles biopics (Sony)
When asked whether he was shortlisted for the role, Butterfield shrugged: “Who knows? I play bass, which was Paul’s instrument.”
He then sounded “wistful”, according to the publication, as he reflected on losing out on the job. “There are roles that you really, really want,” he said.
“But I find something else comes up and you do another job which you wouldn’t have been able to do.”
It’s not the only high-profile role he’s faced rejection for; Butterfield was in the running to play Spider-Man ahead of the franchise’s third reboot, but the role ultimately went to Tom Holland.
“I’m pretty good at moving on,” he said. “You have your audition and after that it’s out of your hands. If you’re not the right person, there’s nothing you could have done differently. Sometimes it’s easier than others.”
Asa Butterfield lost out on George Harrison role (Getty)
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Sony, which is producing the four films, announced the long-awaited cast for the biopics in April last year, with director Sam Mendes teasing that the release will be the “first binge-able theatrical experience”.
The film later revealed the stars who’ll play the leading ladies in the Fab Four’s lives, with Aimee Lou Wood, Saoirse Ronan, Mia McKenna-Bruce and Anna Sawai as Pattie Boyd, Linda McCartney, Maureen Starkey and Yoko Ono, respectively.
Speaking about becoming Boyd for the project, Wood said that it’s “quite intimidating” as “everyone knows these people”.
“I’ve gone and done my fittings with my blonde hair and my blue eyes. I’m really stepping into a different person. We look like them… so it’s kind of trippy,” she told The Standard in March.
Her Sex Education co-star Butterfield may not have made it into the Beatles films, but he’s kept busy since the Netflix show ended in 2023. He starred in 2025 drama Our Hero, Balthazar last year, adverts for Uber One alongside Robert De Niro and Netflix’s new psychological thriller Unchosen.
