Actors Who Couldn’t Star in Major Films Because of Their Greed

Hollywood offers may be brutal. When it involves paying massive names for their super mega-celebrity power, the studios might sell thousands and thousands of greenbacks to steady that actor. Those investments often pay off significantly when a movie does well. But ever so often, the studios do not provide what the celebs assume they may be well worth. Hence the star is recast or uncertainly fired. Losing prominent roles deeply affects a star’s career. It is a major loss if the movie they declined becomes a massive hit. Consequently, they not only lose a good role but their reputation in the movie industry too.

Some Hollywood deals even bring about lawsuits for the actor’s pay demands. Here are the actors who lost roles because of their greed.

1.Tom Cruise – Salt

Angelina Jolie’s iconic movie Salt initially had signed up with Tom Cruise. However, due to the exorbitant rates demanded by Cruise the production house had no other option but to rewrite the script and drop Cruise from the cast. As one of the magnum stars on the planet, Cruise’s demanded a whopping signing figure of  $20 million.  The studio could not agree to this high pay. Salt was a monetary achievement for Jolie. The movie ended up pushing Jolie into the spotlight. Cruise opted to 2010’s Knight and Day instead, which ended up pulling in nearly the same numbers as Salt. Salt is an iconic movie in Jolie’s filmography. 

2.Marcus Chong – The Matrix Sequels

Marcus Chong’s Tank performs an exceptionally significant role in The Matrix. However, it was the hefty revenue demands that averted him from returning for any of the sequels. Moreover, it ended in a lawsuit. Chong’s 2003 case contested that the filmmakers had promised him a position in the sequels in a written contract. He claimed the filmmakers tried to defame him and curtailed his profession. Chong had asked for a hefty $1 million for his role in subsequent roles.

However, the studio sorted the matter at only $400,000. Chong got hastily written out of the sequels and was replaced with Harold Perrineau as his brother Link. Tank’s character got killed offscreen. 

3.Bruce Willis – Expendables 3

The Expendables franchise is well-known for boasting of top brass action stars, blowing up buildings. However, Bruce Willis’ salary demands for Expendables 3 was beyond the franchise budget. The rumor mills stated that the studio inclined to pay Willis a whopping three million dollars for merely four days of shooting. But, Willis turned so adamant and demanded four million. Willis wasn’t having any of it. Consequently, he got fired, and Harrison Ford took over the role. 

4.Hilary Duff – Lizzie McGuire

The Lizzie McGuire Movie became one of Disney’s first jump to big screen adventures. However, Hilary Duff left the negotiations because of a loss of earnings provided. Disney pitched a sequel film in addition to a follow-up collection geared towards an older audience. Duff demands of $100,000 per-TV episode in opposition to the $15,000 she’d earned for the authentic Disney Channel collection. She desired five million dollars for the sequel film. Disney counter-offered $35,000 an episode and offered 4 million dollars plus a $500,00 bonus relying upon the primary film’s fulfillment. The Duffs refused, and negotiations formally ended.

5.Sean Connery – James Bond

Sean profited $750,000 for his role as James Bond. He publicly announced his boredom with the role and desired extra cash. The studio knew they will face difficulty convincing Connery to return without a considerable pay rise. Consequently, the studio already planned a backup with George Lazenby for their upcoming movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Connery refused to accept much less than $1 million-plus a percent of the film’s profits. However, the studio was not inclined to give into Connery’s plump demands, and Lazenby became his replacement.

6.Taylor Lautner – Multiple Roles

As one of the well-known younger heartthrob actors of the early 2010s, Taylor Lautner changed into a commercial enterprise. After reportedly earning an income of $25 million for the Twilight franchise, Lautner was in high demand. Roles Lautner had covered up for his post-Twilight profession included a Stretch Armstrong movie he had requested $7.five million for and a David and Goliath movie co-starring Dwayne Johnson, giving him $10 million. But huge franchise achievement does not usually translate to different endeavors.  His 2011 movie Abduction failed to please critics or audiences. Consequently, studios assumed that Lautner wasn’t well worth what they decided for him. It wasn’t always greed that propelled Lautner’s dimming star. An intense fall in recognition compelled all of his pricey offers to nosedive. 

7.Katherine Heigl – Valentine’s Day

Heigl earned a reputation for being hard to work with, and job offers dried up pretty quickly. Her departure from Grey’s Anatomy in 2010 was her last real, lasting onscreen impression until joining Suits’ main cast for its 2018-19 season. 2010’s Valentine’s Day was a box office hit and could have kept Heigl’s stardom alive. But, Heigl demanded an unbelievable $3 million for the multi starrer film.

8.Crispin Glover – Back To The Future Sequels

 According to the report, Glover didn’t like the script for Back to the Future Part II and demanded a $1 million salary to reprise his role against the $150,000 he had been initially offered. The studio refused Glover’s demands and chose to continue production without him. Consequently, the filmmakers dressed another actor in heavy prosthetic makeup, making them believe Glover. Moreover, the scenario led to a lawsuit. Glover missed out in an iconic franchise, but his settlement was an unconfirmed $760,000. Furthermore, Glover’s career took a downhill after the incident.

9.Terrence Howard – Iron Man Sequels

Howard was paid $3.5 million for his role in the original Iron Man. The filmmakers promised an upgrade of $5 million to him. But the producers informed that his position was stripped back in the sequel and offered less money than was initially promised. Moreover, the salary cut was pretty drastic, and Howard’s agents were not pleased. Consequently, Don Cheadle got cast as a replacement. 

10.Halle Berry – Multiple Roles 

Berry’s name shot to stardom after her Oscar win for Monster’s Ball. Following her win, Berry’s three films, Die Another Day, Gothika, and Cat Women, all carried hefty price tags but worked to tanking her reputation.

Moreover, her poor role decision cost her much more meaningful roles. Consequently, her big-budget proved unsuccessful for her career as the right franchise could have skyrocketed her even more. As a result, she just wasn’t worth the price she was asking anymore.