Jason KingRoles Actors Turned Down - Idiots!
September 21st 2008 08:04
I had read a few articles about this role went to so and so because so and so turned it down and thought - CRAP - what a stupid mistake that was. Some of these roles turned down by one actor have been the career roles of others and sky rocketed them into the acting stratosphere. So I did some research and thought I would list the ones that made my jaw drop open.
OK - the first one is when I turned down the role of Yoda. LOL. OK my bad, now for the real ones........
1) Molly Ringwald turned down the role of Vivian in Pretty Woman and the role of Molly in Ghost among others. She was also offered a part in Scream which she turned down because she was in her late 20’s and didn’t want a teenage role. Also, she was offered Leah Thompson’s role in Some Kind of Wonderful - ok - deduction from this is a) idiot and b) Molly who?
2) Mel Gibson turned down Gladiator
3) Will Smith, Ewan McGregor and Leonardo turned down the role of Neo in the Matrix trilogy that went to Keanu - I guess they got to read the script for the second and third ones!!!
4) Cary Grant turned down the role that went to Sean Connery - James Bond
5) Sean Connery turned down the role that went to Sir Ian McKellen - Gandalf! All I will say is THANK GOD FOR THAT!
6) Daniel Day Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn that went to the super sexy Viggo Mortensen
7) Gene Hackman turned down the role of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs and Michelle Pfeiffer turned down the role of Clarice Starling - both earning Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster Oscars
8) Tom Selleck turned down Raiders of the Lost Ark
9) Mel Gibson turned down the role of Robin Hood that went to Kev Costner
10) Tom Hanks - Turned down the role of Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams, Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption and the lead role in Jerry Maguire
11) John Travolata - Turned down the role of Forrest Gump. D'oh!!
12) Leonardo "I Love You" DiCaprio - Offered the part of Dirk Diggler in “Boogie Nights but declined. I could have seen him in a prosthetic member!! Damn!
13) Julia Roberts while she has done many amazing roles has turned down many more amazing roles - she turned down Sharon Stone’s leg crossing role in Basic Instinct, the role of Mary Corleone in Godfather III the role of Annie in Sleepless in Seattle, the lead role of Shakespeare in Love and the role of Lucy in While You Were Sleeping.
14) Denzel Washington turned down Dreamgirls (the part that went to Eddie), the lead in I Robot (thankyou says Will Smith), and it’s rumored he turned down the role of Ray.
15) Richard Grieco the “21 Jump Street” star turned down the lead role in Speed because he thought the script sucked. Hmmmm, what did this role do for Keanu?? What has Mr Grieco done since?? IDIOT
16) Melanie Griffith turned down the role of “Thelma” in Thelma and Louise. Incidentally, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster were originally cast as Thelma and Louise but had to drop out as pre-production dragged on. I am so glad they did - I love their work but the cast was perfect for that film!
17) Here's a good one - Al Pacino turned down the role of Han Solo!! I bet Harrison is grateful as the rest is history
18) Kevin Costner turned down the role of Bill in Kill Bill
19) Kev also turned down the role of the president in Air Force One - a role written for him - because of filming delays with The Postman. Kev called Harrison direct and offered him the role
20) Christian Slater turned down the lead in The Crow, originally written for the late River Phoenix. Producers turned to Brandon Lee, who was accidentally killed on the set of the film.
There is a major goldmine of films actors have turned down and hopefully I can write a part 2 in the coming months. I wonder if actors sit at home abusing themselves for their mistakes. I am still pissed I missed out on Yoda to a bloody puppet!
OK - the first one is when I turned down the role of Yoda. LOL. OK my bad, now for the real ones........
1) Molly Ringwald turned down the role of Vivian in Pretty Woman and the role of Molly in Ghost among others. She was also offered a part in Scream which she turned down because she was in her late 20’s and didn’t want a teenage role. Also, she was offered Leah Thompson’s role in Some Kind of Wonderful - ok - deduction from this is a) idiot and b) Molly who?
2) Mel Gibson turned down Gladiator
3) Will Smith, Ewan McGregor and Leonardo turned down the role of Neo in the Matrix trilogy that went to Keanu - I guess they got to read the script for the second and third ones!!!
4) Cary Grant turned down the role that went to Sean Connery - James Bond
5) Sean Connery turned down the role that went to Sir Ian McKellen - Gandalf! All I will say is THANK GOD FOR THAT!
6) Daniel Day Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn that went to the super sexy Viggo Mortensen
7) Gene Hackman turned down the role of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs and Michelle Pfeiffer turned down the role of Clarice Starling - both earning Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster Oscars
8) Tom Selleck turned down Raiders of the Lost Ark
9) Mel Gibson turned down the role of Robin Hood that went to Kev Costner
10) Tom Hanks - Turned down the role of Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams, Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption and the lead role in Jerry Maguire
11) John Travolata - Turned down the role of Forrest Gump. D'oh!!
12) Leonardo "I Love You" DiCaprio - Offered the part of Dirk Diggler in “Boogie Nights but declined. I could have seen him in a prosthetic member!! Damn!
13) Julia Roberts while she has done many amazing roles has turned down many more amazing roles - she turned down Sharon Stone’s leg crossing role in Basic Instinct, the role of Mary Corleone in Godfather III the role of Annie in Sleepless in Seattle, the lead role of Shakespeare in Love and the role of Lucy in While You Were Sleeping.
14) Denzel Washington turned down Dreamgirls (the part that went to Eddie), the lead in I Robot (thankyou says Will Smith), and it’s rumored he turned down the role of Ray.
