Have you ever made a mistake? Of course you have. Now, imagine this one mistake (assuming it’s just the one) haunts you for the rest of your life. That might be the case, depending on what you did, but it’s unlikely that, outside of a few people in your circle of friends, many know of your error.
The same cannot be said about these famous actors who made some equally big mistakes when it came to turning down a role. They could always argue that the movies they opted not to be in wouldn’t be the same if they were to have said yes. However, you know it has to weigh on their minds every now and again.
Sean Connery
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The former James Bond turned down The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix because he didn’t fully understand the films.
Hugh Jackman
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Jackman turned down an opportunity to play James Bond out of fear that it would result in him being typecast.
Molly Ringwald
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Ringwald opted not to take the role of Vivian Ward in the 1990 hit, Pretty Woman. Julia Roberts ended up starring in the film.
Chris Pratt
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Pratt initially turned down the lead role in Guardians of the Galaxy because he felt he was not fit enough to play a superhero.
Brad Pitt
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Pitt turned down the role of Russell Hammond in Almost Famous because he didn’t understand the character.
Michael Keaton
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Confused by the concept of Groundhog Day, Keaton had to turn down the part that would later go to Bill Murray.
Jonah Hill
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The hilarious Hill turned down a starring role in The Hangover to focus on dramatic roles.
Michelle Pfeiffer
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Due to her aversion to on-camera nudity, Pfeiffer said no to lead roles in both Pretty Woman and Basic Instinct.
Tom Selleck
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Because of scheduling conflicts with Magnum P.I., Selleck had to turn down a chance to be Indiana Jones.
Christian Bale
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Citing contempt for the character, Bale too turned down a chance to play James Bond.
Jack Nicholson
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Nicholson opted not to play Michael Corleone in The Godfather because he felt it was inappropriate for someone who wasn’t of Italian heritage to play someone who was.
Mark Wahlberg
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Wahlberg decided not to take part in Brokeback Mountain because parts of the script made him feel “icky.”
Sir Ian McKellen
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After Richard Harris, the original Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies, passed away, McKellen turned down the role because Harris had badmouthed him in the past.
Al Pacino
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Pacino turned down the role of Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Apocalypse Now because he was uninterested in spending months in less-than-stellar conditions while working with a demanding director like Francis Ford Coppola.
Will Smith
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Smith chose to play Jim West in Wild Wild West over Neo in The Matrix.
Mel Gibson
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Gibson turned down an opportunity to star in Gladiator due to concerns that he was too old for the role.
Tom Hanks
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Tom Hanks turned down the titular role in Jerry Maguire to direct That Thing You Do.
(via Getty Images Entertainment, Business Insider, Paste Magazine)
At least when the person you left at the altar got remarried, you could just un-friend them on Facebook. There’s no way to avoid seeing The Godfather and not get upset about such a missed opportunity.
