20 Actors Who Turned Down Great Movie Roles For Horrible Ones
Actors can fall in love with a character or a story, only for the movie to be a complete disaster, in the end, leaving them wishing they had agreed to play another part in a different movie. It's the harsh reality of the business and a feeling of regret that many actors share. Here are some factors that turned down now-iconic roles for ones that were less-than-impressive.
Emily Blunt - Gulliver's Travels Over Black Widow
Scarlet Johansson may have been perfect for playing the character Black Widow in the 2010 Marvel film Iron Man 2, but it was Emily Blunt that the studio was interested in first. Blunt turned down portraying the superhero due to a scheduling issue with Jack Black's Gulliver's Travels.
While Iron Man 2 may not have been the most beloved film, there's no denying that it was significantly better than the disaster that was Gulliver's Travels. Furthermore, audiences loved Johansson as Black Widow so much they decided to give the character her own movie.
Michael Madsen - Wyatt Earp Over Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino loves using the same actors in his films with Michael Masen appearing in films such as Reservoir Dogs, and The Hateful Eight, among others. Supposedly, Tarantino even offered him the role of Vincent Vega played by John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, but he passed on it in order to be in Wyatt Earp.
Madsen's decision created tension between him and Tarantino with the two not speaking for some time. However, they made up and Madsen was featured in Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume I.
Brad Pitt - Spy Game Over The Bourne Series
To this day, Brad Pitt remains an absolute powerhouse in Hollywood, having his name on some of the biggest films in recent memory. Nevertheless, he is human and makes mistakes, which was the case when he turned down the role of Jason Bourne, a character that would send Matt Damon's career into the stratosphere.
The role Pitt chose over Bourne turned out to be a CIA agent in Spy Game. Although the movie didn't fail, the Bourne series still did much better.
Eddie Murphy - Holy Man Over Rush Hour
Chances are, you've definitely heard of the Rush Hour films and have no idea what the movie Holy Man is. Unfortunately, that's something that actor/comedian Eddie Murphy has to live with every day.
Murphy took on the film Holy Man during a point in his career when he was doing borderline terrible films, with Holy Man possibly being the worst. The real shame is that he had an opportunity to dig himself out of this rut when offered the role of James Carter in Rush Hour, yet declined it to do Holy Man.
Matt Damon - Downsizing Over Manchester By The Sea
Over the years, Matt Damon has proved that he can do it all with dramas like Goodwill Hunting to crime thrillers such as The Departed. That doesn't mean that he is incapable of making a movie that flops, which Downsizing certainly did.
For some reason, Matt Damon backed out of both directing and starring in Manchester by the Sea, and the role instead went to Casey Affleck. Casey's performance in the film would win him an Academy Award for Best Actor, something that was probably bittersweet for Matt.
Tim Roth - Planet Of The Apes Over Harry Potter
Although the late Alan Rickman had an incredible career before taking the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, it's arguably the role that he will be best remembered for. Unbelievably, Tim Roth was actually offered the role before Rickman but made the huge error of agreeing to be in Tim Burton's reboot of Planet of the Apes.
Roth foolishly believed that he would be able to do both, but was proven otherwise, fully devoting himself to Planet of the Apes. While Rickman scored one of the most memorable fantasy characters of all time, Planet of the Apes crashed and burned.
Brooke Sheilds - Sahara Over Scarface
When Brook Shields was offered the role of Elvira in Brian de Palma's legendary mobster film Scarface, her own mother pointed her in the wrong direction. Her mother suggested that she avoid the gangster film in favor of starring in the adventure film Sahara, and we all know how that turned out.
So, the role went to Michele Pfeiffer, which helped turn her into a star. Shields ended up taking home a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor, making her the first actress to ever do so.
Jean Reno - Godzilla Over The Matrix
Jean Reno is a French actor that has been in several notable films, yet one role that he missed out on was playing Agent Smith in the Wachowskis The Matrix. However, Reno said no, because he didn't want to move to Australia to film it.
This decision resulted in him playing a French secret agent in 1998's Godzilla. Unfortunately for Reno, The Matrix was one of the most hailed sci-fi psychological thrillers ever made, and critics shredded Godzilla.
