11 Actors and Actresses Who Refused Roles That Could Bring Them Fame and Millions
John Travolta turned down the role of Forrest Gump and Jack Nicholson considered it impossible to play a Sicilian man without actually being one, that’s why it was Al Pacino who got the role of Michael Corleone. Still, these actors managed to star in many movies that brought them success and fame. However, sometimes things turn out to be a bit different and the turndown of a role ruins all the hopes for a bright career.
We at CHEERY decided to find out what significant roles were turned down by actors and how they affected their professional fate.
Saoirse Ronan — Wanda Maximoff, MCU (Marvel Universe)
When director Joss Whedon begins planning for work on the movie “Avengers: Age of Ultron” he based the first concept design for Wanda Maximoff on the actress Saoirse Ronan. According to his words, Whedon planned Saoirse for the role of Scarlet Witch. Ronan even expressed her interest in taking part in the MCU movie. Perhaps Whedon changed his mind, but in the end, Elizabeth Olsen was approved for that role.
Ronan went on to do other great projects including Lady Bird, Little Women, and The French Dispatch. Elizabeth Olsen’s performance as Wand Maximoff was appreciated. Her appearance on both the big and small screen in the franchise’s Phase 4 could be an indication that Olsen will become one of the main faces of the universe.
Josh Hartnett — Superman and Batman
Josh Hartnett turned down the role of Batman and Superman. The actor says that this decision was correct and perhaps the only right one he’s made. Josh didn’t want to become the hostage of stereotype roles and that’s why didn’t consider this collaboration.
Though the actor got the main role in the movie Lucky Number Slevin in 2006, within the next 10 years he only had cameo appearances in low-budget movies. In 2017, the viewers could see Josh in 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain, but the flick got mainly negative reviews from critics. The rating of movie approval on Rotten Tomatoes is only 22%.
Matthew Broderick — Walter White, Breaking Bad
The creators of the Breaking Bad series were hoping that Matthew Broderick will agree to play the main role in their project. But he turned this offer down and the creators had to look for someone else to fill the position. Bryan Cranston happened to be that someone who didn’t miss his chance and did his best in the role.
After that, Broderick starred in many movies but, unfortunately, they didn’t bring him much success. Today we can hear Broderick more than see him because he does voice-overs for animated characters. Thus, Simba the lion, for example, speaks with Matthew’s voice.
Laurence Fishburne — Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction
For his fans, Laurence Fishburne has remained Morpheus from The Matrix for many years though the actor had every chance to not let this situation happen. When Quentin Tarantino was working on Pulp Fiction, he invited Laurence to play the role of Jules Winnfield, but he turned the offer down.
It was Samuel L. Jackson who became Jules and was awarded a BAFTA for the Best Film Actor in a Supporting Role.
Jennifer Love Hewitt — Prue Halliwell, Charmed
When actress Shannen Doherty left the project Charmed at the end of the 3rd season, the creators were puzzled about the future destiny of her character, Prue Halliwell. Jennifer Love Hewitt was invited to try herself in this role. However, the actress refused to play in the series. Tiffani Thiessen, who got the same proposal, also rejected the role. Eventually, it was decided to remove Prue Halliwell from the list of the series’ characters.
Recently Jennifer Love Hewitt completely shifted from acting in feature films to acting in series. Thus, she has had roles in projects like Criminal Minds and Hot in Cleveland. Today, we can see the actress in a drama series called 9-1-1.
Molly Ringwald — Vivian Ward, Pretty Woman
Before Julia Roberts was approved for the role of Vivian in Pretty Woman, many other actresses rejected playing this character. They include Molly Ringwald, Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Valeria Golino, among others. Later Molly Ringwald confessed in an interview that she regretted having made this decision.
It’s not surprising because in the ’90s that actress lost her fame, having started to take parts in little-known movies and series, while the role of an easy-going girl played by Julia Roberts brought her the status of one of Hollywood’s recognizable stars.
Michael Madsen — Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
The legendary dance of Uma Thurman and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction could’ve looked different if the role of Vincent had gone to Michael Madsen. However, the actor turned the role down because he was engaged in another project — at that moment he was filming Wyatt Earp, a western flick. But this movie didn’t turn out to be as successful as Quentin Tarantino’s black comedy — it was nominated for Golden Raspberry 5 times and won 2 of its nominations. Though it’s worth mentioning that the movie also had a nomination for Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Michael recalls the rejection of this role with humor and says that it’s unlikely that someone would’ve been happier to see him instead of Travolta. Madsen had been playing in low-budget movies for a long time but recently he has started to appear in projects from Russian cinematography like Velvet Revolution, The Way, The 5th Execution, etc. Moreover, the actor tried himself in a new line of work and published several books with his own poetry.
Oliver Hudson — Jack Pearson, This Is Us
Oliver Hudson had every chance to get the role of Jack Pearson in the This Is Us series, but the actor preferred to go on a 10-day fishing trip instead of the set. Eventually, it was Milo Ventimiglia who played the main role and got several Emmy nominations for it.
Oliver’s main work is in his role in the Rules of Engagement sitcom where he acted for 7 seasons.
Claire Danes — Rose DeWitt Bukater, Titanic
The role of Rose brought 22-year-old Kate Winslet world fame and a nomination for an Oscar. The young woman instantly became a star in Hollywood. However, initially, it was Claire Danes who was invited to take this role but she refused claiming she was tired and bored with her most recent projects. Danes also didn’t want to act with DiCaprio, because not long before Titanic, they both appeared in William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet.
In the following years of her acting career, Claire had a part in the series Homeland which was broadcast for almost 10 years until its end in April 2020. Participation in feature movies almost never brings the actress awards or delighted reviews. Films she has been in from recent years can’t claim to be loved by audiences: for example, As Cool as I Am has a 5.8 IMDb rating, while A Kid Like Jake — 5.4.
Toni Collette — Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones’s Diary
It was Toni Collette, who was considered first for the role of Bridget Jones. At that time she was mostly unknown to the international producers. But the actress turned the proposal down. Colette was currently the lead in The Wild Party, a Broadway show, which was a big deal. So she decided not to leave the scene for that movie.
In the end, Renée Zellweger got that iconic role. Bridget Jones’s Diary earned her the first Academy Award nomination. Bridget Jones’s Diary was a major commercial success, earning $281 million worldwide.
Mads Mikkelsen — Vesemir, The Witcher
Before Danish actor, Kim Bodnia, was approved to play Vesemir, the oldest living witcher, and Geralt’s mentor, the role was offered to Mads Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen was not interested in the project and rejected the proposal. That decision did not influence much on the actor’s career, as he plans to appear in the nearest future in a new movie about Indiana Jones, and will star in projects Billion Dollar Spy and The King’s Land.
Can you imagine someone else instead of your favorite movie and series characters?