Billy Crystal turned down voicing Buzz Lightyear before Tim Allen accepted it!
He regretted this decision so much that when Pixar offered him the role of Mike Wazowski, he accepted it right away with no hesitation!
Mike is also a great fit for Billy Crystal to the extent that I don't know if I can think of any other actors who were alive and working at that time who could bring that kind of old Vaudevillian patter to the character (besides dedicated cartoon voice actors). Maybe Martin Short, but I don't know if it would be the same kind of instant magic as Crystal as Mike.
It's kinda like Richard Kind as Bing Bong. He's not someone I would immediately think of for a Pixar movie, but nobody else could be Bing Bong.
When he does the fake musical “put that thing back where it came from or so help me” is my favorite bit in any Disney/Pixar movie, it’s so funny
I think they’ve kinda fallen off in casting, Inside Out was probably the last one they really nailed. They still get really good talent but don’t use it like they used to.
Katie Holmes didn’t reprise her role as Rachel in The Dark Knight, which grossed over a billion worldwide. She had just started filming Mad Money, which opened and closed the same weekend.
Rising 90s Actor Craig Bierko turned down the role as Chandler Bing in Friends for another sitcom that failed. His drinking buddy Matthew Perry then took the role.
I read an interview with him about it once. He turned it down having done an ill-fated TV show called The Famous Teddy Z.
He regretted turning it down and did the similarly themed Partners with Tate Donovan and Maria Pitillo. It was pretty good but only lasted one season. Teddy Z was pretty good too imo.
Dougray Scott was gonna play Wolverine in the first X-Men film I believe, but he had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts with Mission: Impossible 2. I feel like he could've been good at the role but it is near impossible to see anyone else in that role other than Hugh Jackman now.
Dougray has done interviews detailing how Tom Cruise forced him to go back for reshoots even though Dougray desperately wanted to do Xmen, and Tom wouldn't compromise on shoot dates. To this day he is bitter about the experience although he makes sure to clarify that he was never angry at Hugh. Mostly Tom. I can't imagine losing out on something that blew up like Wolverine did. Esp when it was yours originally.
This sounds similar to what happened to Henry Cavill except he put it on Paramount not budging on the shooting schedule. Also, its switched with Justice League needing reshoots and Paramount not allowing Henry to shave his mustache. So he goes and does reshoots with the facial hair.
There was an interview with Henry Cavill when he talked about the mustache and said shortly after all the reshoots were done filming for JL, Fallout had to pause for 6 weeks because Tom Cruise broke his ankle. So he would have had plenty of time to shave and grow the facial hair back. I cant find it. But I remember seeing it in 2018 while watching promo for Fallout.
But would wolverine have been as successful a character if it wasn't Hugh? I love Dougray Scott and I was initially excited that he got the role. But Hugh made that role his.
It's hard to say because Jackman was so good, but Wolverine was already a hugely popular comic character and is just a badass, so it's likely that anyone doing a decent job in the role would have found success.
I mean it's hard to say, but I was a kid, and my friends and I back then were more interested in watching Wolverine do cool shit on screen rather than who's playing him. Hugh resonates with the character soo hard because he played it for so long.
I'm sure Scott would have been great too if he could've held onto the role
Jackman was brought on as an emergency replacement if I recall correctly. Probably why Jackman still has an appreciation for the character while other actors would turn their nose up to it after being as successful as he has been. He literally owes it all to the luck of being called in to play wolverine.
Watch Apocalypse Now, King of New York, School Daze, and Boyz in the Hood. Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus has dominated pop culture for 25 years but he was really good in other roles. Pre The Matrix his characters were closer to Jules than Morpheus. Samuel L Jackson became a household name and protagonist between Jules and Zeus. I think he got his role in Deep Blue Sea because of Zeus. Lots of nervous laughter when he got chomped.
At the time of The Matrix, I had only seen Fishburne in Apocalypse Now, Boyz in the Hood, Othello, and Event Horizon.
Round #2 of that story according to Tarantino is that supposedly Fishburne and his people were playing hard to get over Die Hard 3 and then as Pulp Fiction was opening on the festival circuit, the Die Hard 3 people decided that if Jackson is good in it, they’ll approach him instead of continuing to deal with Fishburne, and the rest is history.
I seem to remember a video where Laurence Fishburne talked about it and doesn’t regret it because he said Samuel L. Jackson both got a big career boost in it and he also thought he was amazing in it.
I thought I read that Fishburne also the choice for Die Hard with a Vengence but then the producers saw Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction and changed their minds.
Emma watson was supposed to be in la la land
Emma stone was supposed to be in little women
Emma stone got la la land and emma watson got little women and both became hits
Emma stone turned down the menu
Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Connery were the first choices for Clarice Starling/Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs and both turned it down. Both Oscar winning roles.
Also a role in The Matrix. Perhaps the Architect but the final casting was perfect.
Lots of what ifs with that series including Will Smith as Neo, Russell Crowe as Morpheus, Sandra Bullock as Trinity and I'm sure plenty more I'm forgetting.
>Also a role in The Matrix. Perhaps the Architect but the final casting was perfect.
It was actually the role of Morphius that Connery turned down.