David Schwimmer - The Pallbearer Over Men In Black
David Schwimmer became a larger-than-life actor after playing Ross on the revolutionary TV series Friends. After the show ended, he was hoping to advance his career, although he had some bad judgment.
Instead of playing Agent J in Men in Black, which became a hit, he chose to act in the romantic comedy Pallbearer, for which he won a Razzie for Worst New Star. This worked out in Will Smith's favor as the role of Agent J took his career to new heights.
Will Smith - After Earth Over Django Unchained
A mistake that any actor and actress can make is turning down a role in a Quentin Tarantino film, which tend to be uber-successful off his name alone. Yet, that's just what Will Smith did when he was offered the role of Django in Django Unchained.
Instead, he chose to act alongside his son Jaden Smith in the unremarkable After Earth. It is rumored that Smith turned down the movie because Django doesn't kill the bad guy and that he didn't want to be in a movie about revenge, but rather love.
Will Smith - Wild Wild West Over The Matrix
Before 1999, Will Smith made quite the name for himself with multiple box office hits. So, it's not surprising that the Wachowskis proposed to him that he play Neo in The Matrix.
Smith was unsure about all of the special effects that would be used and backed out, leaving the role for Keanu Reeves. Instead, Smith acted in Wild Wild West, which was an all-around failure and earned smith a Worst Screen Couple Razzie and Worst Original Song. Tough break.
Kevin Costner - Waterworld Over Shawshank Redemption
If you were unaware, to this day, Waterworld is considered to be one of the greatest blunders in film history. With one of the biggest budgets of all time, both the production of the film and its receptions turned out to be complete disasters.
Star Kevin Costner could have avoided this humiliation if he had taken the role of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption like he was offered. But he decided to go big or go home, and he definitely went home in the case of Waterworld. Shawshank is now considered one of the greatest movies of all time.
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Beach Over American Psycho
When casting for the psychological horror film American Psycho, it is rumored that Lionsgate offered Leonardo DiCaprio a hefty sum of $20 million to play the deranged serial killer Patrick Bateman. The studio wanted DiCaprio so bad that they were even willing to go against director Mary Harron's wishes, who was pushing for Christian Bale. In the end, Harron was then replaced by Oliver Stone.
Once Stone was on the project, he and DiCaprio struggled with direction, leaving DiCaprio to walk away and make The Beach. With Bale as Bateman, Harron returned to the director's chair, and American Psycho is now considered a cult classic, and The Beach remains forgotten.
Julia Roberts - Valentine's Day Over The Blind Side
At one point, Julia Roberts was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, becoming an A-list actor after her performance in 2000's Erin Brockovich, for which she won Best Actress at the Oscars. Yet, she turned down another potentially Oscar-worthy role when she passed up on playing Leigh Anne Tuohy in the 2009 sports film The Blind Side.
Rather, Roberts decided to go on and make the movie Valentine's Day, which was abysmal compared to many of the other films that Roberts has starred in throughout her career.
Tom Selleck - Magnum P.I., Over Indiana Jones
After seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars, Steven Spielberg wanted him to play Indiana Jones. However, George Lucas, a producer on Raiders of the Lost Ark, was against having Ford in another one of his movies.
So, it was agreed that Tom Selleck would play Jones until Selleck was forced to drop out due to contract issues regarding the television show Magnum, P.I. While the show was successful in its own right, it's not even close to the Indiana Jones franchise.
Hugh Jackman - X-Men 2 Over James Bond
Recently, Hugh Jackman revealed that he had been approached to play the iconic Agent 007 in the James Bond film Casino Royale. While he was interested in the role, he was forced to turn it down because he had contractual obligations to fulfill for the film X2: X-Men United.
This resulted in Daniel Craig becoming the next James Bond for several films, with Jackman admitting that he would seriously consider the role if he had the opportunity again.
Katie Holmes - Mad Money Over The Dark Knight And The Dark Knight Rises
When Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins was released in 2005, it can be argued that it revolutionized the superhero genre, spawning the following films, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
In Batman Begins, Rachel Dawes, the love interest of Bruce Wayne, is played by Katie Holmes, although Maggie Gyllenhaal plays her in the latter two films. During this time, Holmes was busy making the failure Mad Money, while the other two Batman films established themselves as some of the most successful films of their time.
