As per Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Showtime originally wanted Halle Berry for the role of Carrie.
The Showtime drama launched in 2011 with an acclaimed season following Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and her hunt to discern whether Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) had been turned by the al-Qaeda after being released as their prisoner.
Showtime bosses believed that Lewis “looked like a guy who’d led a show that only lasted two seasons” because of his time on the short-lived drama Life.
Homeland has officially ended after eight seasons released over nine years – however, it almost arrived looking very different.