Actors Who Turned Down Roles Earlier than Accepting Them

1.

First, Jenna Ortega initially handed on enjoying Wednesday Addams in Wednesday as a result of she needed to focus extra on movie. Not too long ago, she advised Self-importance Truthful that she “wasn’t married to the job” when she first discovered about it, nevertheless a name with creator and director Tim Burton “made [her] need it extra.”

2.

Richard Harris turned down enjoying Dumbledore within the Harry Potter movies a number of instances. He initially did not wish to play the position as a result of he thought, “That is not how I needed to spend the final years of my life, so I mentioned no over and over.” Finally, his granddaughter satisfied him to take the position.

3.

After dropping out on the position of Rooster in High Gun: Maverick to Miles Teller, Glen Powell handed on portraying Hangman at first. On the time, Hangman, named Slayer, was a pilot who reportedly solely discovered himself at High Gun due to nepotism. As a way to hold Glen concerned, Tom Cruise and director Joe Kosinski reworked the position for him.

4.

Ariana DeBose “refused 4 instances” to return in to audition for Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Aspect Story, in response to casting director Cindy Tolan. Cindy advised Selection, “I requested her to return in, and she or he mentioned no … I needed to discuss her into coming in.”

5.

Whereas he by no means formally mentioned no to enjoying Ken in Barbie, Ryan Gosling was extraordinarily hesitant to just accept the position and did not say sure at first. Director and author Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie constantly pursued Ryan till he lastly accepted the half. Greta advised SiriusXM, “Margot was like, ‘Is it bizarre if I am going to his home?’ I used to be like, ‘Do not go to his home! Keep put!'”

6.

Ellen Pompeo was initially hesitant to affix Gray’s Anatomy. She thought she did not wish to get “caught” on a TV present after starring in motion pictures like Outdated Faculty and Catch Me If You Can. Finally, her agent satisfied her to audition and movie the pilot as a result of it was unlikely the pilot would even make it to air.

7.

Chris Evans initially turned down the position of Steve Rogers/Captain American when he was approached by Marvel. In keeping with his mother, he was frightened he would lose his “anonymity” and develop into too well-known. Chris’s mother advised him it was in the end his choice; nevertheless, she felt it will open up so many doorways for him by way of tasks he may do sooner or later, by no means having to fret about paying hire, and so on.

8.

Amanda Seyfried initially turned down the chance to play Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout as a result of it will’ve required her to movie in Los Angeles away from her household. After speaking via the chance with family and friends, she promptly referred to as her brokers again the subsequent day.

9.

Rachel Zegler acquired a name from director Francis Lawrence providing her the position of Lucy Grey Baird in The Starvation Video games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with out even auditioning. Nonetheless, she turned down the position at first due to having to movie abroad and be away from her household for thus lengthy. She mentioned she “regretted it” the second she turned it down.

10.

Laurence Fishburne mentioned he turned down the position of Ike Turner in What’s Love Acquired To Do With It “5 instances” earlier than in the end accepting the position. In an interview on Jemele Hill’s Unbothered podcast, Laurence defined that the preliminary script was “actually sturdy with respect to Tina’s character, and it wasn’t sturdy sufficient with respect to Ike’s character.” He mentioned he in the end mentioned sure as a result of Angela Bassett was enjoying Tina.

11.

One Day breakout star Ambika Mod “turned down the audition a number of instances.” In an interview with Elle, she defined that she did not even learn the script however turned it down as a result of she satisfied herself that she “wasn’t the best particular person for the half,” so she did not need “to be a waste of everybody’s time.”

12.

Helen McCrory initially mentioned no to enjoying the enduring Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders. She defined that she turned down the position as a result of she frightened it will be very one-dimensional. Later, creator Steven Knight approached Helen once more and mentioned it was going to be like a Western and it will have an “epic high quality” to it, and it wasn’t going to be an “apologetic drama.”

13.

Fantasia Barrino initially turned down Oprah’s request to have her star as Celie in The Coloration Purple. After enjoying the emotionally taxing position on Broadway in 2007, Fantasia advised Selection that she swore she’d by no means play the position once more. Director Blitz Bazawule was the one who ultimately satisfied Fantasia to tackle the position, as he defined his imaginative and prescient for Celie (and giving her extra of a voice) within the new movie.

14.

Zoe Saldaña turned down starring as Joe in Lioness for a full 12 months earlier than in the end taking the position. She advised Leisure Tonight, “I did what each insecure actor does: I ran away. I mentioned no. I self-sabotaged for a 12 months.” Finally, she texted creator Taylor Sheridan, who texted her again, “I advised you, foolish, we had been ready for you.”

15.

Matthew Modine revealed that he initially handed on starring as Dr. Martin Brenner in Stranger Issues. He advised The Guardian, “I did not wish to do it.” The Duffer brothers advised him that the character was “actually essential” to the story, however he nonetheless wasn’t . Finally, after the Duffer brothers stored calling him, he mentioned it turned “actually tough for [him] to say no.”

16.

Elisabeth Moss initially handed on enjoying June/Offred in The Handmaid’s Story as a result of she was frightened about being caught on one other TV present so quickly after Mad Males ended. Nonetheless, after taking a number of days to consider it, Elisabeth realized she would’ve been upset if she watched every other actor play the position.

17.

And eventually, Al Pacino mentioned the primary draft of the script for The Godfather Half II was so dangerous that he turned it down a number of instances earlier than agreeing to star in it. He mentioned producers stored providing him more cash, hoping he would say sure. Finally, Francis Ford Coppola satisfied them that he did not need cash, however he needed a “good script.”