Have you ever raved about the success of Alan Rickman that he earned from the role of Professor Snape? Just think about Kate Winslet bagging the iconic role of Rose in Titanic.
Clearly, these actors were lucky to play these characters. But do you know some other actors who could turn down these promising roles?
Why did they do so?
Let’s know their unique answers.
Harry Style made wrong estimates
No one can blame Harry for not forecasting the pandemic. But this failure of intuition cost him the iconic role of Prince Eric in the 2020 remake of Disney’s movie ‘The Little Mermaid’.
He didn’t want to commit to a long shooting schedule that was needed by this remake film. His rationale was to be free enough to jump on any touring opportunities that may come his way in the last year. After all, he has to focus on his music career.
His intentions were clear, pandemic’s weren’t.
The role was then offered to Jonah Hauer-King.
Hugh Jackman disapproved Bond’s movies
Do you know someone who dislikes Bond’s movies? Meet Hugh Jackman.
X-Men famed Hugh disapproved of the whole franchise and turned down his role as James Bond because of this dislike.
According to him, these movies have become unbelievable over time.
If you think he could act well in the series, you will be even more disappointed by knowing that he was interested in playing the role if only it offered a more real-like plot. He wanted the role and the movie to be a bit grittier than it was. But his suggestions were turned down prompting him to let the role go.
Ian McKellen wanted to honor late Actor’s disapproval about his acting
We are talking about playing the role of Dumbledore here!
Ian McKellen found himself refusing the iconic role of Dumbledore even after seeing the power of this character on screen. He did so when he had seen the success of the first two movies of the HP franchise.
The franchise offered him the role when Richard Harris passed away after shooting for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Ian McKellen says as he received the offer, he couldn’t forget the comments Harris made about his acting career. Honoring his disapproval, he refused the role.
Did he regret his decision? Well, he still often imagines himself playing the role. But that’s all he has to do with the character and franchise.
Tim Roth didn’t want the second identity
Speaking of Harry Potter, we have another rejection to talk about.
It’s about Tim Roth turning down Snape’s role.
The actor’s opinion about the role and its influence was strong. He knew the potential and he knew what he was refusing. In fact, this knowledge was what made him refuse the role.
When he correctly anticipated that the role would make waves among viewers, he knew he could immerse in his character. The impression of the character on the actor was too strong and he knew it.
Denying the role was his way of denying a second screen personality of Severus Snape. He didn’t want to be known as the actor who played the famous role of heroic antagonist.
Another minor reason was that he didn’t want his face to appear on lunchboxes and stuff.
Years later, he appreciates how Alan Rickman played it believing that latter was a perfect match.
Jessica Simpson valued her instincts
She was a virgin and didn’t want to sign for a sex scene!
She was offered the lead role of Allie Hamilton – a young heiress – in the romantic drama film, The Notebook. The actor had reservations about the scenes, which she discussed with the casting directors.
When they refused to take out the scene, she decided to refuse the role.
In her memoir, she writes that the decision was made further complicated when her first crush, Ryan Gosling joined the acting crew in the lead role.
Nevertheless, she prioritized her religious values and her feelings and virginity over the role.
The role later went to Rachel McAdams.
Will Smith wanted Django unchained to be a love story
Jamie Foxx played the role of Django Freeman, a former slave. But you wouldn’t have seen the former on the screen if Will Smith had accepted to play it.
The action movie hits various pain points of the viewers including love and anger. The conflict between the first-choice actor and the director, Quentin Tarantino, revolved around these emotions.
Quentin saw the film focusing on revenge; while, Will wanted it to highlight love and romance. His take on the portrayal of the film stemmed from the fact that emphasis on love would’ve highlighted his role as the lead character.
One prominent conflict was that Will wanted his character to kill the antagonist but Quentin had other plans.
Jessica Chastain wanted to be a superhero
If it’s only one character you get to play in Marvel Universe, it should be nothing less than a superhero.
Though the screenwriter of Doctor Strange got an offer to play the role of Doctor Christine Palmer, she refused the opportunity.
Being the brain behind the show, she knew the potential of the role. Yet, her focus was on better opportunities. She has set her eyes on the super-hero characters and because you only get a single character in MCU, taking a human role will close doors for future opportunities.
Did her sacrifice bear fruit? Not yet. But we have our fingers crossed for the future.