After The Matrix, LotR and Potter became huge hits, Connery did accept a role in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He hated making that film so much he retired from acting.
IMO, while Hopkins played Lecter as a polite gentleman in a very sinister way with a biting and sarcastic wit, Connery would have played the polite gentleman in a more suave and charming way (at least until he murders his way out of custody at the end)
Both could work, but of course Hopkins's portrayal was a masterclass
Connery was a big guy at 6'2". There is something more disarming about Hopkins being 5'9", being able to fit in, be the chameleon that makes Lecter so dangerous.
In SotL novel, Harris has Starling describe Lecter as small and sleek with wiry strength. To me, Connery would have betrayed the novel's character. Hopkins was not exactly trim, but that aside, I thought he nailed Harris's Lecter. Demme's casting of Hopkins and Foster could not have been more perfect.
Pfeiffer could have had a chance. Although not an Oscar winner, she was nominated a few times. She's a fine actress. Her beauty though can be distracting.
Michelle Pfeiffer notoriously turned down some popular roles. She turned down Pretty Woman, Basic Instinct and Sleepless in Seattle. She's very selective. I read that the role she regrets most was Thelma and Louise. She said she can't even watch it.
Claire danes was already getting a lot of hate for being Juliet in R+J with people calling her ugly 😤 I can't even imagine what would have happened to her mental health if she was Rose.
I was obsessed with her as Juliet. I even wore her angel costume for Halloween. She didn't want to do another movie with Leo. She had a crush on him during the filming of R+J but he didn't feel the same and wasn't the nicest to her.
It's not that she's ugly. It's that teen girls were furious that she got to play DiCaprio's love interest. Anyone woman would have gotten hate at that time.
What an interesting variant timeline that would be if Emily Blunt was in the MCU for 10 years.
It might have excluded her from Edge of Tomorrow, for one. Probably no Quiet Place.
Yeah. She's probably not as financially successful as she would have been but she's been incredible in incredible movies and as a viewer I'm glad we got her there.
Amanda Seyfried turned down playing Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, she didn't think anyone wanted to see a movie about a talking tree and a raccoon.
Will Smith turned down:
- The Matrix as Neo
- Django Unchained as Django
- Rush Hour as Carter
Hmm, I think I've figured out the secret to making a successful movie...
So glad Jada turned down Trinity as Carrie was a great fit but she still wound up in The Matrix series, just not as a main, but more a sub main in the last two movies.
"Well do you know anything about spiders? Spiders are the fiercest killer in the animal kingdom."
Requisite Kevin Smith talking about John Peters:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo2KB1dEDdk
As a kid, I thought it was awesome. Probably still do. I remember getting the burger king wild wild West theme sunglasses from a kids meal on the way to see the movie at a drive-in theater.
Good times.
In my opinion, I think Rush Hour is the only role of three which are Will Smith version would have been good in a different way.
I think the biggest loss the character would have had is that Chris Tucker didn’t play Carter as cool or brave in a way that was believable and hilarious. A Will Smith James Carter would have been brave and cool and that would’ve been a shame but it still could’ve been a good movie.
The story according to Kathleen Kennedy is that Mars (owners of M&M) wanted to see the script and possible images of ET. While this was being negotiated Spielberg suggested Reeses Pieces so they reached out to Hershey who said Yes immediately no questions asked.
These are great what ifs too. I remember hearing that the original James Bond car was going to be a GM or something. The producers wound up buying the aston martin that became famous.
Denzel was offered the title role for Michael Clayton (2007) but he turned it down because it was a first-time director. George Clooney ended up getting a Best Actor nomination for the role. He said he regretted it but that type of stuff happens.
Adam Sandler was cast as Max in Collateral (2004) but I believe a scheduling conflict led to Jamie Foxx replacing him.
Given she got A Quiet Place and she and John definitely had profit participation, she still made major bank.
Also added bonus for us audience members, Rita Vrataski!
Jodie Foster had to turn down playing Princess Leia because already having signed for a different project.
Colin Firth originally was the voice of Paddington but after hearing his first lines he decided that his voice sounded too old.
Charlie Sheen turned down being Karate Kid.
Sylvester Stallone turned down the role of Axel Foley because he didn't like the humour in the script.
Darth, “ You know what you look like to me, with your good hair buns and your cheap robe? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Princess Leia? And that accent you've tried so desperately to shed? Pure West Alderaan. What's your father, dear? Is he a coaxium miner? Does he stink of the porg?
I didn't believe it so I searched it up: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a46439721/jodie-foster-princess-leia-star-wars-casting/
Really surprised that's never been a common "what if" example.
there's a funny 'true' urban legend about that
didnt Arnold get pitched that, realise it was gonna be a stinker but played up the fact that he "really wanted it" and so Stallone thought it would be a good movie and then fought to get it and then... actually got it...
Arnie laughed himself silly on that one.
Pierce Brosnan had been approached to be James Bond years before he filmed his first Bond movie. At the time it was initially offered to him, in 1986, he was wrapping his last season as Remington Steele, which NBC had cancelled. But, word of him being the next Bond caused a ratings increase so NBC did a last minute renewal and Pierce was contractually obligated… forcing him to turn the role down, which went to Timothy Dalton. He was later able to accept the role in 1994.
