11-25-2012, 10:53 PM
"Sean Connery reportedly cost himself £283million when he turned down the chance to play Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The former James Bond actor was offered £19m to play the wizard in the fantasy films directed by Peter Jackson and Warner Bros also offered him 15 per cent of the franchise's box office takings. Connery allegedly turned down the role because of his concerns over the script and it eventually fell to Sir Ian McKellen.
English-born actor Cary Grant was urged to take the role of James Bond (007) by his close friend Albert "Cubby" Broccoli. Grant (who became a US citizen in 1942) had been best man at the Bond producer's wedding. Sean Connery took his place as the first Hollywood Bond.
Burt Reynolds once admitted that his biggest regret was passing up the role of Han Solo in 1977 film Star Wars. The role went to Harrison Ford, a struggling actor who was then working as a carpenter. Reynolds once said: "I think that has to be the biggest mistake of my career. I blame the agent. It was not all down to me."
Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in the Matrix films. He said later: "The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn’t see it. I watched Keanu Reeve’s performance – and very rarely do I say this – but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix. At that point I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be. Let the movie and the director tell the story, and don’t try and perform every moment.”
Asked once why he rejected the role of Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy in the 1975 film adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, James Caan had the honesty to say: "At the time, I thought - because I'm a genius - it wasn't visual enough. It took place in these four walls. I didn't know that [director] Miloš Forman was as good as he was. It's my opinion that I'm stuck with, unfortunately. I've made some bad choices." Jack Nicholson took the role and went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor, and the film became one of only three in movie history to win all of the "big five" Academy Awards.
Pretty Woman was the film that 'made' Julia Roberts but the role of high-class call girl Vivian Ward in the 1990 movie with Richard Gere was first offered to Molly Ringwald, the star of The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. She later said: "I think I saw an early draft and it was called '$3,000'. I don’t specifically remember turning it down. The script was okay but I gotta say, Julia Roberts is what makes that movie. It was her part. Every actor hopes for a part that lets them shine like that."
Harrison Ford was not the first actor that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas pursued for the role of Indiana Jones in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' 'Magnum P.I.' actor Tom Selleck was offered the role first but had to decline after his TV network exercised its option and he wasn't able to get a release to do the movie.
John Travolta admitted passing on Forrest Gump was a mistake. The lead role in the 1994 comedy went to Tom Hanks, who won Best Actor at the Oscars, one of six the film won including Best Picture.
Kevin Costner was offered the part of the main character Andy Dufresne in the Shawshank Redemption. He wanted to work on Waterworld - a hugely expensive movie, and a critical flop - and Costner has since said that he strongly regrets letting Tim Robbins take the role.
There are many reasons to turn down film roles. Michelle Pfeiffer thought Silence of The Lambs was too violent and the role of FBI agent Clarice Sterling went to Jody Foster. Bette Davis passed up on playing Scarlett O'Hara and Leonardo DiCaprio rejected the role of Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights for artistic reasons. But a common - and Hollywood - reason is shown in W.C. Fields's decision to turn down the role of The Wizard Of Oz, a part that was written for him. He rejected the role because MGM wouldn't meet his price. He was replaced by Frank Morgan. "
Read the rest and pictures................. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/cultu...me=2405207
English-born actor Cary Grant was urged to take the role of James Bond (007) by his close friend Albert "Cubby" Broccoli. Grant (who became a US citizen in 1942) had been best man at the Bond producer's wedding. Sean Connery took his place as the first Hollywood Bond.
Burt Reynolds once admitted that his biggest regret was passing up the role of Han Solo in 1977 film Star Wars. The role went to Harrison Ford, a struggling actor who was then working as a carpenter. Reynolds once said: "I think that has to be the biggest mistake of my career. I blame the agent. It was not all down to me."
Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in the Matrix films. He said later: "The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn’t see it. I watched Keanu Reeve’s performance – and very rarely do I say this – but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix. At that point I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be. Let the movie and the director tell the story, and don’t try and perform every moment.”
Asked once why he rejected the role of Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy in the 1975 film adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, James Caan had the honesty to say: "At the time, I thought - because I'm a genius - it wasn't visual enough. It took place in these four walls. I didn't know that [director] Miloš Forman was as good as he was. It's my opinion that I'm stuck with, unfortunately. I've made some bad choices." Jack Nicholson took the role and went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor, and the film became one of only three in movie history to win all of the "big five" Academy Awards.
Pretty Woman was the film that 'made' Julia Roberts but the role of high-class call girl Vivian Ward in the 1990 movie with Richard Gere was first offered to Molly Ringwald, the star of The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. She later said: "I think I saw an early draft and it was called '$3,000'. I don’t specifically remember turning it down. The script was okay but I gotta say, Julia Roberts is what makes that movie. It was her part. Every actor hopes for a part that lets them shine like that."
Harrison Ford was not the first actor that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas pursued for the role of Indiana Jones in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' 'Magnum P.I.' actor Tom Selleck was offered the role first but had to decline after his TV network exercised its option and he wasn't able to get a release to do the movie.
John Travolta admitted passing on Forrest Gump was a mistake. The lead role in the 1994 comedy went to Tom Hanks, who won Best Actor at the Oscars, one of six the film won including Best Picture.
Kevin Costner was offered the part of the main character Andy Dufresne in the Shawshank Redemption. He wanted to work on Waterworld - a hugely expensive movie, and a critical flop - and Costner has since said that he strongly regrets letting Tim Robbins take the role.
There are many reasons to turn down film roles. Michelle Pfeiffer thought Silence of The Lambs was too violent and the role of FBI agent Clarice Sterling went to Jody Foster. Bette Davis passed up on playing Scarlett O'Hara and Leonardo DiCaprio rejected the role of Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights for artistic reasons. But a common - and Hollywood - reason is shown in W.C. Fields's decision to turn down the role of The Wizard Of Oz, a part that was written for him. He rejected the role because MGM wouldn't meet his price. He was replaced by Frank Morgan. "
Read the rest and pictures................. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/cultu...me=2405207
