For most performers, it’s crucial to land suitable roles as much as it is to get regular engagement. However, while established actors like Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington can afford to prioritize roles that will meaningfully add to their Hollywood legacies, emerging talents often have to favor working consistently to build experience and sustain visibility. Regardless, both parties would agree that not all roles are suitable for an actor.
For instance, Russell Crowe was the first actor approached for the Wolverine role in the X-Men film series. He rejected it and recommended Hugh Jackman, who has proved he’s destined to play the Marvel Comics anti-hero. Crowe doesn’t regret turning down the role; he believes he wouldn’t have been able to own the character the way Jackman has over time. So, it’s normal for performers to pass on roles that didn’t resonate with them, but here are actors who rejected lifetime roles and regretted it.
1. Brad Pitt Passed On The Matrix
The Legends of the Fall star is a picky actor. In his decades-long career, the two-time Academy Award winner has rejected several roles that later became career-defining projects for the performers who took them up. From Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass to Paul Weitz’s About a Boy, Apollo 13, The Bourne Identity, and Almost Famous, Pitt has had reasons to reject great movies, but The Matrix is his biggest regret. At the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the famous actor reluctantly admitted that he rejected playing Neo in The Matrix, a role that solidified Keanu Reeves‘ status as an A-lister. “I really believe it was never mine,” he told People.
2. Will Smith Also Rejected The Matrix Role
Like Brad, Will Smith has also turned down multiple iconic roles, including Carter in Rush Hour, Django in Django Unchained, and several more. He nearly passed on Men in Black after doing Independence Day because he didn’t want to be known as the alien movie guy. But thankfully, Steven Spielberg convinced him to take the role, which cemented his global status.
Unfortunately, there was no wise counsel to nudge him towards considering The Matrix role after The Wachowskis pitched it to him. An unimpressed Smith rejected Neo to play Jim West in Barry Sonnenfeld’s Wild Wild West. He’s not proud of that decision, especially as Wild Wild West won him and Kevin Kline the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Screen Couple.
3. Ethan Hawke Thought Independence Day Was Silly
Without Independence Day, Will Smith may not have attained global superstardom. As Captain Steven Hiller in the sci-fi directed by Roland Emmerich, he gained the recognition that paved the way for Men in Black, which consolidated his Hollywood legacy. He wasn’t the first choice for Captain Steven Hiller. The role was first offered to Ethan Hawke, who dismissed it as ridiculous.
He was humbled when the film premiered to an enthusiastic reception and eventually became the highest-grossing film of the year. “I thought the movie was totally dopey,” Hawke told Larry King back in 2015. “I remember reading the script, making fun of the lines to my friends,” he divulged, declaring his action a stupid career decision.
4. Julia Roberts Rejected Sandra Bullock’s Role In While You Were Sleeping
From Pretty Woman to Sleeping With the Enemy, Erin Brockovich, and The Pelican Brief, Julia Roberts is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished stars. Her charm and talent compel her to be choosy, leaving her prone to rejecting iconic roles. This includes the Basic Instinct role that made Sharon Stone a dominant sex symbol in the 90s. Julia Roberts also declined roles in Shakespeare in Love and Sleepless in Seattle, which went to Gwyneth Paltrow and Meg Ryan, respectively.
But her biggest regret was passing on the offer to play a lonely token booth clerk in Jon Turteltaub’s While You Were Sleeping. The film made Sandra Bullock a genuine star, grossing over $182 million against a production budget of $17 million. According to Fredric Lebow, who co-wrote the romantic comedy, Roberts counts this among her most regrettable decisions.
5. Michelle Pfeiffer Turned Down The Silence of the Lambs
After their critically acclaimed collaboration in Married to the Mob, Jonathan Demme wanted Michelle Pfeiffer to play Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. Pfeiffer passed on the role, which eventually went to Jodie Foster, and won her a second Oscar for Best Actress. Pfeiffer told The New Yorker she rejected the role because of its evil premise.
“It was that evil won in the end… I was uncomfortable with that ending. I didn’t want to put that out into the world,” she disclosed to the publication. The three-time Oscar-nominated actress is at peace with her decision, but she regrets missing the opportunity to work with Demme on another film. Check out 5 Academy Award winners who stumbled into acting.
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