8 Celebrities Who Regret Turning Down These Famous Film Roles

Brad Pitt playing Neo? Josh Hartnett as the Dark Knight? In “Speed,” Halle Berry plays the lady who drives the bus. Believe it or not, all of the foregoing, would have occurred if these actors had answered “yes.” Dive into the history of Hollywood and you’ll find that some of the most iconic roles were almost portrayed by someone else. Those early, and ultimately unsuccessful, casting decisions just don’t get talked about. However, performers are sometimes extremely vocal about the high-profile roles they turned down, as well as the pangs of regret they feel after such films are created. Consider a universe in which Leonardo DiCaprio starred in a popular drama about the porn business rather than Titanic, or Reese Witherspoon did not portray Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Shudder. As a result, we at Animated Times have compiled a list of 8 people who turned down great films only to feel quite dumb about it later on.

8. Lily Allen turned down the role of Yara on Game of Thrones:

Alfie Allen’s real-life sister was given the role of Yara (Alfie’s character Theon’s sister) in Game of Thrones, but declined due to the simulated sexual actions she’d have to do with her actual brother.

7. Javier Bardem turned down the role of Danny in Minority Report:

“It was tough for me at the moment to plunge into a foreign-language performance,” Bardem recalled of being given the role in Minority Report, which eventually went to Colin Farrell. He’d already featured in the English-language picture Before Night Falls, but it wasn’t until The Dancer Upstairs that he felt really at ease with the language.

6. Zendaya dropped out of playing Aaliyah in Lifetime biopic Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B:

Zendaya stated on Instagram that she left the film because “the production value wasn’t there.” She also stated that she attempted to contact Aaliyah’s family in order to obtain their approval for the film, but was unable to do so and therefore chose to withdraw. The production went through with actor Alexandra Shipp without Aaliyah’s family’s permission.

5. Gillian Anderson turned down the role of Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey:

“If I’m going to spend that much time working on anything, I’d rather work with a filmmaker like Martin Scorsese,” Anderson stated, casting a covert jab at the series. She is also said to have declined a role in Game of Thrones for the same reason.

4. Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix:

Following the success of many films, Smith stated that he was more interested in doing what he felt would be a commercial blockbuster, which is why he passed on The Matrix to feature in the flop Wild Wild West. He also didn’t want to be identified as “the Alien Movie Guy,” yet turning down the role in the highly popular picture was an immediate regret.

3. Liam Neeson turned down the role of James Bond:

This was because his wife stated she wouldn’t marry him if he took it, but it’s unclear why.

2. Claire Danes turned down the role of Rose in Titanic:

She didn’t want to do another romance with Leonardo DiCaprio since she “didn’t have it in her” after filming Romeo and Juliet. Titanic was a considerably bigger hit than Romeo and Juliet, but Danes maintains she has no regrets.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho:

Although neither Gloria nor Leo have verified this, one in every of the film’s writers, Guinevere Turner, has explicit that she believes Leo force out as a result of women’s liberationist. My acquaintance, United Nations agency had simply talked with women’s liberationist, told ME that women’s liberationist brought Leonard DiCaprio to a Yankees game and told him, ‘Please do not build this picture.’ ” once you get off the large, there is a whole globe filled with 13-year-old ladies waiting to observe what you are doing next, and this is often about to be a picture with awful brutality against girls. ‘ Leo force out presently when, thus United Nations agency is aware of what truly happened? “

So yes, there are the eight celebrities who regret turning down these famous film roles. Well, these are some of the best actors in the Hollywood industry, but eventually they turn down these amazing roles because they find them offensive, inappropriate, or just straight-up intimidating, thus losing some of the best movie roles in the history of movies. So which of these would you like to see in the role if they had said yes? Do let us know in the comments down below. Till then, keep reading Animated Times, the perfect place to get a closer look at the entertainment industry, upcoming movies, TV series, celebrity gossip, and much more. We’ll have you covered. Continue reading Animated Times, guys, for more.