Will Smith’s Matrix Mistake That Haunts Him
Will Smith’s decision to pass on playing Neo in The Matrix is easily the most infamous example of him turning down a role that another actor went on to make iconic, as he was offered the opportunity to play the lead role of Neo in the enormously influential sci-fi gem The Matrix but wasn’t convinced by the prospect and turned it down to act in another film called Wild Wild West. Smith was wary of the project since The Wachowski Sisters had only made a single low-budget movie when they approached him, and he had a difficult time understanding their vision for the sci-fi film, especially their explanation of how the now-famous bullet-time action sequences would work. Wild Wild West became a commercial failure and was widely panned by critics, turning out to be a crucial error on the part of Smith who thought that a big production like Wild Wild West would be more rewarding than The Matrix. Smith has regretted rejecting the role of Neo for over two decades, later admitting he just couldn’t understand the way the Wachowskis presented him the story. While he went on to star in the critical/commercial bomb that was Wild Wild West the same year The Matrix came out and revolutionized mainstream American sci-fi cinema, Smith now feels the movie wouldn’t have worked as well as it did if Reeves hadn’t been cast as Neo in his place.
John Travolta’s Forrest Gump Fortune Lost
John Travolta was originally offered the role of Forrest Gump, but turned it down to work on Pulp Fiction, as Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis originally invited Travolta to take on the now-famous role. The two movies ended up going head-to-head in the awards season the following year, with Forrest Gump largely coming out on top as the movie won the Oscar for Best Picture and Robert Zemeckis also won the Best Director award, with both Hanks and Travolta nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, with Hanks ultimately securing the win. Looking back on his career in an interview with MTV, Travolta explains that he’s not filled with regret over turning down Forrest Gump, commenting that “if I didn’t do something Tom Hanks did, then I did something else that was equally interesting or fun.” However, many still consider it a foolish decision, with some calling it “definitely not the brightest move for John Travolta to turn down the role of Forrest Gump.” The reality is hard to imagine – can you dare to imagine even a scene where Tom Hanks wasn’t Forest Gump, as it would be real if Travolta hadn’t declined the role, and Travolta’s loss became a big win for Tom Hanks, which he admitted later.
John Travolta’s Chicago Blues
John Travolta has had a long string of success with musicals as he was catapulted to fame with Saturday Night Fever, followed by hits like Grease and Hairspray, so when producer Harvey Weinstein offered him a role in the musical crime film Chicago, it should have been a no-brainer for the actor. Travolta stated that the role he regretted turning down the most was in director Rob Marshall’s Chicago, saying “Probably the one I didn’t explore enough is Chicago.” Travolta explained that he never met the film’s director Rob Marshall to discuss the role and had a misconception about the original stage play, saying “I never met with the director (Rob Marshall), because I thought the play was about a bunch of women who hated men, and I like women who like men.” After Travolta turned down the role, it went to actor Richard Gere, and the film went on to gross $306.8 million at the global box office with Gere’s performance receiving critical acclaim and winning Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 60th Golden Globe Awards, while Chicago won six Academy Awards, making Travolta’s regret over rejecting the role understandable.
Michelle Pfeiffer’s Silent Lamb Regret
Michelle Pfeiffer was first offered the role that eventually went to Jodie Foster in “The Silence of the Lambs,” as Pfeiffer had already worked with “The Silence of the Lambs” director Jonathan Demme on a previous film, “Married to the Mob.” Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her performance in Silence of the Lambs, but the filmmaker Jonathan Demme originally had envisioned Michelle Pfeiffer playing the role, with Pfeiffer telling The New Yorker in 2021 that she was uncomfortable with the dark theme of the movie, stating that it wasn’t something that “she wanted to put out into the world.” The part of Catherine Tramell in “Basic Instinct” was also offered to Michelle Pfeiffer among other popular actors of the time, but they all passed on it, while Sharon Stone, whose career was in a slump, fought hard for the role and ultimately got it, catapulting her to new levels of stardom. Michelle Pfeiffer initially turned down the leading role in Basic Instinct, citing that she wasn’t comfortable with the nude scenes, but we can all agree that Sharon Stone did a great job as Catherine Tramell in this movie.