Marilyn Monroe - The Misfits Over Breakfast At Tiffany's
When casting for Breakfast at Tiffany's, the author of the original book, Truman Capote, had his eye on Marilyn Monroe for the part of Holly Golightly. However, Monroe's agent talked her out of the part because of the type of profession that Golightly's character was involved in.
So, passing on Breakfast at Tiffany's, Monroe then starred in The Misfits, written and directed by her husband, Arthur Miller. Production of The Misfits turned out to be a disaster, with the script supposedly leading to the end of the couple's marriage, and Breakfast at Tiffany's is considered a classic.
Tom Cruise - All The Right Moves Over Footloose
Tom Cruise is another actor in Hollywood that has impressed audiences for years for his range, seemingly capable to tackle any role thrown at him. However, he has missed out on some too, with one of these being Footloose.
His performance in Risky Business caught the attention of the casting directors of Footloose, who wanted him to portray Ren McCormack, but Cruise preferred to be in the sports film All the Right Moves. This proved to be a mistake with Footloose becoming a symbol of the 1980s.
Benicio Del Toro - Thor: The Dark World Over Star Trek: Into Darkness
It's hard to imagine turning down a Star Trek role. Actor Benicio Del Toro was a top choice to play Khan in the Star Trek sequel Into Darkness. But he let the role slip by after he wasn't able to come to an agreement on pay with the production team for the film. Instead, that year he played a minor role as The Collector in Thor: The Dark World.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch stepped in as Khan. Into Darkness ended up becoming the highest-grossing film in the Star Trek franchise, grossing over $467 million worldwide.
Christina Applegate - Just Visiting Over Legally Blonde
Most people have heard of the hit comedy Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon as Ellen Woods, a seemingly ditzy blonde that takes on law school. As it turns out, Christina Applegate was actually first in line to be offered the role of Elle Woods.
Yet, Applegate had her reservations about playing another typical "blonde" role for fear of being typecast, especially after having just finished Married with Children. So, she chose Just Visiting, which was a failed remake of a French film.
Michelle Pfeiffer: Coolio Music Video Over The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is a classic film, earning seven nominations at the 1995 Academy Awards. Jodie Foster won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Clarice Starling. Michelle Pfeiffer had first pick of the role, but she turned it down!
After reading the script, Pfeiffer thought the film was too dark, so she turned down the role. Instead, she played LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds, and made a cameo appearance in Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" music video.
Jennifer Connelly: Etoile Over Heathers
Winona Ryder made Heathers a hit film in 1989, playing the starring role as Veronica. However, when screenwriter Daniel Waters wrote the script, he had actress Jennifer Connelly in mind as the protagonist.
At the time, Connelly was mostly known for her role as Sarah in Labyrinth. Heathers could have helped propel her career. But instead, Connelly took on the part of a ballet student in the Italian film Etoile.
Burt Reynolds: 100 Rifles Over On Her Majesty's Secret Service
We could have watched Burt Reynolds as James Bond-- it was close to happening in 1969. Reynolds was a top contender for the lead role as the suave secret agent in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He turned down the role because he felt an American couldn't properly play a Brit!
Instead, he took on a couple of roles in Western films, including 100 Rifles.
John Travolta - Pulp Fiction Over Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is arguably one of the most quoted and well-known films ever made. When it was released, it became the highest-grossing film of 1994, with Tom Hanks winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Forrest Gump.
Interestingly, the film was initially offered to John Travolta, who turned it down. Instead of playing Forrest Gump, Travolta went on to act in Pulp Fiction instead, which was also good, but not close to the same caliber as Forrest Gump.
Emily Browning - The Uninvited Over Twilight
Best known for her film Sucker Punch, Emily Browning was one of the first considerations for the role of Bella Swan for the Twilight series. However, after reading the script, Browning decided that she wanted no part in the film and Kristen Stewart filled the role.
Browning then ended up taking on the lead role in the horror film The Uninvited, which was a remake of a 2003 South Korean film. Unfortunately, for Browning, the Twilight series would go on to become an international sensation.
Matthew Broderick -The Tale of Despereaux Over Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an AMC television series about a meek high school chemistry teacher that begins making and selling crystal meth to provide for his family after discovering that he has lung cancer.