Julia Roberts was originally cast to play Viola in Shakespeare in Love. But she quit shortly after filming began, I believe. Then came Gwyneth and an Oscar!
Cuba Gooding Jr. turned down playing Ray Charles in Ray, Idi Amin in Last King of Scotland and Cinque in Amistad.
Mickey Rourke turned down Butch in Pulp Fiction, and lead roles in Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop, Rain Man and Silence of the Lambs.
The thing is, when a movie turns into a huge hit, a lot of the time it's exactly because THAT actor played that part that way. In another actor's hands, it wouldn't have necessarily turned out as interesting or as good.
There are a lot of roles in movies that won't make or break it. I think Dumbledore is an example of that. If it was Sean Connery I'm sure it would have been just as successful
I think most of these examples fall into that category, in that the "original" choices wouldn't have worked as well. The big exception to this I think is Avatar; Matt Damon would have done just a good/better job and would have made an unimaginable amount of money from it
Richard Pryor and Gig Young were the first choices for sheriff Bart and the Waco kid in Blazing Saddles.
The studios nixed Richard Pryor for being “too controversial.” They started filming with Gig Young but he was an alcoholic that came to the set drunk. Gene Wilder was called in at the last minute.
Feud season 1 was about the ladies. I’m watching season 2 about Truman Capote (Capote vs The Swans). It’s about his fued with the New York elite he had been friends with. He called them The Swans. After being accepted to their inner circle he wrote a thinly veiled, if veiled at all, tell all article as a prelude to a never written book.
He was. He changed some names but not all. One woman was already in the outer circle after killing her husband in what she claimed was an accident, thinking him a burglar. Capote perpetuated accusations that she’d murdered him because he was leaving her. Truman, and the Swans, kept the rumor going and she allegedly got an advance copy of the article and killed herself the night before it came out.
It was vicious. I’ve researched and the show seems to have the big facts correct. Of course, it’s a dramatization so it’s not going to be 100% accurate.
Sean Connery turned down a role in the Matrix and Gandalf the Grey/White because he said he didn’t understand the scripts.
Damon turned down Harvey Dent in the Dark knight.
Alec Baldwin turned down Jack Ryan in Patriot Games to be in a Streetcar named Desire on Broadway.
Connery turned down the roles of Gandalf and Dumbledore at approximately the same time. He deserves to win this thread--he could've minted money during the '00s.
Baldwin didn't turn down the role, he was removed when Harrison Ford expressed an interest. His biography has the story.
The same thing happened to him with The Fugitive. It has a smaller budget and Baldwin was going to play the Kimble role. Ford walked in and the producers dumped Baldwin and they were able to up the budget as Ford was attached and bring on a bigger director.
Baldwin was pissed, two big roles taken from him back to back.
I had to look this up. My first thought was that she started out as a comedian. Lorne Michael's offered her to be a featured player from seeing her sitcom roles. Even she was confused, saying she wasn't a comedian.
John Travolta turned down the leads in "Officer and a Gentleman" and "American Gigolo ", both went to Richard Gere. He turned one of them down to be in "Perfect", I can't remember what he did instead of the other.
Of course I would love to be in the meeting room where Lucas suggested to Spielberg on why he should hire his favourite carpenter as their fallback choice.
James Caan declined the lead role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which subsequently went to Jack Nicholson. The movie went on to be one of only three films to have won the big 5 Oscars (Picture, Screenplay, Actor, Actress and Director.)
Daniel Day Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, reportedly because he simply didn't like the source material.
Patrick McGoohan rejected the role of James Bond because he disapproved of the character's attitude towards women, and did not want his daughters to see him in the role.
William Hurt had substance abuse issues.
Also, during that period of time, he was a highly acclaimed actor not too far removed from 3 consecutive Oscar nominations. So maybe he thought a blockbuster like Jurassic Park was "beneath" him.
I hate to say this about my countrymen but as opposed to the title of this post, I could still imagine legions of other people in the lead role of Avatar than Sam Worthington.
(I never cease to be amazed to learn an actor is actually Australian when I eventually see them being interviewed after up to years seeing them play Americans including many Fringe and ~~Agent~~ Agents of SHIELD actors. Sam Worthington … has never been one of those people to surprise me.)
Sam Worthington is the epitome of "just a random guy". There is nothing remarkable about him. I've seen one pretty decent performance from him in [The Debt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbYw8SPKj1E), a Matthew Vaughan remake of an Israeli movie that I never see discussed anywhere, but otherwise he's just been a dude I see in stuff and go "ok" about. He's never *bad* but he's never special in any way.
Lawrence Fishburne was Quentin Tarantino's first choice to play Jules in Pulp Fiction. Fishburne's agent turned it down without showing it to him, and Samuel L Jackson's place in super stardom was born
Claire Danes was offered the role of Rose in Titanic. She had just gotten done with an extended shoot in Mexico with Leo for Romeo and Juliet and didn't want to stay away from home again for so long so she turned it down.
Kate Winslet jumped at the opportunity.
