Usually, the announcing of a film’s cast triggers first impressions. If a person would be looking forward to the release or just feeling meh will depend on the characters and trailer. If Kate Winslet did not play Rose on Titanic, and Gandalf came with a Scottish accent, how different do you think the movies would have turned out? We’re thinking huge.
Well, these changes ALMOST took place, and thankfully they didn’t because some of our favorite movies would have been much different. Little do we know about celebrities who turned down some of the biggest roles in Hollywood. a few bawling because they did. Let’s find out who did!
Leonardo DiCaprio – Ennis Del Mar, Brokeback Mountain
It’s not like Leonardo DiCaprio lost his chance at becoming famous by turning down the role of Ennis Del Mar in the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain. Although many believed that the gay character bothered him, it cannot be right because DiCaprio played a gay character in the 1995 movie Total Eclipse.
Heath Ledger grabbed the role of Ennis, and the movie became a box office success while also receiving six Oscar nominations in 2006. We don’t think DiCaprio (now aged 45) ever regretted his decision, because he had more significant roles like the one in Titanic as Jack Dawson. DiCaprio’s movies have grossed over $7.2 billion worldwide so far.
John Lithgow – The Joker, Batman
Throughout his career spanning nearly five decades, John Lithgow had many exceptional parts in movies. Footloose, Rise of the Planet of Apes, and Dreamgirls were a few of them. However, we think that rejecting the role of The Joker on Batman (1989) is surely among Lithgow’s greatest disappointments at his current age of 74.
Jack Nicholson later accepted the role and banked $50 million from the movie, including $6 million as an upfront salary and the rest from earnings that followed. This sum was equivalent to $100 million today. Lithgow has even publicly bashed the movie, and he is probably living in regret now.
Emma Watson – Mia Dolan, La La Land
Although some reports say that Emma Watson couldn’t be a part of La La Land due to her crazy demands, she has spoken on Lorraine and revealed the real reason. The actress, now 29, got a headstart in the acting business from her role in Harry Potter.
Watson has stated that conflicting schedules were the reason she couldn’t go on with the role of Mia Dolan on La La Land. She was shooting as Belle for Beauty and the Beast during this time. Hopefully, Watson did not exasperate too much, knowing that the actress who replaced her as Mia, Emma Stone, won an Academy Award for the said movie.
Sean Connery – Gandalf, Lord Of The Rings
Reasonably enough, Sean Connery is enjoying his retirement at the age of 89. Loved for his portrayal of James Bond in seven Bond movies, Connery also starred in First Knight and The Rock, among numerous others. However, he refused to play the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings series, a role later played by Ian McKellen.
Not comprehending the plot was simply his reason for rejection. The producers offered Connery 15% of the box office earnings of the trilogy and $10 million paychecks per movie. If an accomplished actor like Connery can make a huge mistake that cost him approximately $400 million in earnings, worry no more.
Tom Cruise – Edward Scissorhands, Edward Scissorhands
If Tom Cruise isn’t the real-life Curious George, we don’t know who is. The 57-year-old actor is one of the highest-grossing box-office stars in history, whose productions have made over a whopping $10 billion worldwide. Cruise was lucky enough to be offered the main role in Edward Scissorhands but unlucky to have turned it down.
Johnny Depp managed to grab the position in the box office hit, and we can’t imagine anyone playing the role better. Cruise could not go through with it because he had way too many questions that did not have answers. For instance, how the character used the bathroom. For real though, how did he?
Christina Applegate – Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
Christina Applegate is an American actress and dancer who received a different sense of attention after she turned down the role in Legally Blonde. Reese Witherspoon later got the part, for which she got a Gloden Globe Award nomination.
After playing a successful role in Married with Children, Applegate was concerned about getting framed to certain types of roles. Later, she humorously acknowledged that rejecting the role was not the best choice she made. Now the actress is 48 years old, and she has starred in movies like Vacation, Bad Moms, and The Sweetest Thing.
John Travolta – Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump
Usually, celebrities achieve fame through the characters that they play. Having played main roles in Saturday Night Fever, Wild Hogs, and various other hits, why did John Travolta say no to Forrest Gump? Well, he chose to star as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction instead, and Tom Hanks ended up being Forrest Gump.
Both movies made big bucks in box office earnings, and ironically, both Hanks and Travolta received Oscar nominations for the best actor in their respective films. Hanks won, of course. Travolta is now 65, and he stars as Robert Shapiro in American Crime Story.
