Can you imagine a world where Brad Pitt would have been Neo in The Matrix and Emily Blunt as Black Widow in Marvel? Well, all these were too close to becoming reality. There are some iconic roles in Hollywood and their legacy is cemented. However, the question will always be on the table, Could another actor have portrayed the role better?
Today, let’s dive into this list where we will talk about some of the famous actors turning down some of the most famous roles. This includes your favorite actors and actresses like Hugh Jackman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Matt Damon, and more. Read on.
Gwenyth Paltrow
Can you imagine Gwenyth Paltrow as Rose in Titanic? You heard it right. Paltrow was the first choice for the iconic role, but when she couldn’t make it, the torch was passed to Kate Winslet. Despite this, she has done extremely well in her career, which includes winning an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love years after turning down Titanic.
Hugh Jackman
This would have been a dream come true. Hugh Jackman turned down the role of James Bond in Casino Royale which was eventually played by Daniel Craig, to perfection to say the least. The only reason why Jackman turned down the offer to play 007 was because he was already in Wolverine’s shoes and did not want to overstrain his schedule, as per his interview in IndieWire. However, fans have always been rooting for Jackman to play the role.
Leonardo DiCaprio
This was a no-loss no-profit situation for Leonardo DiCaprio. Thomas Anderson approached the ‘Wolf of the Wall Street’ actor to play the prolific porn star Dirk Diggler. However, at the time, the star turned down the opportunity due to Anderson’s lack of experience. The role was eventually passed on to Mark Wahlberg which propelled him into stardom. But the main reason why Leonardo turned down the role was to play Jack in Titanic which peripherally skyrocketed his career.
Madonna
The iconic singer turned down the opportunity to play a role in the critically acclaimed trilogy The Matrix. She has often expressed her disappointment in turning down the offer. While the exact role was never mentioned, it is assumed that she was approached to play Trinity which was later given to Carrie-Anne Moss.
Brad Pitt
Speaking of The Matrix trilogy, Brad Pitt too was approached for the fan-favorite role of Neo which was absolutely nailed by Keanu Reeves. Pitt has aced every character he has put his hands on, but he has stated no resentment and believes that the role of Neo always belonged to someone else.
Matt Damon
Another A-lister actor who skipped the chance of starring in a billion-dollar franchise is Matt Damon. Avatar’s director James Cameron once tried to convince Damon to star in the series and even offered a massive 10% earning of the same. However, Damon was spooked by the inconsistency of Cameron and chose to skip it. While the sense of regret is there, Damon has done fairly well without Avatar in his catalog.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer regrets turning down The Silence of the Lambs as she missed the chance to work with director Jonathan Demme. Michelle Pfeiffer found too much evil in the film and did not want to put that out in the world. Eventually, Jodie Foster won an Oscar for the role Pfeiffer said no to.
Robert Redford
Christopher Reeves is still revered for his role as Clark Kent in Superman. But did you know that Robert Redford was approached for the role? Redford was offered a huge bag for this role. But his notoriety and fame would not have brought much credibility to the innocence of the superhero.
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt turned down the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2 which was then played by Scarlett Johansson. The latter is widely known for this role and her standalone film performed well too. Sources claim that Blunt had to skip the role due to contractual obligations and she regrets it. However, now with the possibility of the multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who knows if could be reversed?