Mia Farrow turned down the part of Mattie Ross in *True Grit* (1969) with John Wayne, calling it the "biggest mistake of (my) professional life." The part of Mattie went to Kim Darby.
But I think Hailee Steinfeld was the better Mattie.
Mickey Rourke turning down Elias in Platoon, Rain Man, The Untouchables, Butch in Pulp Fiction…. There’s probably a few more I’m forgetting.
Jennifer Jason Leigh turned down a shit ton a films too.
Yeah, but Plummer hated that role. He detested playing second fiddle and he knew Julie Andrews was the real star. I adore him as the captain, but his real-life attitude about the part is atrocious.
Billy Crystal turned down voicing Buzz Lightyear before Tim Allen accepted it! He regretted this decision so much that when Pixar offered him the role of Mike Wazowski, he accepted it right away with no hesitation!
Mike Wazowski is a legendary creation, glad it turned out this way
Mike is also a great fit for Billy Crystal to the extent that I don't know if I can think of any other actors who were alive and working at that time who could bring that kind of old Vaudevillian patter to the character (besides dedicated cartoon voice actors). Maybe Martin Short, but I don't know if it would be the same kind of instant magic as Crystal as Mike. It's kinda like Richard Kind as Bing Bong. He's not someone I would immediately think of for a Pixar movie, but nobody else could be Bing Bong.
When he does the fake musical “put that thing back where it came from or so help me” is my favorite bit in any Disney/Pixar movie, it’s so funny I think they’ve kinda fallen off in casting, Inside Out was probably the last one they really nailed. They still get really good talent but don’t use it like they used to.
It'll never be the same without John.
I can’t imagine Billy Crystal doing Buzz Lightyear in a way that even remotely works.
Same. Buzz needed someone to play him and his delusions straight. How does that even work with Crystal?
Tim Allen was also not even on the list for the casting of Galaxy Quest.
Katie Holmes didn’t reprise her role as Rachel in The Dark Knight, which grossed over a billion worldwide. She had just started filming Mad Money, which opened and closed the same weekend.
Mad Money is not good, fam. Saved y'all 2 hours.
Rising 90s Actor Craig Bierko turned down the role as Chandler Bing in Friends for another sitcom that failed. His drinking buddy Matthew Perry then took the role.
I know Jon Cryer was up for the part of Chandler as well
I read an interview with him about it once. He turned it down having done an ill-fated TV show called The Famous Teddy Z. He regretted turning it down and did the similarly themed Partners with Tate Donovan and Maria Pitillo. It was pretty good but only lasted one season. Teddy Z was pretty good too imo.
Dougray Scott was gonna play Wolverine in the first X-Men film I believe, but he had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts with Mission: Impossible 2. I feel like he could've been good at the role but it is near impossible to see anyone else in that role other than Hugh Jackman now.
Dougray has done interviews detailing how Tom Cruise forced him to go back for reshoots even though Dougray desperately wanted to do Xmen, and Tom wouldn't compromise on shoot dates. To this day he is bitter about the experience although he makes sure to clarify that he was never angry at Hugh. Mostly Tom. I can't imagine losing out on something that blew up like Wolverine did. Esp when it was yours originally.
Yeah. Dougray didn't say no to the role (which is that the post is about), he really really wanted it but got fucked over.
This sounds similar to what happened to Henry Cavill except he put it on Paramount not budging on the shooting schedule. Also, its switched with Justice League needing reshoots and Paramount not allowing Henry to shave his mustache. So he goes and does reshoots with the facial hair. There was an interview with Henry Cavill when he talked about the mustache and said shortly after all the reshoots were done filming for JL, Fallout had to pause for 6 weeks because Tom Cruise broke his ankle. So he would have had plenty of time to shave and grow the facial hair back. I cant find it. But I remember seeing it in 2018 while watching promo for Fallout.
But would wolverine have been as successful a character if it wasn't Hugh? I love Dougray Scott and I was initially excited that he got the role. But Hugh made that role his.
It's hard to say because Jackman was so good, but Wolverine was already a hugely popular comic character and is just a badass, so it's likely that anyone doing a decent job in the role would have found success.
I mean it's hard to say, but I was a kid, and my friends and I back then were more interested in watching Wolverine do cool shit on screen rather than who's playing him. Hugh resonates with the character soo hard because he played it for so long. I'm sure Scott would have been great too if he could've held onto the role
Jackman was brought on as an emergency replacement if I recall correctly. Probably why Jackman still has an appreciation for the character while other actors would turn their nose up to it after being as successful as he has been. He literally owes it all to the luck of being called in to play wolverine.
Hugh Jackman was cast so late in the role that they’d been shooting X-Men 1 for 3 weeks.
You can see him get in better shape as the movie goes along
Probably helped bring in that “outsider “ energy.
Laurence Fishburn turning down the role that made Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction.
I’m now imagining Morpheus reading Jules’s lines and everything suddenly has an entirely different vibe.
Watch Apocalypse Now, King of New York, School Daze, and Boyz in the Hood. Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus has dominated pop culture for 25 years but he was really good in other roles. Pre The Matrix his characters were closer to Jules than Morpheus. Samuel L Jackson became a household name and protagonist between Jules and Zeus. I think he got his role in Deep Blue Sea because of Zeus. Lots of nervous laughter when he got chomped. At the time of The Matrix, I had only seen Fishburne in Apocalypse Now, Boyz in the Hood, Othello, and Event Horizon.