Tom Selleck’s Indiana Jones Adventure Lost
Tom Selleck’s mustached charm and rugged persona made him an ideal fit for the adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones, but though he missed this iconic role, Selleck’s portrayal of Thomas Magnum became equally legendary, leaving a lasting impact on television history. Tom Selleck was offered the role of Indiana Jones, but reportedly couldn’t free up time for the role given his Magnum P.I. commitments. Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones go together like peanut butter and jelly, and it’s inconceivable to think of anyone else playing the role, but Tom Selleck was originally approached for the character. The scheduling conflict with his hit TV series Magnum P.I. prevented Selleck from taking on what would have been one of cinema’s most beloved adventure heroes. While Selleck found tremendous success with Magnum P.I., the missed opportunity to play Indiana Jones remains one of Hollywood’s most talked-about “what if” scenarios. Harrison Ford ultimately made the role his own, creating an iconic character that defined action-adventure films for generations.
Emily Blunt’s Black Widow Disappointment
Scarlett Johansson has portrayed Black Widow in four “Avengers” films, as well as the standalone movie “Black Widow,” but she was not Marvel Studios’ first choice for the role, as Emily Blunt was their original pick, but she was unable to take the job due to her contract to work on 2010’s “Gulliver’s Travels” – a scheduling conflict she still regrets. Emily Blunt turned down the chance to play Black Widow, telling Vulture in 2014 that the decision came down to scheduling, and in fact, Scarlett Johansson was originally given a rejection call in favor of Blunt, with it only being when Blunt turned the role down that Johansson booked the film. Blunt’s poise and talent would have brought a unique edge to the role, and her decision allowed her to pursue other projects that highlighted her range as an actress, though she missed out on this superhero legacy, Blunt’s career trajectory remains impressive, filled with diverse and compelling roles. The irony is that Gulliver’s Travels became a critical and commercial disappointment, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe went on to become the highest-grossing film franchise in history.
Al Pacino’s Han Solo Miss
Al Pacino was offered the role of Han Solo in “Star Wars,” but he turned it down, finding the script too complex, which opened the door for Harrison Ford, who brought the swaggering space smuggler to life, and Pacino’s filmography is filled with powerful performances, but his absence from the “Star Wars” universe is a tantalizing what-if scenario, though despite turning down this role, Pacino’s legacy in film history remains untouched, celebrated for his intense and unforgettable characters. Al Pacino was almost part of the Star Wars universe as a top choice to play Han Solo, but the actor said he didn’t understand the script at all, turning down the film, explaining “It was at that time in my career where I was offered everything, I was in ‘The Godfather.’ They didn’t care if I was right or wrong for the role, if I could act or not act.” The decision came at the height of Pacino’s career following The Godfather, when studios were eager to cast him in any major production. Ford’s charismatic portrayal of Han Solo became one of cinema’s most beloved characters, launching the Star Wars franchise into cultural phenomenon status.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Titanic Tragedy
The part of Jack was not the only casting decision that could’ve gone another way for “Titanic,” as Gwyneth Paltrow was approached to play the part of Rose, but she turned it down in order to be in “Great Expectations.” Kate Winslet became a household name thanks to the mega-blockbuster Titanic, however, the role was initially offered to Gwyneth Paltrow, and at that time in her career, it would have seemed like a no-brainer, but not even she knows why she turned it down, with Paltrow lamenting in a Howard Stern interview that, “I look back at the choices I’ve made and think, ‘Why the hell did I say yes to that? And no to that?’” Gwyneth Paltrow was considered for the role of Rose in “Titanic,” but she turned it down, allowing Kate Winslet to deliver an unforgettable performance, with Paltrow’s decision influenced by her commitment to other projects at the time, and despite missing out on this iconic role, her career is marked by standout performances, and she remains a celebrated figure in Hollywood, known for her elegance and charm. The decision proved costly as Titanic became one of the highest-grossing films of all time and earned Winslet an Oscar nomination.