Matt Damon – Jake Sully, Avatar
By refusing the lead role in Avatar, Matt Damon surely lost the opportunity of a lifetime. In an interview with British GQ, he said that he also lost the chance to work with James Cameron, the director. Damon turned down the role of Jake Sully because he had commitments towards the Bourne film series.
Avatar went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time up until Avengers: Endgame beat it in 2019. Sadly though, the 49-year-old lost approximately $250 million by giving up on Avatar because along with the part, Cameron offered Damon, a 10 percent share of the profits.
Warren Beatty – Bill, Kill Bill
Warren Beatty was and will always be a family man. In fact, that is exactly the reason he refused to play the titular role in the 2003 movie Kill Bill. Since the filming took place in China, Beatty didn’t want to be distant from his beloved family, particularly his children.
Upon Beatty’s recommendation, David Carradine got the part. This martial arts movie that involves murder earned over $180 million in revenue. Aged 82, Beatty currently lives freely off the screens, and we don’t think he grieves giving up being Bill. However, many critics thought that he would have been a better fit for the role.
Will Smith – Neo, The Matrix
The name Will Smith is huge in the film and music industries. The 51-year-old has done some marvelous work throughout his acting career, including Independence Day, Collateral Beauty, and Wild Wild West. In fact, Wild Wild West was the main reason Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix.
Keanu Reeves subsequently gave life to the role. However, Smith doesn’t seem to have any disappointments about his decision, and he thinks Reeves did an excellent job in the movie. Once again, you will see Smith in Bad Boys for Life (third in the Bad Boys series) coming up in 2020.
Julia Roberts – Viola De Lesseps, Shakespeare In Love
First, Julia Roberts said no to portraying Viola de Lesseps (Shakespeare’s love interest) and then, Gwyneth Paltrow almost rejected it too. But luckily she didn’t because this movie, Shakespeare in Love, won her an Oscar for the best actress. Could Roberts have taken the award home? Probably.
When her on-screen lover-to-be, Daniel Day-Lewis, rejected the role, Roberts followed to do exactly that. The movie went on to win seven Academy Awards and made nearly $290 million in revenue. She may have regrets, but Roberts has had an active career in acting since the late ’80s. The 52-year-old is still going, even after having made a fortune of $200 million.
Nicholas Cage – Robin Ramzinski, The Wrestler
Although many thought that Nicholas Cage was supposedly ‘dropped’ from the 2008 movie The Wrestler, he revealed that he resigned. The reason was, he didn’t have sufficient time to achieve the appearance of Robin Ramzinski (the main character). Thanks to Cage backing down, Mickey Rourke got the part.
Without Cage (now 56), the movie went on to become a huge commercial success, and Rourke received BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit Awards for the role. Given the character, who is an aging wrestler on steroids, we think that Rourke was a better fit anyway. Sorry, Cage!
Michelle Pfeiffer – Clarice Starling, The Silence Of The Lambs
The 61-year-old American actress Michelle Pfeiffer has openly admitted the bad decisions she made. Turning down the role of Clarice Starling in the psychological horror movie, The Silence of the Lambs is on the top of her list of regrets. She even rejected the lead roles in Basic Instinct and Pretty Woman.
Clarice Starling’s character was later fulfilled by Jodie Foster, who won her second Academy Award for best actress from the movie. The Silence of the Lambs also earned larger sums in profits, which Pfeiffer surely did not see coming. She has starred in some other hits, however, like Batman Returns, What Lies Beneath, and Wolf.
Albert Brooks – Harry Burns, When Harry Met Sally
As successful as he is at the age of 72, Albert Brooks could have reached greater heights had he not refused some roles. He is no stranger to turning down offers, however, rejecting certain movies like When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, and Big were big mistakes.
The reason behind Brooks’ rejection was that it was too much of a resemblance to Woody Allen’s work. After Billy Crystal starred as Harry Burns in When Harry Met Sally, it grossed over $92.8 million in North America alone. In the present, even though Brooks has not officially retired, we rarely see him on screens.
Angela Bassett – Leticia Musgrove, Monster’s Ball
Angela Bassett is 61 years old now, and she is a perfect example of the phrase “blacks don’t crack.” As an actress, Bassett has done some great work in the industry, winning multiple awards. However, a role that she passed up, which Halle Berry quickly grabbed, won an Oscar in 2002.
Bassett was not a fan of the stereotypes her ethnicity had. Since the Monster’s Ball script encouraged these stereotypes, she rejected the role. She probably doesn’t regret it because she had much greater opportunities in the years that followed, like a lead role in Black Panther. You will see her starring in Gunpowder Milkshake in 2020.