Or Samuel L Jackson as Morpheus: “I bet you’re feeling a bit like Alice. Motherfucking tumbling down a motherfucking hole.”
"Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking agents in this motherfucking matrix! Everybody jack in!"
Round #2 of that story according to Tarantino is that supposedly Fishburne and his people were playing hard to get over Die Hard 3 and then as Pulp Fiction was opening on the festival circuit, the Die Hard 3 people decided that if Jackson is good in it, they’ll approach him instead of continuing to deal with Fishburne, and the rest is history.
I seem to remember a video where Laurence Fishburne talked about it and doesn’t regret it because he said Samuel L. Jackson both got a big career boost in it and he also thought he was amazing in it.
I thought I read that Fishburne also the choice for Die Hard with a Vengence but then the producers saw Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction and changed their minds.
Matthew Modine, Scott Baio, John Cusack and Matt Dillon all turned down Top Gun.
Scott Baio. Wow. Swing and a miss with that decision.
Maybe. Or maybe Top Gun wouldn’t have been as big a hit with Chachi at the stick.
Emma watson was supposed to be in la la land Emma stone was supposed to be in little women Emma stone got la la land and emma watson got little women and both became hits Emma stone turned down the menu
I’m glad Emma Stone didn’t do the menu Think anya was the right choice
Nobody else could have delivered the line "My eyes were too big for my stomach" so convincingly
Anya has giant eyes for sure, but Emma can definitely do the bug eye too.
Anya has an advantage, as hers are big, but also on the sides of her head
Like a hammerhead shark. I think she's the only human being I've seen that gives me the uncanny valley feeling
She looks like a beautiful ethereal fae.
I can say I’m glad La La Land went to Stone.
La La Land with Emma Watson and Miles Teller is not a movie I ever wish to see.
Stone and Gosling made the material look better than it was.
Didn‘t Emma Watson turn down La La Land for The Beauty and the Beast?
Wild that both movies just got the other Emma haha
Who would Emma stone have played in little women??? Was she also up for meg? I can't really see her as any of the sisters
Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Connery were the first choices for Clarice Starling/Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs and both turned it down. Both Oscar winning roles.
I've said it elsewhere but Connery deserves the win. He also turned down Gandalf and Dumbledore at approximately the same time.
Also a role in The Matrix. Perhaps the Architect but the final casting was perfect. Lots of what ifs with that series including Will Smith as Neo, Russell Crowe as Morpheus, Sandra Bullock as Trinity and I'm sure plenty more I'm forgetting.
Michelle Yeoh was supposed to be Seraph!
>Also a role in The Matrix. Perhaps the Architect but the final casting was perfect. It was actually the role of Morphius that Connery turned down. After The Matrix, LotR and Potter became huge hits, Connery did accept a role in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He hated making that film so much he retired from acting.
Fuck me Connery as the architect would've been fantastic
Neither would have won an Oscar though right? I love Connery but there is no way he would have gone half as hard as Hopkins did.
IMO, while Hopkins played Lecter as a polite gentleman in a very sinister way with a biting and sarcastic wit, Connery would have played the polite gentleman in a more suave and charming way (at least until he murders his way out of custody at the end) Both could work, but of course Hopkins's portrayal was a masterclass
If you want a more suave and gentlemanly approach from a cannibal I _highly_ suggest watch the TV series. Mads Mikkelsen was great!
Mads was incredible in it, he really made the role his own.
Connery was a big guy at 6'2". There is something more disarming about Hopkins being 5'9", being able to fit in, be the chameleon that makes Lecter so dangerous.
In SotL novel, Harris has Starling describe Lecter as small and sleek with wiry strength. To me, Connery would have betrayed the novel's character. Hopkins was not exactly trim, but that aside, I thought he nailed Harris's Lecter. Demme's casting of Hopkins and Foster could not have been more perfect.
”Ah yesh, I like human flesch”
"Re-verify our range to target: One cadaver only pleash".
I Ate his liva with some fava beans and a nicsh chianchi
Pfeiffer could have had a chance. Although not an Oscar winner, she was nominated a few times. She's a fine actress. Her beauty though can be distracting.
Imagine that. " hello Clarishhh"
Michelle Pfeiffer notoriously turned down some popular roles. She turned down Pretty Woman, Basic Instinct and Sleepless in Seattle. She's very selective. I read that the role she regrets most was Thelma and Louise. She said she can't even watch it.
Claireesh
Emily Blunt turned down Black Widow because of schedule problems and Claire Danes as Rose in Titanic
Blunt was forced to do Gulliver's Travels due to contractual obligations.
Claire danes was already getting a lot of hate for being Juliet in R+J with people calling her ugly 😤 I can't even imagine what would have happened to her mental health if she was Rose.
I was obsessed with her as Juliet. I even wore her angel costume for Halloween. She didn't want to do another movie with Leo. She had a crush on him during the filming of R+J but he didn't feel the same and wasn't the nicest to her.
