Actors turning down roles (that ended up being big mistakes)?
05-25-03, 12:27 AM
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Actors turning down roles (that ended up being big mistakes)?
Kevin Costner's career wasn't hurt when he turned down Red October to make Dances With Wolves instead, but perhaps he gained a lot when Don Johnson turned down the lead in The Untouchables. And look what happened to Johnson.
Any other stories like this that you know of that the actor who turned down the part would come to regret? Obviously Nicole Kidman career wasn't hurt when she pulled out of Panic Room, or Brad Pitt turning down the lead in True Romance, but what about the flip side?
Who knows how Charlie Sheen's career would've been if he had accepted White Men Can't Jump and Indecent Proposal.
Christian Slater turned down The Crow.
We know what happened to Alec Baldwin when he said no to Patriot Games.
David Schwimmer supposedly turned down Men In Black.
Any other stories like this that you know of that the actor who turned down the part would come to regret? Obviously Nicole Kidman career wasn't hurt when she pulled out of Panic Room, or Brad Pitt turning down the lead in True Romance, but what about the flip side?
Who knows how Charlie Sheen's career would've been if he had accepted White Men Can't Jump and Indecent Proposal.
Christian Slater turned down The Crow.
We know what happened to Alec Baldwin when he said no to Patriot Games.
David Schwimmer supposedly turned down Men In Black.
05-25-03, 10:05 AM
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Sean Connery turned down both The Matrix and Lord of the Rings (because he didn't understand them... he said he regretted it, and that is why he is making League of Extrordinary Gentleman, because he read the script and didn't get it...didn't want to miss out again 
)
Sure it didn't hurt his career at all...but interesting
MATT
)Sure it didn't hurt his career at all...but interesting
MATT
05-25-03, 12:55 PM
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Re: Actors turning down roles (that ended up being big mistakes)?
Originally posted by Face/Off
Any other stories like this that you know of that the actor who turned down the part would come to regret? Obviously Nicole Kidman career wasn't hurt when she pulled out of Panic Room, or Brad Pitt turning down the lead in True Romance, but what about the flip side?
Any other stories like this that you know of that the actor who turned down the part would come to regret? Obviously Nicole Kidman career wasn't hurt when she pulled out of Panic Room, or Brad Pitt turning down the lead in True Romance, but what about the flip side?
Will Smith turned down the role of Neo to do Wild Wild West. You could argue his career has yet to recover from that blunder, since he's not the draw he once was. Ewan McGregor turned down the role also but he's done pretty well for himself when considering Star Wars and Moulin Rouge.
05-25-03, 01:18 PM
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Sylvester Stallone turned down several roles which would have been perfect for him, a few rolese Sly turned down that I can name: 1) He was originally signed to play the role of Max Cherry in "Jackie Brown". Tarantino really wanted him as Max Cherry but for some reason Sly didn't like the role, I think Sly being in a Tarantino film would HAVE helped his career 2) Sly was asked to play the lead role (Eddie Murphy's main character) in "Beverly Hills Cop", Sly was asking the writer/directors to make "Beverly Hills Cop" series an action thriller but the film makers disagreed with Sly and still wanted the films to be an action comedy, so Sly decided it was a no go for "Beverly Hills Cop" 3) Sly was also asked to play the role of James Dolan in "Stephen King's Dolan's Caddillac" and he turned that down as well but instead, Kevin Bacon was confirmed to sign to play the lead role instead....
After all the mistakes Sly made in the past, he should've choosed better movies, him being in "Spy Kids 3-D" was actually a great decision, I'm happy he didn't turn that role down as that film would help his career.
As far as other actors besides Sly goes:
1) Both Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando turned down the role of Randall McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
2) Jon Malkovich and John Cusack both turned down the role of Dr. Gonzo and Raul Duke in "Fear and Loathin In Las Vegas", Gilliam really wanted them too....
3) Harrison Ford turned down the rest of the Jack Ryan roles because he no longer wanted to part of it, which didn't hurt his career.
After all the mistakes Sly made in the past, he should've choosed better movies, him being in "Spy Kids 3-D" was actually a great decision, I'm happy he didn't turn that role down as that film would help his career.
As far as other actors besides Sly goes:
1) Both Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando turned down the role of Randall McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
2) Jon Malkovich and John Cusack both turned down the role of Dr. Gonzo and Raul Duke in "Fear and Loathin In Las Vegas", Gilliam really wanted them too....
3) Harrison Ford turned down the rest of the Jack Ryan roles because he no longer wanted to part of it, which didn't hurt his career.
Last edited by Rocky_Stallone; 05-25-03 at 01:21 PM.
05-25-03, 03:52 PM
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Alec Baldwin turning down reprising his role of Jack Ryan in Patriot Games after Hunt For Red October... His Carrer has gone in the crapper since.