Denzel Washington’s Se7en Setback
As far as crime thrillers go, there are few films as celebrated nor as confronting as David Fincher’s 1995 classic Se7en, starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as detectives investigating a serial killer whose murders are inspired by the seven deadly sins, and while the dynamic between the two stars is an integral part of the film’s brilliance, it was very nearly another major star who played Mills in lieu of Pitt, as Denzel Washington was offered the part but ended up turning it down due to the disturbing nature of the story and his own apprehensions about working on such a project with an inexperienced director. Speaking at the Toronto Film Festival in 2014, Washington openly stated how he regrets the decision and how he misinterpreted the screenplay, though he also commented how Pitt was perfect for the role, and it should have always been his from the outset. Denzel Washington has starred in many classics but missed out on starring in one more, the legal thriller, Michael Clayton, as it was prolific screenwriter Tony Gilroy’s directorial debut, but working with a first-time director made Washington uneasy, so he turned it down, despite telling GQ, “It was the best material I had read in a long time,” with George Clooney ultimately getting the role, for which he received an Oscar nomination, and the film was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for novice Tony Gilroy.
Matt Damon’s Avatar Catastrophe
Few actors pass on roles while giving up a $250 million payday by turning down the starring role in one of the most successful films of all time, with Matt Damon expressing as much when speaking about the decision with ET in 2023, taking the mickey out of himself by saying “it’s the dumbest thing an actor ever did in the history of acting,” speaking about not only turning down the role, but rejecting 10% of the box office as well. Matt Damon lost out on one of the biggest paydays of his life when he turned down the role of Sully in James Cameron’s Avatar, as Cameron told Damon he wanted him for the role, but also said that the movie was bigger than any actor, so if he turned it down, he would just get an unknown, which is what he did in casting Sam Worthington, and brutally, Cameron offered Damon 10 percent of the gross, with Avatar becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time, meaning that Damon would have netted a $250 million profit, and despite this crushing financial blow, what Damon says he regrets the most is missing out on working with Cameron, who makes so few films, as ultimately, Damon turned the movie down to avoid scheduling conflicts with The Bourne Ultimatum. In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, A-lister Matt Damon expressed regret passing on James Cameron’s 2009 epic Avatar, saying he still feels the sting of passing on playing Jake Sully, calling it “the dumbest thing an actor ever did in the history of acting.”
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Boogie Nights Blunder
Despite starring in the at-one-time highest-grossing movie of all time, Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio regrets turning down the movie he could have done instead: Boogie Nights, as the role was porn star Dirk Diggler, which would ultimately launch Mark Wahlberg’s acting career. Conflicts over the casting of Patrick Bateman roiled “American Psycho” before its production, leading to the ousting and subsequent rehiring of screenwriter and director Mary Harron, as Harron wanted to cast Christian Bale, who was lesser known then, in the starring role rather than the studio’s pick, Leonardo DiCaprio, with the studio firing Harron and briefly hiring Oliver Stone to direct and DiCaprio to star before DiCaprio dropped out, and ultimately, Harron cast her first choice, Christian Bale, in a role that propelled him to stardom. Leonardo DiCaprio was considered for the role of Anakin Skywalker in the “Star Wars” prequels but ultimately declined. Both Boogie Nights and American Psycho became critically acclaimed films that launched or solidified other actors’ careers. DiCaprio’s decision to focus on more traditional dramatic roles while passing on these edgier projects represents one of the most interesting alternate career paths in Hollywood history.
Jack Nicholson’s Godfather Gamble
Al Pacino’s turn as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather” transformed him from an emerging theater actor with only one previous film under his belt to a Hollywood heavy-hitter, and the role was career-defining for Pacino, but Hollywood history almost went in a different direction, as in 2004, Jack Nicholson told Movieline that he turned down the role because “Indians should play Indians and Italians should play Italians,” though things didn’t turn out badly for Nicholson, who instead starred in his own iconic films like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Chinatown” during the years following “The Godfather.”