In what world is Claire Danes considered ugly? First time I hear that.
It's not that she's ugly. It's that teen girls were furious that she got to play DiCaprio's love interest. Anyone woman would have gotten hate at that time.
I was a teenager at the time and don't remember anyone thinking she was ugly.
What an interesting variant timeline that would be if Emily Blunt was in the MCU for 10 years. It might have excluded her from Edge of Tomorrow, for one. Probably no Quiet Place.
If it would've taken her out of Sicario I would be quite upset
Yeah. She's probably not as financially successful as she would have been but she's been incredible in incredible movies and as a viewer I'm glad we got her there.
Blunt was awesome in edge of tomorrow. Imagine SJ in that instead. I'm mean she's good, but she's no Mary Poppins.
Damn. Blunt would have been so good in the MCU. But Scarlett killed that role too.
I like Scarlett, but Blunt seem more suited for the character.
Gary Cooper turned down Gone With the Wind and said it’ll go down ”As the biggest flop in Hollywood history”.
He was gay Gary Cooper??
Amanda Seyfried turned down playing Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, she didn't think anyone wanted to see a movie about a talking tree and a raccoon.
I’m curious if she regrets her decision after seeing how successful Guardians of the Galaxy turned out
Will Smith turned down: - The Matrix as Neo - Django Unchained as Django - Rush Hour as Carter Hmm, I think I've figured out the secret to making a successful movie...
I believe Val Kilmer turned down the role of Morpheus, and Jada Pinkett Smith turned down the role of Trinity in The Matrix.
Glad Jada turned down Trinity, but I could definitely see Val crushing that role. But I love Fishburn as Morpheus so I’m glad it went the way it went
So glad Jada turned down Trinity as Carrie was a great fit but she still wound up in The Matrix series, just not as a main, but more a sub main in the last two movies.
And she only got that role because Aaliyah died
Will Smith was a top 5 in demand leading actor in Hollywood. He probably turned down A LOT of roles.
At his peak, he can turn down anything.
To be fair, his explanation of how Matrix was pitched to him, it was understandable.
Will has said he doesn’t regret it because he can’t imagine anyone but Keanu in the role.
If memory serves, to his credit Smith even said "I would have messed it up, I would have wanted to play neo to be cooler than he was and ruined it."
To be fair, he went with the incredible Wild Wild West /s
I mean… robot spider bro
"Well do you know anything about spiders? Spiders are the fiercest killer in the animal kingdom." Requisite Kevin Smith talking about John Peters: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo2KB1dEDdk
Wild Wild West should be an **awesome** film. Not sure how they managed to screw up such a neat premise.
As a kid, I thought it was awesome. Probably still do. I remember getting the burger king wild wild West theme sunglasses from a kids meal on the way to see the movie at a drive-in theater. Good times.
Much like Will Smith, these facts slap.
Couldn’t imagine him in any of the roles! Think he would be as funny as tucker ?
It would have aged so badly if he was. Chris Tucker had this air about him in that movie. That attitude. Will Smith wouldn’t have been able to do it.
Will Smith don’t gotta cuss in his raps to sell records.
But I do so fuck him and fuck you too
It's a fine line being a little to PG charming and irritating charming.
In my opinion, I think Rush Hour is the only role of three which are Will Smith version would have been good in a different way. I think the biggest loss the character would have had is that Chris Tucker didn’t play Carter as cool or brave in a way that was believable and hilarious. A Will Smith James Carter would have been brave and cool and that would’ve been a shame but it still could’ve been a good movie.
He also turned down Superman.
I like Jaime Foxx as Django but I really would’ve loved to see the multiverse version of the movie with Will Smith in that role.
M&Ms in ET. Reese’s Pieces got the gig afterwards.
The story according to Kathleen Kennedy is that Mars (owners of M&M) wanted to see the script and possible images of ET. While this was being negotiated Spielberg suggested Reeses Pieces so they reached out to Hershey who said Yes immediately no questions asked.
Maybe they were afraid ET looks too much like a half eaten mars bar..
These are great what ifs too. I remember hearing that the original James Bond car was going to be a GM or something. The producers wound up buying the aston martin that became famous.
Denzel was offered the title role for Michael Clayton (2007) but he turned it down because it was a first-time director. George Clooney ended up getting a Best Actor nomination for the role. He said he regretted it but that type of stuff happens. Adam Sandler was cast as Max in Collateral (2004) but I believe a scheduling conflict led to Jamie Foxx replacing him.
>Adam Sandler was cast as Max in Collateral I believe the initial choices were Sandler as Max and Russell Crowe as Vincent.
They may have both done a good job but Cruise and Foxx killed it in that movie imo
Sandler would have been good as Max
Emily Blunt was contractually obligated to star in Gulliver's Travels and was unavailable to play Black Widow.
Given she got A Quiet Place and she and John definitely had profit participation, she still made major bank. Also added bonus for us audience members, Rita Vrataski!
Jodie Foster had to turn down playing Princess Leia because already having signed for a different project. Colin Firth originally was the voice of Paddington but after hearing his first lines he decided that his voice sounded too old. Charlie Sheen turned down being Karate Kid. Sylvester Stallone turned down the role of Axel Foley because he didn't like the humour in the script.
