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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Buddy Ebsen began filming as the Tin Man in a little film called The Wizard of Oz ... (although Ebsen did not technically turn down the role ... he had to leave due to a reaction to the toxic make-up).
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
The thing that no-one has mentioned is if they went with the original choice would the film be any good or that same role great.
I think I once read that Kim Basinger turned down Basic Instinct. What if that was the worst choice anyone could have made and the film spent 1 week at the cinema and then went to the bargin bin? Sometimes it's the choice of the actor that makes a role great, not really the role all the time. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by jdslater1
(Post 10296685)
The thing that no-one has mentioned is if they went with the original choice would the film be any good or that same role great.
I think I once read that Kim Basinger turned down Basic Instinct. What if that was the worst choice anyone could have made and the film spent 1 week at the cinema and then went to the bargin bin? |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by Joe Camel
(Post 10294110)
The chatter in http://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk/...ne-role-3.html about Tom Selleck passing on the Indiana Jones role got me thinking about great roles that were passed up.
The Magnum, P.I. producers would not release the actor for other projects, and, thus, Selleck had to pass on the equally enticing film project for the title role of Indiana Jones, which then went to the also recently discovered actor Harrison Ford. The career-influencing choice between the role of Indiana Jones vs. Magnum P.I. actually haunted Selleck so much that before making the decision, he consulted his best friend on what to do. Together they came to the conclusion that taking the high road and honoring the first contract with Universal Studios was the career-savvy direction. It turned out that the shooting of the pilot for Magnum was delayed for over six months (due to a writers' strike) which would have enabled him to complete the role as Indiana Jones, if he had the option to do so. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by Sean O'Hara
(Post 10296793)
A Kim Basinger crotch shot, when she was at the height of her sexiness? How could that flop?
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by MrSmearkase
(Post 10296835)
There wouldn't have been a crotch shot with Basinger in the role, though. It would've been Final Analysis II.
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Mark Wahlberg turned down the role of Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain that eventually went to Heath Ledger because he was uncomfortale with the gay content.
If you believe Gwyneth Paltrow, she turned down the role of Rose in Titanic. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
I remember Eddie Murphy citing his stupid career decisions in an interview. He passed on 'Rush Hour' saying that it was sure to fail, no one would see that, and took 'Holy Man' instead.
He laughed at himself for being so stupid. He had a few more too, that I don't recall. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Pacino's most regretful pass was Newman's role in Slap Shot.
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by Dr Mabuse
(Post 10296913)
I remember Eddie Murphy citing his stupid career decisions in an interview. He passed on 'Rush Hour' saying that it was sure to fail, no one would see that, and took 'Holy Man' instead.
He laughed at himself for being so stupid. He had a few more too, that I don't recall. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
I can't find reference to this now, but I am certain I heard that Lori Petty passed on the role of Lenina Huxley in Demolition Man (instead opting to do Tank Girl). Petty next passed on the role of Annie in Speed.
Sandra Bullock, say "thank you." According to IMDB, Steven Segal, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Jackie Chan all passed on Demolition Man. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by Abob Teff
(Post 10297592)
I can't find reference to this now, but I am certain I heard that Lori Petty passed on the role of Lenina Huxley in Demolition Man (instead opting to do Tank Girl).
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Supposedly Jackie Chan turned down Lethal Waepon IV because he didn't want to play a villain. Jet Li's American film career got started thanks to that.
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
I wonder if George Raft ever got a thank you card from Humphrey Bogart for passing on The Maltese Falcon. I can't imagine anyone else in the role of Sam Spade.
I think I posted the exact same question in a similar thread a while ago. :) |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
25. Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The part went to Ian McKellen. It’s interesting to note that Connery cost himself $400 million dollars by passing on the part (he was offered 15% of the film’s profit). |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
What the hell was Molly Ringwald thinking.
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by Rockmjd23
(Post 10294279)
Hedy Lamarr turned down Ilsa in Casablanca. Alan Ladd was "Rick". |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
SLY COULD HAVE BEEN HAN SOLO!!! He woulda taken out the Empire single-handed.
Originally Posted by Diesel
(Post 3577260)
No no no.
He would have beaten Vader down in a one on one match while being watched by the troopers. Then after he won he would proclaim, "If I can change, and you can change...EVERYONE can change!!!" http://forum.blu-ray.com/images/smil...happytears.gif :D |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
61. Ian Asbury (singer for The Cult) turned down the role of Jim Morrison in The Doors. The part went to Val Kilmer.
Funny considering he later became the vocalist for The Doors during their 21st Century "Reunion" or what have you. So either he regretted the decision to do the movie a whole lot, or his sights were set MUCH higher from the get go. Also, got a kick out of how many people turned down Roy in CEot3k. Guess Spielberg thought after the success of Jaws he could bring in some heavy hitters, but had no luck and thought "Sigh... guess I'll return Dreyfuss' call(s) about 'new projects.'" |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Didn't Burt Reynolds (along with Richard Gere and Kris Kristofferson) turn down the role of John McClane?
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Emilio Estevez turned down the "Cameron" role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Originally Posted by Meglos
(Post 10306224)
Didn't Burt Reynolds (along with Richard Gere and Kris Kristofferson) turn down the role of John McClane?
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Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Eli Wallach quit FROM HERE TO ETERNITY early in production and was replaced by Frank Sinatra
Chuck Norris turned down the role of Kreese in THE KARATE KID Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in THE MATRIX to do WILD WILD WEST Peter Sellers opted not to do a fourth role as Maj. Kong in DR. STRANGELOVE because he had a bad ankle and was uncomfortable with the accent required. The role was turned over to Slim Pickens. Timothy Dalton turned down his first offer as Bond and was replaced by George Lazenby Tom Cruise turned down SALT (which was written with him in mind) and the script was modified for Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt famously bailed on THE FOUNTAIN and their were rumors Aronofsky nearly sued him over it. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
Billy Crystal turned down the role of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Later on, in the Monsters Inc special features, I believe it was one of the main guys behind the movie, said that Billy Crystal was kicking himself over that after the fact, but then he agreed to Monsters.
One of William Goldman's books talks about a script of his and once it was going to be produced, it went through so many combinations of directors and actors, it was insane. This doesn't seem out of the ordinary, but it was such that you would probably need a flowchart and a timeline to figure it all out. |
Re: Actors who turned down great roles...
I've read many times that Elvis wanted, but turned down (on the advice of Tom Parker) the Kris Kristofferson role in A Star Is Born.
If true, I would have liked to have seen that version. |
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