Tom Cruise was one of the A-list Hollywood actors who sought to replace Heath Ledger in his final movie, it was revealed.

Cruise lobbied for a part in The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus, which was directed by Terry Gilliam. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell were cast as a trio to fill the vast shoes of the late Australian actor, who died suddenly in January 2008.

Gilliam told a film magazine: “I’m not sure if it was Tom or his agent. I know there was a period when Tom’s agents were keen. The thing is, I was only interested in people who were friends of Heath. Simple as that. I wanted to keep it in the family.”

Gilliam also revealed that some parts of the movie were not possible to complete without Ledger. “Some scenes we couldn’t do because Heath wasn’t there. And I was like, ‘The bastard’s directing this film! He’s telling me what I can and can’t do!’ The film is better for these things. That’s why I said at one point I wanted him to be co-director on the film.”