Eddie Murphy's great in *Beverley Hills Cop*, and the movie works for that reason. Remove Murphy and it's a forgettable 80's cop movie.
>Jodie Foster had to turn down playing Princess Leia because already having signed for a different project. That's crazy. Why I've never heard of this
Darth, “ You know what you look like to me, with your good hair buns and your cheap robe? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Princess Leia? And that accent you've tried so desperately to shed? Pure West Alderaan. What's your father, dear? Is he a coaxium miner? Does he stink of the porg?
I didn't believe it so I searched it up: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a46439721/jodie-foster-princess-leia-star-wars-casting/ Really surprised that's never been a common "what if" example.
Stallone said “I’m going to make my own cop movie!” He made Cobra. It’s… not great.
Better than *Stop! Or my Mom Will Shoot!"
there's a funny 'true' urban legend about that didnt Arnold get pitched that, realise it was gonna be a stinker but played up the fact that he "really wanted it" and so Stallone thought it would be a good movie and then fought to get it and then... actually got it... Arnie laughed himself silly on that one.
Jodie Foster would have been 14 during the first Star Wars. Would have been very weird.
With Christopher Walken as Han Solo... that would have been a whole different vibe.
Charlie Sheen as karate kid would have loved to have seen that
Imagine Cobra Kai with Charlie Sheen.
Names the new dojo Tiger Blood
Pierce Brosnan had been approached to be James Bond years before he filmed his first Bond movie. At the time it was initially offered to him, in 1986, he was wrapping his last season as Remington Steele, which NBC had cancelled. But, word of him being the next Bond caused a ratings increase so NBC did a last minute renewal and Pierce was contractually obligated… forcing him to turn the role down, which went to Timothy Dalton. He was later able to accept the role in 1994.
Julia Roberts was originally cast to play Viola in Shakespeare in Love. But she quit shortly after filming began, I believe. Then came Gwyneth and an Oscar!
She was but she left the project years prior, and she had wanted to start opposite Daniel Day-Lewis.
Cuba Gooding Jr. turned down playing Ray Charles in Ray, Idi Amin in Last King of Scotland and Cinque in Amistad. Mickey Rourke turned down Butch in Pulp Fiction, and lead roles in Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop, Rain Man and Silence of the Lambs.
I can't see Cuba doing half as good as Foxx, Whitaker, or Honsou. They all killed it.
The thing is, when a movie turns into a huge hit, a lot of the time it's exactly because THAT actor played that part that way. In another actor's hands, it wouldn't have necessarily turned out as interesting or as good.
There are a lot of roles in movies that won't make or break it. I think Dumbledore is an example of that. If it was Sean Connery I'm sure it would have been just as successful
That's a good point. You're right, it depends on the role.
"You're a wishard, Harry. Wait, fuck, that'sh not my line."
I think most of these examples fall into that category, in that the "original" choices wouldn't have worked as well. The big exception to this I think is Avatar; Matt Damon would have done just a good/better job and would have made an unimaginable amount of money from it
Richard Pryor and Gig Young were the first choices for sheriff Bart and the Waco kid in Blazing Saddles. The studios nixed Richard Pryor for being “too controversial.” They started filming with Gig Young but he was an alcoholic that came to the set drunk. Gene Wilder was called in at the last minute.
Bette Davis was asked to play Mildred Pierce but turned the role down. Joan Crawford got the role and won the Oscar for it. Bette was PISSED
Didn't those two just HATE each other or am I thinking of someone else?
You're right, and they made a whole show about it!
Feud season 1 was about the ladies. I’m watching season 2 about Truman Capote (Capote vs The Swans). It’s about his fued with the New York elite he had been friends with. He called them The Swans. After being accepted to their inner circle he wrote a thinly veiled, if veiled at all, tell all article as a prelude to a never written book.
so capote was gossip girl
He was. He changed some names but not all. One woman was already in the outer circle after killing her husband in what she claimed was an accident, thinking him a burglar. Capote perpetuated accusations that she’d murdered him because he was leaving her. Truman, and the Swans, kept the rumor going and she allegedly got an advance copy of the article and killed herself the night before it came out. It was vicious. I’ve researched and the show seems to have the big facts correct. Of course, it’s a dramatization so it’s not going to be 100% accurate.
Sean Connery turned down a role in the Matrix and Gandalf the Grey/White because he said he didn’t understand the scripts. Damon turned down Harvey Dent in the Dark knight. Alec Baldwin turned down Jack Ryan in Patriot Games to be in a Streetcar named Desire on Broadway.
Connery turned down the roles of Gandalf and Dumbledore at approximately the same time. He deserves to win this thread--he could've minted money during the '00s.
Maybe he just didn’t like dressing like a hobo. He dressed up like 90% of his movies
then Connery went on to do League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and that was his last film before retiring.
[удалено]
Baldwin didn't turn down the role, he was removed when Harrison Ford expressed an interest. His biography has the story. The same thing happened to him with The Fugitive. It has a smaller budget and Baldwin was going to play the Kimble role. Ford walked in and the producers dumped Baldwin and they were able to up the budget as Ford was attached and bring on a bigger director. Baldwin was pissed, two big roles taken from him back to back.
