50 Actors Who Turned Down the Most Famous Roles In History
We always hear sad stories of the working actor’s plight and how a good job is hard to come by, but what we don’t always realize is there are a ton of actors who turned down roles during their career. Like really, really good roles.
It’s downright mind-blowing to consider that Sarah Jessica Parker nearly never got to strap on those Manolos as Carrie Bradshaw because Sex and the City creators preferred Dana Delaney for the role, or that Sarah Michelle Gellar was thisclose to playing Amber in Clueless.
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Similarly, major movie stars like Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Denzel Washington also passed up some pretty major parts throughout their careers, with some later saying they regret their decisions.
Obviously, iconic roles could have turned out very differently — and perhaps not so memorable — had every actor accepted every part offered to them, but it’s fun to see which flat-out said “no way” to now-famous parts.
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That said, we compiled a list of celebrities who did just that — turned down star-making famous parts in classic movies and acclaimed TV shows.
