Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The 10 best songs of 2022

      The 10 best songs of 2022

      From disco-trap to deconstructed techno to Dolly-style country, we rank our favorite tracks this year. Read More
    • The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      Let there be Mavericks, Bollywood magic, and a Cate Blanchett maestro on the loose. Read More
    • The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      A look back at the crazy true story of Chippendales founder Somen "Steve" Banerjee and the murder and murder-for-hire plots at the center of the Hulu series. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. Stars Who Turned Down Famous Movie Roles

Stars Who Turned Down Famous Movie Roles

By Andrea Towers Updated October 19, 2015 at 04:09 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Matt Damon – Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Ben Affleck) in 'Daredevil'

Matt Damon – Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Ben Affleck) in 'Daredevil'
Credit: Tom Maelsa/AP

More than 10 years after the Ben Affleck-starring action film Daredevil hit theaters, Matt Damon revealed in an interview that he could've had the lead role. Speaking in promotion of his October 2015 movie The Martian, Damon let slip that he turned down the part that eventually went to his close personal friend. "I hadn’t seen the director's [Mark Steven Johnson] work and I didn't know," he told the New York Daily News of the project. "So I just said, 'No.' Ben was like, 'I gotta do it.'"

 

1 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Hugh Jackman – James Bond (Daniel Craig) in 'Casino Royale'

Hugh Jackman – James Bond (Daniel Craig) in 'Casino Royale'
Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage; Jay Maidment

Hugh Jackman turned down the role of the British spy in the mid-2000s as he was already playing a popular part that carried its own weight. "I got a call from my agent saying, 'There is some possible interest in you for Bond, are you interested?' At the time I wasn't. I was about to shoot X-Men 2 and Wolverine had become this thing in my life and I didn't want to be doing two such iconic characters at once,” Jackman told the Associated Press. He hasn’t ruled out playing Bond if it comes back to him, however. Jackman may still get the chance to become 007, as he said in September 2015 that he'd "seriously consider" the role in the future.

 

2 of 13

3 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Cher (Alicia Silverstone) in Clueless

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Cher (Alicia Silverstone) in Clueless
Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage; Everett Collection

Before she became Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the star was almost the face of another iconic female character. Scheduling conflicts with the soap opera All My Children forced Gellar to turn down the role of valley girl Cher in the 1995 classic Clueless. As such, Alicia Silverstone, who only had a few credits to her name at the time, got the chance to introduce the line "As if!" and teach the world about Baldwins and Monets. 

3 of 13

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Johnny Depp – Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Johnny Depp – Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage; Everett Collection

If Ferris Bueller seems like a role that would be right up Johnny Depp’s alley, it’s because at one time, it was. The actor was initially offered the part of the famed high school slacker but, as he explained on an episode of Inside the Actors Studio, he turned it down because of his schedule. It all turned out okay for Depp, however, because he soon became Tim Burton’s muse, inspired by Edward Scissorhands a few years later.

4 of 13

Advertisement

5 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Robert Downey Jr. – Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) in Gravity

Robert Downey Jr. – Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) in Gravity
Credit: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage

The Avengers actor was not only originally slated to play astronaut Matt Kowalski, he was pretty much Alfonso Cuaron’s first choice for the role. It eventually went to George Clooney after Downey Jr. realized what actually went into making the astonishing film. "It became very clear that, as we started to nail the technology, or narrow the technology, that was going to be a big obstacle for his performance," Cuaron told The Hollywood Reporter of Downey Jr. in an interview last year.

5 of 13

6 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Molly Ringwald – Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman

Molly Ringwald – Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman
Credit: Getty Images; Ron Batzdorff

Ringwald’s gig as one of the most popular '80s stars had its drawbacks, including getting overworked. That was one of the prime reasons the John Hughes darling turned down the chance to play prostitute Vivian in Pretty Woman, a role that eventually went to  — and jumpstarted the career of — everyone’s favorite girl-next-door, Julia Roberts.

6 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

John Travolta – Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) in Forrest Gump

John Travolta – Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) in Forrest Gump
Credit: Kypros/Getty Images; Phillip Caruso

It’s hard to imagine someone who isn’t Tom Hanks asserting that "life is like a box of chocolates,” but the Philadelphia actor was not the first star to run in Forrest’s shoes. John Travolta turned down the role of Forrest Gump, and has since admitted in various interviews through the years that passing was one of the biggest mistakes of his career — a statement to which Forrest might respond, “stupid is as stupid does.”