The show has been hailed as one of the greatest to ever be on television, especially due to Brian Cranston's performance as Walter White. Yet, the role was first offered to Matthew Broderick, who turned it down. Tragically, Broderick went on to make the animated film The Tale of Despereaux over the television series.
Paul Schaffer - Making Music Over Seinfeld
In Paul Schaffer's 2009 memoir, We'll Be Here the Rest of Our Lives; he admits that before filming for Seinfeld started, Jerry Seinfeld contacting him regarding the role of George Costanza.
In fact, Jerry went so far as to say that he didn't even need to audition and that the part was his. Of course, Schaffer turned him down on account of being "too busy" making music. Little did Schaffer know that Seinfeld would be considered one of the greatest reality television shows of all time.
Tom Hanks - That Thing You Do Over Jerry McGuire
According to the director of Jerry McGuire, Cameron Crowe, Tom Hanks was the first actor that they approached for the role of Jerry McGuire. However, Hanks was too busy directing That Thing You Do and had to pass on the project, leading it to go to Tom Cruise.
Nevertheless, Hanks would later go on to admit that he could never have done the same job that Cruise did in the film, in fact, that nobody could have.
Ray Liotta - Muppets From Space Over The Sopranos
Ray Liotta established himself as a big name in the gangster genre after starring in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. So, when it came time for casting in HBO's The Sopranos, Liotta was at the top of the list.
Yet, he turned down the opportunity to play Tony Soprano, with the role going to James Gandolfini. His performance would go on to be regarded as one of the best television performances ever to grace the small screen. Instead, Ray Liotta found himself in noteworthy projects such as Muppets from Space and Forever Mine.
Henry Winkler - The One And Only Over Grease
Considered a classic today, Grease's character of Danny Zuko helped turn John Travolta into a household name. But before landing on Travolta for the role, Zuko's character was originally offered to Henry Winkler.
However, Winkler declined the role, as he didn't want to be typecast after having played The Fonz on Happy Days for so many years. So, instead of starring as Danny Zuko, Winkler acted in The One and Only, which is nowhere close to as popular as Grease. He later admitted to regretting turning down the role.
Mel Gibson - What Women Want Over Gladiator
It's hard to fathom the movie without Russel Crowe being the one to shout orders at his soldiers or fight to the death in the Colosseum, but that's almost exactly what happened.
Mel Gibson was first approached to act as Maximus but turned it down, claiming that he was getting too old to take on those kinds of action roles. Instead, he joined the project What Women Want, with Crowe going on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.
Bruce Willis - The Bonfire of the Vanities Over Ghost
While Patrick Swayze may be the face of the movie Ghost, it was almost going to be Bruce Willis playing the part of Sam Wheat. On top of being part of a movie that would turn out to be incredibly successful, he also would have had the chance to work alongside his wife, Demi Moore.
Yet, he turned it down and ended up doing the movie The Bonfire of the Vanities instead. Now, he has to watch Patrick Swayze get all hot and heavy with his wife.
Dana Delaney - Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Couples Over Sex in The City
For anyone that's seen HBO's Sex in The City, Sarah Jessica Parker is Carrie Bradshaw in every way. Nevertheless, the role of the columnist almost went to Dana Delaney, who had already acted in similar roles such as in Live Nude Girls and having already starred alongside Kim Cattrall, who plays Samantha Jones in the series.
Unfortunately for Delaney, she turned down the role in favor of doing failed TV movies such as Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Couples.
Molly Ringwald - Betsy's Wedding Over Pretty Women
Molly Ringwald made quite a name for herself during the 1980s, starring as the "popular girl" in notable films such as The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, among others.
Not long after, she was offered the role of Vivian Ward in Pretty Women but wasn't interested in the character Molly's preoccupation and passed on the opportunity, going on to act in Betsy's Wedding, otherwise. This worked out for Julia Roberts, who received the role and turned her into an A-list actress.
Lindsay Lohan - Labor Pains Over The Hangover
Although it seems like The Hangover was made after a bunch of actors got bored and decided to make a movie, it turned out to be a major hit, spawning two sequels! When casting for the stripper that Stu marries in the first film, the role was first offered to Lindsay Lohan.
The actress claimed she was too young, being 20 at the time, and turned it down, acting in Labor Pains instead. This led to the part going to Heather Graham, who was also brought back for the third film. This role could have possibly helped Lohan out during her troubles at the time.
