The Actor's Edition
Just like their female counterparts, there have been a number of actors who have turned down, what some may consider a career defining role in a movie. Which actors are relieved for turning down a role and which ones are shaking their heads, wondering what happened?
What Do They Have Against Hobbits?
Can you imagine any other person portraying Aragorn or Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy? Stuart Townsend was originally cast for the role of Aragorn. When he opted out of the film, the role went to Viggo Mortensen. Former 007, Sean Connery, turned down the role of Gandalf which eventually went to Ian McKellen. However, Stuart and Sean didn’t miss the opportunity to star opposite each other. Sean Connery played Allan Quatermain and Stuart Townsend portrayed Dorian Gray in the 2003 film, “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”.
This Put His Career in Gear
Over the years, John Travolta has turned down the leads in various movies. Of particular interest were the roles in “American Gigolo”, “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Chicago”. Each of these roles went to Richard Gere.
Going Ape
British actor, Tim Roth, was considered for the role of Professor Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” movies. He dropped out in order to play General Thade in the “Planet of the Apes” remake. The part of Professor Snape went to Alan Rickman.
Show Me the Money
Tom Cruise wasn’t the first choice to play the lead role in “Jerry Maguire”. Another Tom was! Tom Hanks eventually declined the role.
I See Another Actor in the Role
Liam Aiken, best known as Klaus in “Lemony Snicket’s: A Series of Unfortunate Events” declined the role of Cole Sear in “The Sixth Sense”. Not only did Haley Joel Osment end up with the role, but he also became one of the youngest Academy Award nominees for his portrayal of the tormented boy.
Would Anyone Consider This a Bad Call?
The latest “Best Actor” Oscar winner has turned down parts in the past. Jamie Foxx turned down the role of Slim in the movie, “The Wood”, in order to play Willie Beamen in the football film “Any Given Sunday”.
Not So Yippee-ki-yay!
Not only did action star Arnold Schwarzenegger turn down the role of John McClane in “Die Hard”, but Sylvester Stallone did too. This infamous role eventually went to Bruce Willis.
Getting the Claws Out
Russell Crowe was considered for the role of
An Infamous Turn of Events
Everyone knows the story! When Roger Moore decided to retire from the 007 series, Pierce Brosnan was the top choice to play James Bond. However, the powers that be refused to let Pierce out of his “Remington Steele” contract. In the end, the role went to Timothy Dalton (who, oddly enough, had turned down the Bond role in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s). But, wait, there’s more! When Timothy Dalton stepped down after two films, Pierce was once again offered the role and has portrayed the secret agent in the last four Bond films.
See Also: Celebrity Hits and Misses, On and Off Screen : Couples Who Made It Work and They Played Together But Didn't Stay Together
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