7 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Sean Connery – Gandalf (Ian McKellen) in The Lord of the Rings

Sean Connery – Gandalf (Ian McKellen) in The Lord of the Rings
Credit: Getty Images; Everett Collection

Let’s be real —  who wouldn’t want the suave Sean Connery as one of the biggest science fiction characters in history? The powers that be were set on Connery taking on the role of wise wizard Gandalf, but he wasn’t quite as convinced. Why? As Connery told producer Don Murphy after joining the cast of League of Extraordinary Gentleman, "I got offered The Lord of the Rings, and I turned it down because I didn't understand it." Ian McKellen ended up with the coveted role, which led him to spend more than 10 years in Middle Earth.

8 of 13

Advertisement

9 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Annette Bening – Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) in Batman Returns

Annette Bening – Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) in Batman Returns
Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage; Everett Collection

Casting a film is never an easy process, but finding the right actress for Catwoman in Batman Returns proved  to be even tougher than expected. Annette Bening originally scored the gig but dropped out when she became pregnant, only to be replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer. The Scarface actress beat out hundreds of other aspiring superhero stars (including Madonna and Jennifer Jason Leigh) for the part. 

9 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Emily Blunt – Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in Iron Man 2

Emily Blunt – Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in Iron Man 2
Credit: Michael Caulfield/WireImage; Francois Duhamel

Today, it would be hard to imagine anyone but Johansson as the former rogue assassin, but what if scheduling conflicts hadn’t forced Emily Blunt to leave the project after being offered the role? "It was one of things that was conflicting," the actress, who was filming 2010’s Gulliver’s Travels at the time, told MTV News. “So it’s a shame the two of them couldn’t work together. It just got complicated, so I think I had to pull out for my own sanity more than anything.” 

10 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Will Smith – Neo (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix

Will Smith – Neo (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix
Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

Smith chose not to play Neo in a film that would go on to become part of a major movie franchise, but stood by his decision even after its huge success. “In the pitch, I just didn't see it,” Smith told Wired. “I watched Keanu's performance—and very rarely do I say this—but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix. At that point I wasn't smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be."

11 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kevin Costner – Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) in Shawshank Redemption

Kevin Costner – Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) in Shawshank Redemption
Credit: Pam Francis/Getty Images; Everett Collection

Costner was offered the part of imprisoned banker Andy Dufrense and though the actor loved the script, he turned it down. He instead filmed Waterworld — a flick he was so personally invested in that he gave $22 million of his own money to make it happen. Despite the interest of stars like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, the role eventually went to Tim Robbins.

12 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 13

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Charlie Hunnam – Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) in Fifty Shades of Grey

Charlie Hunnam – Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) in Fifty Shades of Grey
Credit: Alessio Botticelli/GC Images; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Hunnam reportedly signed on to Fifty Shades because he was a fan of the project, but pulled out due to scheduling conflicts that left him worried about his ability to find time for the intense material of E.L. James’ book. While some questioned what really went into Hunnam’s decision, he insisted it was purely an overload of responsibilities. "It was very, very painful for me, that whole process, just very unpleasant,” he told EW. "I felt like I let myself down. I let those people down on Fifty Shades that I’d grown to really love and respect. It’s just a really unpleasant period of time for me.”

13 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

  • By Andrea Towers @_atowers

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 13 Matt Damon – Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Ben Affleck) in 'Daredevil'
    2 of 13 Hugh Jackman – James Bond (Daniel Craig) in 'Casino Royale'
    3 of 13 Sarah Michelle Gellar – Cher (Alicia Silverstone) in Clueless
    4 of 13 Johnny Depp – Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
    5 of 13 Robert Downey Jr. – Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) in Gravity
    6 of 13 Molly Ringwald – Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman
    7 of 13 John Travolta – Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) in Forrest Gump
    8 of 13 Sean Connery – Gandalf (Ian McKellen) in The Lord of the Rings
    9 of 13 Annette Bening – Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) in Batman Returns
    10 of 13 Emily Blunt – Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in Iron Man 2
    11 of 13 Will Smith – Neo (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix
    12 of 13 Kevin Costner – Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) in Shawshank Redemption
    13 of 13 Charlie Hunnam – Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) in Fifty Shades of Grey

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    Stars Who Turned Down Famous Movie Roles
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.