Anne Hathaway – Alison Scott, Knocked Up
In two decades, Anne Hathaway has achieved very much in the industry. From The Princess Diaries, Rachel Getting Married, and Alice in Wonderland, she has starred in many productions. As a frequent recipient of accolades, Hathaway is bound to be picky about the roles she plays.
Thus, the now 37-year-old said no to playing Alison Scott in the 2007 movie Knocked Up. Hathaway’s refusal solely depended on that one bare childbirth scene. Katherine Heigl accepted the position, and the film became a box office hit. The storyline was about an unemployed person and a media personality’s one-night fling ending up with an unplanned pregnancy.
Charlie Hunnam – Christian Grey, Fifty Shades Of Grey
When James Dornan played Christian Grey, it was only because Charlie Hunnam declined the role. It’s not what you’re thinking. The explicitly intimate scenes did not bother Hunnam, but his tight schedule did. Hunnam had ongoing work shooting the 7th season of Sons of Anarchy, and he had also signed for Crimson Peak.
Sure, Fifty Shades of Grey could have lifted his career so high, but Hunnam has done just fine. He starred in Pacific Rim, The Lost City of Z, and The Gentlemen, and in 2020, Hunnam will star in Waldo. The 39-year-old currently stands at a net worth of $16 million.
Gwyneth Paltrow – Rose DeWitt Bukater, Titanic
Let’s just say that this rejection happened for the best (except for Gwyneth Paltrow). She refused to play Rose DeWitt Bukater on the 1997 mega-success Titanic because it wasn’t her “cup of tea.” It became the first film to hit the billion-dollar mark in the industry.
Winning eleven Academy Awards, Titanic tied with Ben-Hur (1959) for the most Oscars won by one movie. If Paltrow predicted this success, she sure would have made it her “cup of tea.” Kate Winslet later played the role, and honestly, we can’t look back now. Paltrow herself did some great work. At age 47, her productions have grossed over $8.8 billion worldwide.
Jennifer Hudson – Claireece Precious Jones, Precious
We’re not sure if reaching obesity just to shoot a movie is worth it. Jennifer Hudson thought exactly that, and therefore rejected the lead role of Claireece Precious Jones in the 2009 film Precious. She preferred to go with a character that did not concern her weight.
However, Hudson’s rejection put the director Lee Daniels in quite the conundrum. He needed a 300-pound black actress at short notice, and that’s where Gabourey Sidibe came to the rescue. Sidibe received an Oscar nomination for playing the pregnant and overweight teenager. The 38-year-old Hudson has been on a weight loss journey herself lately and is currently a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers.
Hugh Jackman – James Bond, Casino Royale
Almost every person knows about the James Bond film series. How can you miss it when there are 26 movies? There came a time when Pierce Brosnan had to hand over the reins, and the production team’s next choice was Hugh Jackman. He would have been a perfect fit, had he accepted the role.
Jackman, as always, openly revealed the truth when rejecting the part. He found the scripts absurd and also wanted to pursue other projects. Daniel Craig agreed to play James Bond, starting-off with Casino Royale and still going. At age 51, Jackman has a successful career, does a lot of charity work, and spends time with family.
Tom Hanks – Jerry Maguire, Jerry Maguire
Tom Hanks, currently aged 63, is an American actor who rose to fame in the ’80s. By 1996, he had been in the show business for nearly two decades. Of course, this meant that he had done a great deal of work, including playing lead roles in films like Big, Forrest Gump, and Apollo 13.
In 1996, Cameron Crowe offered Hanks the title character in Jerry Maguire. However, he had to decline the offer because he was occupied with his first direction, which was That Thing You Do!. Tom Cruise subsequently got the role, and it happened to be very successful.
Emily Blunt – Natasha Romanoff, Iron Man 2
When Marvel Studios offer you a role, you don’t say no. But unfortunately, Emily Blunt did. She rejected the role of Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in Iron Man 2. Although she knew the intensity of what she was declining, Blunt was already shooting for Gulliver’s Travels, and therefore had conflicting schedules.
Scarlett Johansson, who was yearning for the part, grabbed it without hesitation right after Blunt’s refusal. At age 36, Blunt already has a fortune of $25 million, so it’s not like her career went downhill. She starred in The Devil Wears Prada and A Quiet Place, and she will appear in the latter’s sequel in 2020.
