12 Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Roles And Regretted Them Later

What would happen if Brad Pitt played Neo? Or Halle Berry as the bus driver in the film Speed? Believe it or not, if those performers had responded "yes," all of the aforementioned would have taken place. Explore Hollywood's past and you'll discover that many very famous roles were almost played by someone else. Those early and ultimately unsuccessful casting choices just aren't discussed very often.
Stars frequently decide to pass on particular roles despite directors pleading with them to do so for a variety of reasons. They sometimes speak candidly about the high-profile roles they declined and the remorse they felt when the movies they had rejected were expressed.
Because a lot of these roles went on to become legendary and iconic. It's hard to imagine that today's actors could have performed these roles in the same way. Imagine a scenario if Reese Witherspoon didn't portray Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Shudder! Here are 12 actors who turned down iconic roles before realizing how foolish they were.

#1 Harvey Dent — Matt Damon and Aaron Eckhart

Source: East News, © The Dark Knight / DC Comics and co-producers

Matt Damon declined the renowned Harvey Dent part in Christopher Nolan's movie because he was preoccupied with another endeavor. The actor explained that he had to make a decision because he was the major character in that production and would only have a minor role in The Dark Knight.
However, Damon later made an appearance in Nolan's other film, Interstellar. And this time, he had to put in a lot of effort to be a part of the film.

#2 Daisy Domergue — Jennifer Lawrence and Jennifer Jason Leigh

Source: © Joy / Annapurna Pictures and co-producers, © The Hateful Eight / FilmColony and co-producers

Jennifer Lawrence was a strong contender to portray one of The Hateful Eight's main characters, according to Quentin Tarantino. He has repeatedly said that he admires the actress. But they were unable to collaborate because of the actress's busy schedule.
Lawrence allegedly met with Tarantino just out of good manners at the time since she was preoccupied with filming Joy, according to Tarantino.

#3 James Bond — Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan

Source: Mary Evans / Allstar / Graham Whitby Boot / East News, © Tomorrow Never Dies / Eon Productions Ltd. and co-producers

According to Liam Neeson, he wasn't immediately given the James Bond role at the start of the 1990s. Although there were many other possibilities being considered at the time, he had a few broad chats about it with the producer.
But Natasha Richardson, his then-girlfriend, told him, "Darling if you're offered James Bond and you're going to play it, you're not going to marry me," since she thought this was enough. Later on, they did Wed, and Neeson claims he frequently taunted his wife by approaching her after disputes and singing the well-known James Bond theme tune.

#4 Michael Corleone — Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino

Source: © The Postman Always Rings Twice / Lorimar Film Entertainment and co-producers, © The Godfather: Part II / Paramount Pictures and co-producers

It is well known that Jack Nicholson was open to taking the role but declined it. Not because he wasn't convinced the movie would be a hit, though.
On the contrary, he believed that the post was crucial and that an Italian should fill it. Although many actors could play Michael Corleone, according to him, Al Pacino was made for the role.

#5 Vivian — Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Roberts

Source: HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection / East News, © Pretty Woman / Touchstone Pictures and co-producers

As it turns out, Disney wasn't interested in casting Julia Roberts as Vivian in the Pretty Woman movie. Numerous other actresses were taken into consideration, such as Sandra Bullock, Winona Ryder, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others.
But for a variety of reasons, none of them ended up in the movie. Some of the actresses turned down the part or were too young for it. Parker was concerned for her image and believed that Vivian painted a poor picture of women. After all of this, the unknown Roberts was recruited, and because she thought the movie would succeed, it turned out to be her breakout part.

#6 Neo — Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves

Source: Mary Evans / AF Archive / Graham Whitby Boot / East News, © The Matrix / Village Roadshow Pictures and co-producers

The Matrix was one of the countless instances in that Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves' artistic paths met. Depp was the original choice of the Wachowskis for the part of Neo. Even Warner Brothers, who disagreed with this selection, desired a candidate similar to Brad Pitt.
Reeves was given the opportunity when Depp turned down the part, and today it is inconceivable to envision anybody else playing Neo.

#7 Ego — Matthew McConaughey and Kurt Russell

Source: © Free State of Jones / Route One Films and co-producers, © Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 / Walt Disney Studios and co-producers

Matthew McConaughey, who won the Oscar for Best Actor in the movie "Giants of the Galaxy Vol. 2," may have filled one of the major parts. He once said that he was reading the scripts for upcoming Marvel and DC films and that some people believed he might portray Ego.
Due to his preference for Stephen King's The Dark Tower, McConaughey chose not to participate in a Marvel production.

#8 Sam Wheat — Bruce Willis and Patrick Swayze

Source: Mary Evans / AF Archive / David Gadd / East News, © Ghost / Paramount Pictures and co-producers

When Bruce Willis received the main part in the movie, he was already wed to Demi Moore. However, after reading the screenplay, he was baffled as to how the writers intended to combine a romance narrative with a ghost. He declined the part because he didn't think the movie would be a hit.
Even Patrick Swayze wasn't very excited to take on the part. But because of his wife, he was brought to tears when reading the screenplay and decided to perform the part.

#9 Rose — Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet

Source: Mary Evans / AF Archive / Graham Whitby Boot / East News, © Titanic / Paramount Pictures and co-producers

Right now, we immediately picture Kate Winslet when we hear the name Rose from Titanic. However, Gwyneth Paltrow, another young actress, may have taken her place.
The actress just replies that all performers make errors and accept poor parts and reject wonderful ones, unable to provide a clear explanation for why she turned down the role.

#10 Maximus — Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe

Source: East News, © Gladiator / Universal Pictures and co-producers

After his roles in Mad Max and Braveheart, Mel Gibson was undoubtedly seen as a cool person. The first person to apply for the role of Maximus was him.
However, the actor declined the part because he believed he was too old for such action-packed sequences. But after obtaining the part of Maximus, Russell Crowe rose to fame in Hollywood.

#11 Noah Calhoun — George Clooney and Ryan Gosling

Source: © Leatherheads / Universal Pictures and co-producers, © The Notebook / New Line Cinema and co-producers

In The Notebook, George Clooney said that he was tasked with playing a younger version of the lead role while Paul Newman was cast as an older Noah.
But after giving the part some serious thought and seeing numerous movies with Newman, Clooney made the decision to pass. He believed they would appear odd together since he didn't think he was attractive enough in comparison to Newman. Instead, Ryan Gosling landed the part, which greatly increased his popularity.

#12 Jake Sully — Jake Gyllenhaal and Sam Worthington

Source: Invision / Invision / East News, © Avatar / 20th Century Studios and co-producers

Matt Damon and Jake Gyllenhaal were initially given the lead in Avatar. James Cameron, the filmmaker, was pleasantly surprised to learn that both of them turned down the role.
He once admitted that he was interested in casting Sam Worthington, a little-known Australian actor, in the role. But in order to please the Fox staff, he had to offer the part to well-known performers. They were concerned that a newcomer wouldn't generate enough interest in the pricey and newly launched business. But following the debut of Avatar, Worthington became well-known for landing the role.