Harrison Ford turned down Sum of all Fears, so they reworked the series.
Harrison Ford turned down Sum of all Fears, so they reworked the series.
05-25-03, 04:10 PM
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How about Stuart Townsend who was originally cast as Aragorn in LOTR. I know he kinda quit and was kinda fired at the same time but look what it did for the career of Viggo Mortensen. Viggo is now "popular" while Stuart is still languishing as "semi-star" in movies like Queen of the Damned and LXG. Now I may be mistaken but wasn't Elizabeth Hurley offered the Role of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider? What about Dougray Scott turning down Wolverine to play Sean Ambrose in MI2?
Last edited by DVDGUY1116; 05-25-03 at 04:15 PM.
05-25-03, 04:53 PM
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Originally posted by DVDGUY1116
What about Dougray Scott turning down Wolverine to play Sean Ambrose in MI2?
What about Dougray Scott turning down Wolverine to play Sean Ambrose in MI2?
05-25-03, 05:52 PM
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You have to question if the movies would have done as well with the different actors...
Sly Stallone in Beverly Hills Cop would have made it a completely different film, either gritty action that might have done well, or a comedy that flopped. I heard that most the original plot and his character were made over into "Cobra."
Sly Stallone in Beverly Hills Cop would have made it a completely different film, either gritty action that might have done well, or a comedy that flopped. I heard that most the original plot and his character were made over into "Cobra."
05-25-03, 06:03 PM
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Originally posted by Deftones
This is not correct. Dougray Scott was signed as Wolverine, however the MI:2 schedule went long and had to do reshoots. They couldn't wait for him on X-Men, so they replaced him with Hugh Jackman.
This is not correct. Dougray Scott was signed as Wolverine, however the MI:2 schedule went long and had to do reshoots. They couldn't wait for him on X-Men, so they replaced him with Hugh Jackman.
05-25-03, 07:15 PM
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Great thread
I'd be interested to know who Anthony Hopkins competed agains for the Hannibal Lecter role in Silence of the Lambs. I truly cannot imagin anyone doing a better job.
Stuart Townsend...poor chap. That was a mistake of epic proportions. Had he played Aragorn he would be at the least as well known as Orlando Bloom(who BTW initially read for Farmir and was given Legolas...what a coup).
I'd be interested to know who Anthony Hopkins competed agains for the Hannibal Lecter role in Silence of the Lambs. I truly cannot imagin anyone doing a better job.
Stuart Townsend...poor chap. That was a mistake of epic proportions. Had he played Aragorn he would be at the least as well known as Orlando Bloom(who BTW initially read for Farmir and was given Legolas...what a coup).
05-25-03, 07:20 PM
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My family used to live across the street from the kid they picked to star in The Shining (Kubrick version).
...but he had to turn it down because they asked him "do you have nightmares?" and he said yes. So they went with their second choice. Not that the kid who made it into the movie has been successful since then. (correct me if I'm wrong).
...but he had to turn it down because they asked him "do you have nightmares?" and he said yes. So they went with their second choice. Not that the kid who made it into the movie has been successful since then. (correct me if I'm wrong).
05-25-03, 07:25 PM
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Originally posted by DVDGUY1116
Gotcha. I didn't realize he WAS signed as Wolverine. I thought it was the other way around. I thought that he was up for both roles but turned down Wolverine because of MI:2's shooting schedule conflicted with X-Men. Thanks for the clarification. Is it also true that Hugh Jackman was originally supposed to be in MI: 2 as Sean Ambrose? Either way, worked out great for Hugh and not as great for Dougray.
Gotcha. I didn't realize he WAS signed as Wolverine. I thought it was the other way around. I thought that he was up for both roles but turned down Wolverine because of MI:2's shooting schedule conflicted with X-Men. Thanks for the clarification. Is it also true that Hugh Jackman was originally supposed to be in MI: 2 as Sean Ambrose? Either way, worked out great for Hugh and not as great for Dougray.
05-25-03, 07:48 PM
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Didn't Ralph Macchio turn down the role of Marty McFly b/c it seemed like a story about "a boy and his car"? Who knows where "The Karate Kid" would have gone if he had gone "BACK...TO THE FUTURE!"
(okay, sorry for the bad jokes).
Yeah, this is a great thread...very interesting!
(okay, sorry for the bad jokes).
Yeah, this is a great thread...very interesting!
05-25-03, 08:01 PM
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Eddie Murphy Turned down the role of Winston Zeddemore in GHOSTBUSTERS. Not really a big mistake but notable/
"Trading Places" was originally written for Richard Pryor
John Travolta turned down Splash
Kevin Costner Truned down war games to play a corpse in the Big chill
"Trading Places" was originally written for Richard Pryor
John Travolta turned down Splash
Kevin Costner Truned down war games to play a corpse in the Big chill
Last edited by goLUCKY; 05-25-03 at 08:13 PM.