15) Richard Grieco the “21 Jump Street” star turned down the lead role in Speed because he thought the script sucked. Hmmmm, what did this role do for Keanu?? What has Mr Grieco done since?? IDIOT
16) Melanie Griffith turned down the role of “Thelma” in Thelma and Louise. Incidentally, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster were originally cast as Thelma and Louise but had to drop out as pre-production dragged on. I am so glad they did - I love their work but the cast was perfect for that film!
17) Here's a good one - Al Pacino turned down the role of Han Solo!! I bet Harrison is grateful as the rest is history
18) Kevin Costner turned down the role of Bill in Kill Bill
19) Kev also turned down the role of the president in Air Force One - a role written for him - because of filming delays with The Postman. Kev called Harrison direct and offered him the role
20) Christian Slater turned down the lead in The Crow, originally written for the late River Phoenix. Producers turned to Brandon Lee, who was accidentally killed on the set of the film.
There is a major goldmine of films actors have turned down and hopefully I can write a part 2 in the coming months. I wonder if actors sit at home abusing themselves for their mistakes. I am still pissed I missed out on Yoda to a bloody puppet!
| 115 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by AmyHuang
Project Job Search
Travel Debate
Travel String
Love Adventures
As for: 19) Kev also turned down the role of the president in Air Force One - a role written for him - because of filming delays with The Postman. Kev called Harrison direct and offered him the role
Well, at least he did accept it and had to cancel. Too bad actually coz Kev would've been a good "president"
and: 20) Christian Slater turned down the lead in The Crow, originally written for the late River Phoenix. Producers turned to Brandon Lee, who was accidentally killed on the set of the film.
Accidental ey? I still think there was a conspiracy behind that one!
BTW - for your information (and sorry) - I didn't really like Tropic Thunder... but thanks for the opportunity to see it!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
And I agree with Kev - he is good in political roles.
And sorry u didn't like Tropic Thunder and it was my pleasure for the tix.
Have u seen anything good lately?
PS: I ate some stupendously amazing Thai last night from a restaurant in Balgowlah that was a top 10 restaurant in 1999 and 2003 - Khao Thai - will write about it on my new site (non movie site) sometime this week.
Comment by alt_ed
Alted Opinion
ArtCombat
The Inner Saintdom
Maybe you should do your next post on the role's actors SHOULD have turned down--- Samuel L Jackson (snakes on a plane anyone???)
Comment by Aldoth
It's All Geek To Me
LOL
Also George Lucas and Speilberg wanted him to be in Indiana Jones 4 and he said no I am retired.
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Alt Ed: LOL re Molly Ringwald but maybe if she had accepted some of those roles she may have done well and just maybe we may all like her now. And if that's OK - I may take up your suggestion re article - I like it!
Aldoth: Sean Connery is one weird dude! I just read this article about him yesterday in the paper how he couldn't deal with the stress of becoming popular when he became Bond so his wife at the time sent him off to this famous psych for the stars who was prescribing acid at the time for therapy. Perhaps he has never come down from that trip. Article also talked about him being a total root rat and having affairs with basically anything with a pulse and for a tendency to be violent with the ladies. Not quite the gentleman we associate with James Bond.
Morgan: Totally!!!!
Comment by Ben Whitcomb
Extreme Critic
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I have to agree with the Molly Ringwald comment, and its good to see Duckie making out well on two and a half men.
All jokes aside, this is amazing Jason, I can;t help but see the irony and hand of destiny here, can you...
Still laughing out lout at the idea of De-Caprio as Neo and Sean as Gandalf ... Ooh just too funny... thanks for tha laugh!
Lilla ...
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Can you imagine? "Chewie, dese tings behind -what are dey? Stormtroopas? STORMTROOPAS?"
Comment by Cheryl J
Funny Videos
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability
Jason, I also heard that Daryl Hannah turned down Pretty Woman because it was 'demeaning' but went on to play a stripper in 'Dancing at the Blue Iguana'.
Also, the role of Andy in The Shawshank Redemption was turned down by Tom Hanks and Kevin Costner before it was offered to Tim Robbins. Rob Reiner also tried to buy the rights from Frank Darabont intending to direct it himself and he planned to cast Tom Cruise in the lead role. OMG, Tom Cruise!!!
Great post! I love this stuff.
By the way, you make a very cute Yoda hahahaha.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I can understand the actors choices on most of these for sure...on paper the majority are really lame films that I would have been embarrassed to be associated with...(Forrest Gump, Pretty Woman, Speed etc) never can tell what a solid marketing campaign can accomplish.
So really it seems that they chose to look for quality instead of a paycheck.
It would have been interesting to see what Gene Hackman would have done as Hannibal Lecter.
I was always astonished at some of the parts Steve McQueen turned down later on like Apocalypse Now.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Lilla, who's Duckie? Is that Magnum?? Sean as Gandalf would have been a nightmare. Glad you got a laugh!
Cib - LOL
Cheryl - is that DeNiro?? Who knows about Darryl Hannah - she has always been a bit of a nutter. Tom Cruise would have been horrible in that role. Thankgod - Tim Roobins was GOLD! And "blushes" re Yoda. LOL. Thanks
JD - I see what you mean, but some of those big blockbusters made the actors and then they got to choose what they wanted. I totally agree with Gene Hackman but glad for Anthony Hopkins - he chilled me to the bone the first time I saw it. Steve McQueen turned down heaps - I read some when I was researching stuff to write. Maybe will write some up in part 2.
Thanks for visiting and commenting. Rock On!!
Comment by Cheryl J
Funny Videos
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability
He played a string of geeky loser friend characters and kept getting mistaken for Matthew Broderick. He is now doing really well in Two and a Half Men.