Didn’t know about Damon being up for the role of Dent, that would have been interesting.
"Matt - you live. Damon - YOU DIE."
>Alec Baldwin turned down Jack Ryan in Patriot Games Yeah, but he'd already done the character before.
I believe Damon also took The Great Wall over Manchester by the Sea.
Reverse version of this Jennifer Aniston turned down SNL. Then got Friends.
I had to look this up. My first thought was that she started out as a comedian. Lorne Michael's offered her to be a featured player from seeing her sitcom roles. Even she was confused, saying she wasn't a comedian.
I always thought she was good with physical comedy on Friends. Lorne has a good eye for comedy talent.
Eddie Murphy turned down Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Classic , was he playing Jessica ?
Wouldn't be the only time he played a nice piece of ass in a movie.
John Travolta turned down the leads in "Officer and a Gentleman" and "American Gigolo ", both went to Richard Gere. He turned one of them down to be in "Perfect", I can't remember what he did instead of the other.
Also turned down Splash which helped launch Tom Hanks
Bachelor Party erasure will not stand!
Think he turned down or at least read for Forrest Gump too.
Clive Owen turned down the role of Iron Man. I love Clive but I just can't picture him playing Tony Stark
Tom Selleck was approached to be Indiana Jones, but declined due to his Magnum PI schedule
He wasn’t just approached, he was cast, but then Magnum PI got in the way and they went with their fallback choice.
Of course I would love to be in the meeting room where Lucas suggested to Spielberg on why he should hire his favourite carpenter as their fallback choice.
I'm pretty sure Spielberg was already very aware of who Harrison Ford was in 1980.
Aren’t the Rescue Ranger outfits based on these two characters?
Yup.
They even got as far as shooting test footage with Selleck.
James Caan declined the lead role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which subsequently went to Jack Nicholson. The movie went on to be one of only three films to have won the big 5 Oscars (Picture, Screenplay, Actor, Actress and Director.) Daniel Day Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, reportedly because he simply didn't like the source material. Patrick McGoohan rejected the role of James Bond because he disapproved of the character's attitude towards women, and did not want his daughters to see him in the role.
William Hurt turned down Alan Grant in Jurassic Park
What possible reason could he have for turning that role down? This seems incomprehensible to me.
William Hurt had substance abuse issues. Also, during that period of time, he was a highly acclaimed actor not too far removed from 3 consecutive Oscar nominations. So maybe he thought a blockbuster like Jurassic Park was "beneath" him.
Albert Brooks turned down what became Richard Gere's role in Pretty Woman.
George Raft turning down the role that went to Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca”.
Jack Nicholson turned down the Godfather
Matt Damon turned down the lead in Avatar
James Cameron even offered him like 10% of the profit too.
Cause he was filming Bourne at the time
I hate to say this about my countrymen but as opposed to the title of this post, I could still imagine legions of other people in the lead role of Avatar than Sam Worthington. (I never cease to be amazed to learn an actor is actually Australian when I eventually see them being interviewed after up to years seeing them play Americans including many Fringe and ~~Agent~~ Agents of SHIELD actors. Sam Worthington … has never been one of those people to surprise me.)
Sam Worthington is the epitome of "just a random guy". There is nothing remarkable about him. I've seen one pretty decent performance from him in [The Debt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbYw8SPKj1E), a Matthew Vaughan remake of an Israeli movie that I never see discussed anywhere, but otherwise he's just been a dude I see in stuff and go "ok" about. He's never *bad* but he's never special in any way.
Lawrence Fishburne was Quentin Tarantino's first choice to play Jules in Pulp Fiction. Fishburne's agent turned it down without showing it to him, and Samuel L Jackson's place in super stardom was born
Emily blunt was supposed to be black widow
Claire Danes was offered the role of Rose in Titanic. She had just gotten done with an extended shoot in Mexico with Leo for Romeo and Juliet and didn't want to stay away from home again for so long so she turned it down. Kate Winslet jumped at the opportunity.
Mia Farrow turned down the part of Mattie Ross in *True Grit* (1969) with John Wayne, calling it the "biggest mistake of (my) professional life." The part of Mattie went to Kim Darby. But I think Hailee Steinfeld was the better Mattie.
Edie Murphy turned down Winston Zeddmore in Ghostbusters. The part was supposed to be bigger than what Ernie Hudson was given.
Think fishburne or his agent turned down Jules in pulp fiction
Mickey Rourke turning down Elias in Platoon, Rain Man, The Untouchables, Butch in Pulp Fiction…. There’s probably a few more I’m forgetting. Jennifer Jason Leigh turned down a shit ton a films too.
Richard Burton turned down The Sound of Music, so they hired Christopher Plummer instead. Probably would've been better for both if Burton accepted.
Plummer is so good as the captain.
Yeah, but Plummer hated that role. He detested playing second fiddle and he knew Julie Andrews was the real star. I adore him as the captain, but his real-life attitude about the part is atrocious.
Wesley Snipes turned down Qui-Gonn Jinn in The Phantom Menace