Certain films have entered the hearts and memories of the general public and with them also the great actors who have collaborated with their talent to make a film a real cinematic success .
But what would the same film look like with different actors? Could you ever imagine Pretty Woman without Julia Roberts or Titanic without the beautiful Leonardo Di Caprio ? Strange but true, many roles in many films have been proposed to actors who have not been able to seize the moment and have rejected films that would have had a great resonance .
The reasons for the ” big refusals ” are manifold. In fact, some actors and actresses decided not to grab the opportunity because they didn’t see any future in the film , others because they didn’t like the character proposed to them.
Are you curious to find out which are these VIPs who missed a great opportunity ?
Let’s find out together the 15 actors who have turned down important roles in famous films:
1) Will Smith
We begin the roundup of the “great waste” with a very famous man who preferred to say no to much more than a role in a successful film. In this case we are talking about Will Smith. In fact, the star has declined the role of Neo in The Matrix and also that of Django , in the film by the great director Quentin Tarantino , Django Unchained.
2) Julia Roberts
The roundup continues with the super VIP Julia Roberts. In fact, the award-winning actress turned down two starring roles in two hit films. The first in The Blind Side , whose role as the main actress was entrusted to Sandra Bullock . The second in Sleepless in Love , the romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks , in which the lead role was played by Meg Ryan .
3) Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes, who became famous above all for her portrayal of Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek , did not see fit to repeat the experience as an actress in a TV series. In fact, she said no to the role of Piper in the Orange is the New Black series . This was written inspired by the book of the same name by Piper Kerman , the protagonist.
4) Brad Pitt
And what about the rejection of the beautiful Brad Pitt? In fact, even the charming Brad, missed a really important role, that of Jason Bourne in the film The Bourne Identity . Pitt’s film career began in 1987 and has never suffered any setbacks since. But what other VIPs have found themselves in the same situation?
5) Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise was offered to play the protagonist of Iron Man but he declined the proposal. Not bad, because the actor is still considered, by most of the film critics, among the greatest action stars of all time. In addition, during his career he was nominated three times for Academy Awards and won three Golden Globes.
6) Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling, who became famous for the role of Donna Martin in Beverly Hills 90210 , in addition to being a super mom of 5 children, has never stopped acting. However, she also missed an important role in her career. In fact, she was supposed to appear in the movie Scream .
7) Matt Damon
Matt Damon, who has already worked with leading directors of modern cinema, was supposed to play the role of another superhero he preferred to say no to: Daredevil . This film, based on the comic of the same name published by Marvel Comics, is from 2003 and was written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson .
8) Nicholas Cage
Nicolas Cage, who has appeared in over seventy films, refuses to participate in the hugely popular The Lord of the Rings saga . But it does not matter about the “great refusal” because the actor, during his career, has obtained two Oscar nominations for Best Actor, two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Drama Film, He won the Toronto Film Critic Award for the best male interpretation and many other awards. Who will we find, again, in this roundup of VIPs? There is someone who has done better, indeed, worse.
9) Molly Ringwald
And what about Molly Ringwald’s totally wrong choice, biting her hands. In fact, the actress said no to one of the films that she made history in cinema and that she still does not stop making dreams come true: Pretty Woman . If she had accepted this role, she probably would have opened the doors to global success. But we all know how it ended. Her place was given to Julia Roberts , who won a Golden Globe for her role and earned an Oscar nomination.
10) Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson could have starred in Gladiator , a role that was later taken over by Russel Crowe . The beginnings of Gibson’s career date back to 1979, when he was chosen by George Miller to be the protagonist of the film Interceptor , in which he played the role of “Mad” Max Rockatansky. The film was so successful that it ran two more sequels, both starring Mel.
11) Lindsay Lohan
The unfortunate events affecting the actress are not limited to her troubles with justice and alcohol and drug abuse. In fact, she too at work could have had better luck if she alone had wanted to accept the role of Jade in the funny movie The Hangover . Too bad Lindsay, this time too she will be for the next one!
12) John Travolta
Will you ever believe that the John Travolta myth rejected one of the most important roles in dramatic cinematography? Instead, yes, because the actor declined the proposal to play the role of the protagonist in Forrest Gump . The reason was that, according to Travolta, the character was too complex to play.
13) Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox, who in addition to being an actress and also a director and television producer, should know about famous television series, but not! In fact, she just did not agree to star in Desperate Housewives which, surely, would have been very different with Cox’s interpretation if she alone had stepped into the role of Susan Mayer .
14) Christian Bale
Here is another great rejection that will go down in history, that of Christian Bale. The actor who did not want to play Bruce Wayne in The Justice League , which was then entrusted to Ben Affleck , regretted not a little. In fact, according to a statement he made about it, he admitted that he should have thought better before rejecting it.
15) Anne Hathaway
Perhaps, Anne Hathaway, by saying no to this great success has thrown away the chance of winning the most famous statuette in Hollywood. In fact, in The Positive Side , the role was then entrusted to Jennifer Lawrence , who won an Oscar!
