Passing It Up
They're successful actors, but could they have been even more successful if only they'd taken that one role? From Gwyneth Paltrow to Meg Ryan, these stars have said no to some pretty big parts—ones that helped make other people famous. Oops!
Gwyneth Paltrow and 'Boogie Nights'
Role: Roller Girl
On her recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," the host asked Gwyneth Paltrow why she turned down the role that went to Heather Graham.
"My grandfather—I was very close to him and he was pretty conservative," Paltrow confessed. "I just thought, 'I can't be totally naked and, like, giving a BJ on screen. I'll kill my grandfather!' So, I didn't do it. And by the way, Heather Graham was perfect, so it worked out perfectly."
She's right!
Image via New Line Cinema/Photofest/REX
Michael Keaton and 'Groundhog Day'
Role: Phil
While promoting his 2014 film "Birdman," Michael Keaton admitted to passing up the starring role in the 1993 comedy hit "Groundhog Day" because he "didn't get it."
The role went to Bill Murray, and Keaton says, "You can't do it better than Bill Murray did."
Image via Columbia Pictures/Photofest/REX
Meg Ryan and 'Pretty Woman'
Role: Vivian
The charming romantic comedy about a hooker with a heart of gold was originally written as a dark comedy. After a few rewrites, director Gary Marshall lightened the mood and offered the lead role to Meg Ryan, who turned it down. The role was then offered to many other starlets, including Michelle Pfeiffer, before finally going to Julia Roberts. The movie made Roberts a star, not that Ryan did so badly herself.
Image via Buena Vista Pictures/Photofest/REX
Michelle Pfeiffer and 'The Silence of the Lambs'
Role: Clarice Starling
Director Jonathan Demme helped make Michelle Pfeiffer a star in "Married to the Mob," so she was naturally his first choice for the lead role in "The Silence of the Lambs." But despite wanting to work with Demme again, Pfeiffer turned down the role, which earned Jodie Foster an Academy Award. Pfeiffer admits to regretting turning down the role, saying, "I don't have an innate commercial sense. I'm always wrong."
That's lucky for Jodie Foster.
Image via Orion/Photofest/REX
Christian Bale and 'James Bond'
Role: James Bond
Lucky for Daniel Craig (and for us) that Christian Bale didn't want to be attached to the Bond franchise, which he categorized as "typically British." According to Bale's former publicist, "He thought that James Bond represented every despicable stereotype about England and British actors. Besides, he quipped: 'I've already played a serial killer.'"
Image via Columbia Pictures/Photofest/REX
Anne Hathaway and 'Silver Linings Playbook'
Role: Tiffany
Anne Hathaway backed out of "Silver Linings Playbook" due to "creative differences," and the role of Tiffany went to Jennifer Lawrence, who then won an Academy Award for her portrayal.
That wasn't completely bad news for Hathaway, however. That same year, she won the best supporting actress Oscar for "Les Miserables."
Win win.
Image via The Weinstein Company/Photofest/REX
Rooney Mara and 'Zero Dark Thirty'
Role: Maya
Jessica Chastain may have been the second choice for her role as CIA agent Maya in "Zero Dark Thirty," but she earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in the film that Rooney Mara dropped out of due to scheduling constraints.
Image via Columbia Pictures/Photofest/REX
Sarah Michelle Gellar and 'Clueless'
Role: Cher Horowitz
Sarah Michelle Gellar, then the star of the ABC soap opera "All My Children," couldn't squeeze the Amy Heckerling-written and -directed movie "Clueless" into her schedule. The role went to Alicia Silverstone, who made her portrayal of the Beverly Hills teen one of the most indelible characters in movie history. As if.
Image via Paramount Pictures/Photofest/REX
Thomas Jane and 'Mad Men'
Role: Don Draper
Oops. It's hard to imagine anyone other than hunky Jon Hamm playing the advertising genius Don Draper, but the part was originally offered to actor Thomas Jane. Jane turned down the part because the network, AMC, wasn't well known at the time and he thought the show was "too cerebral." Instead, Jane took the lead role on the HBO series "Hung_,"_ which got cancelled after three seasons.
Image via AMC/Photofest/REX
Brad Pitt and 'The Bourne Identity'
Role: Jason Bourne
Back in 2002, when producers were casting the Bourne franchise, they offered the role of rogue spy Jason Bourne to Brad Pitt. Pitt instead had his sights set on a different movie, "Spy Game," and turned it down.
All seems to have worked out. Pitt's still one of the biggest movie stars of all time, and it's impossible to imagine anyone other than Matt Damon playing Jason Bourne.
Image via Universal Pictures/Photofest/REX
Will Smith and 'The Matrix'
Role: Neo
Keanu Reeves was sensational as the hero of the futuristic film franchise, but the part was originally offered to Will Smith, who was dubious of the film's promised graphics. Smith, instead, chose to do Barry Sonnenfeld's "Wild Wild West," which was a critical disaster. Reeves, on the other hand, became a bona fide movie star after the release of "The Matrix."
Image via Warner Bros./Photofest/REX