Denzel Washington – David Mills, Seven
From Denzel Washington to Brad Pitt, the two personalities are not even remotely similar. But that’s what acting is all about, right? After reading the script of Seven, Denzel perceived it as being “too dark and evil.” However, Brad Pitt fulfilled the role of Detective David Mills, and the film became a tremendous success.
When Denzel saw its triumph, including the big money it yielded, he instantly regretted his decision. In fact, he told GQ that it was one of the two career mistakes he made (the other being Michael Clayton). Nevertheless, the 65-year old continues to thrive in Hollywood like he always has.
Harrison Ford – Dr. Alan Grant, Jurassic Park
Can you imagine Jurassic Park with anyone but Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant? Well, at first, the role was offered to Harrison Ford, but he declined. He didn’t think he was right for the part, and given Neill’s performance, we don’t think he would have been either.
Ford went on to star in The Fugitive the same year (1993), also as a doctor, a different sort of one. It was commercially successful too, but not nearly as prosperous as the dinosaur movie. Today, at the age of 77, Ford is not quite ready to back down. He will star in the 2020 adaptation of The Call of the Wild.
Johnny Depp – Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Before finalizing the cast in a movie, the production team considers many possible actors for the roles. When Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was written, the producers considered and offered Johnny Depp the lead role of Ferris Bueller. However, due to reported scheduling conflicts, Depp backed down, and hence, Matthew Broderick got the part.
The teen comedy was about a high schooler who feigns illness to skip school and hang out with friends. Saying no to this movie clearly did not put a strain on Depp’s career. As of today, the 56-year-old’s movies have grossed over a whopping $10 billion around the globe.
Mel Gibson – Maximus Decimus Meridius, Gladiator
An award-winning actor, a 64-year-old stud, and undoubtedly a ladies’ man, Mel Gibson, is known for his action hero roles. He rose to stardom by playing the titular role in Mad Max and starring in Lethal Weapon. At one point in his lengthy career, Gibson got the opportunity to portray Maximus in the movie Gladiator.
Somehow, Gibson refused the role as he believed he was too old for the character (he was only in his early 40s). Russell Crowe later jumped at the chance to play Maximus, and he subsequently won an Oscar for the best actor. Fortunately, Gibson’s career did not take a hit and is still going strong.
Marilyn Monroe – Holly Golightly, Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Having had a childhood full of hardship, Marilyn Monroe deserved to live a long and comfortable life. However, her sudden suicide at age 36 was a shocker to everyone. Breakfast at Tiffany’s almost became her last movie, but since she turned down the role of Holly Golightly, it became Audrey Hepburn’s star role.
Monroe reportedly refused to act in Breakfast at Tiffany’s because she received advice by Lee Strasburg that the role would harm her reputation. Therefore, she starred in The Misfits instead. Sadly, it was her last movie. During her short-lived life, Monroe starred in Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, and The Seven Year Itch, amongst others.
Al Pacino – Han Solo, Star Wars
The Godfather star Al Pacino made a decision in 1975 that he would regret later. When offered the role of Han Solo in the first-ever Star Wars movie, he turned it down simply because the script was beyond his comprehension. Of course, back then, Pacino did not know the significance of his choice.
Star Wars became a blockbuster hit, yielding over $775 million in revenue, and winning seven Academy Awards. The success triggered a series of movies from the franchise. Since Harrison Ford got the part in the first film, he starred in the others too. Nonetheless, Pacino, at age 79, has achieved so much, even without Star Wars.
Jack Nicholson – Michael Corleone, The Godfather
While contemplating life’s biggest regrets at the age of 82, we hope that Jack Nicholson doesn’t think that turning down the role of Michael Corleone was one of them. According to his interview in 2004 with Movieline, Nicholson thought he wasn’t right for the part because an Italian should play it.
Al Pacino, who later successfully portrayed the role, was of Italian descent. The Godfather became an enormous success, and it went on to produce two more films. Nicholson has somehow earned a fortune from his career and won numerous awards, including two Academy Awards for the best actor. Therefore, we don’t think he is devastated.
Angelina Jolie – Dr. Ryan Stone, Gravity
The 2013 movie Gravity generated hundreds of millions of dollars, and it won multiple awards, including seven Academy Awards, six BAFTAs, and seven Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. Angelina Jolie received an invitation to star in the movie as Dr. Ryan Stone. However, she turned it down because she could not work out a deal with the director.
Consequently, Sandra Bullock got the opportunity to portray the character in the production. Movie critics concluded that Bullock was a better fit than Jolie anyway. While having a flourishing career with numerous new movies coming up, the 44-year-old Jolie is already worth $100 million.