13 Legendary Roles That Almost Were Rejected By Actors But Thankfully They Stayed

Jessica Wilson
Mar 21, 2023
Mar 21, 2023

It can be said that one of the most demanding careers is acting. Actors' roads to fame are often rocky, as they are constantly in the sights of millions of people worldwide, either for their work or private lives. When a celebrity's role in a popular film makes them even more sought-after by the media and fans, which can be very gratifying, yet also overwhelming.
From the high demands on the acting ability to the hectic filming schedule, the production of a major Hollywood movie can be stressful for all involved. Therefore, it's no surprise that certain scenes can cause actors to want to quit the movie industry altogether. There have even been instances when it was so difficult to film a scene that the actors risked their careers by leaving the set and going home. Another case that makes actors want to quit their roles is due to disagreements with the director. This instance can cause delays in production and result in additional costs for the filmmakers.
So today we're going to find out which actors almost gave up their iconic roles in the middle of filming, and we're betting they're glad they went through with it now.

#1 Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City

Source: © Sex and the City / HBO and co-producers

This legendary series almost didn't have a main character. Sarah Jessica Parker intended to leave the program after the pilot because she didn't want to give up her acting career in favor of a television one. Fortunately, she had a change of heart.

#2 Russell Crowe, Robin Hood

Source: © Robin Hood / Universal Pictures

Due to the script, Russell Crowe nearly departed the project. He believed that the original storyline lacked sufficient intrigue. He insisted that it should be completely revised, and he worked only after that had been done.

#3 Emmy Rossum, Shameless

Source: © Shameless / Warner Bros.

Contractual disputes among the Shameless actors were reported in the media before to the eighth season of the program's filming. One of the main characters, Rossum, wanted a wage raise and threatened to leave the program if she didn't get it. Despite having an equal contract, it turned out that her co-star, William H. Macy, earned more money than she did.

#4 Lisa Kudrow, Friends

Source: © Friends / Warner Bros.

The actress admitted in an interview that she intended to leave the program after the third season because she had become weary of playing her part. She was persuaded to remain, nevertheless, by Matt LeBlanc who portrayed Joey. He advised her to have fun with it and not take herself too seriously.

#5 Al Pacino, The Godfather

Source: © The Godfather Part II / Paramount Pictures

The studio executives initially weren't interested in casting Al Pacino as Michael Corleone since he was an unknown actor at the time. They were still unsure of their decision even after the gunfire began. Even though he "didn't want to be where he was not wanted," Al Pacino considered quitting. Yet Francis Ford Coppola, the filmmaker, ultimately persuaded him to remain.

#6 Daisy Ridley, Star Wars

Source: © Star Wars: The Force Awakens / Walt Disney Pictures

On the first day of filming for the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the actress who played Rey came close to quitting. The film's director had critiqued her performance, which is why it occurred. Daisy was so upset by his statements that she had a panic attack right there on the site and was really thinking about quitting the project.

#7 Dwayne Johnson, Rampage

Source: © Rampage / New Line Cinema and co-producers

The actor was horrified to learn that his character was going to die in the end while reading the screenplay for the movie Rampage after having already committed to doing the role. Dwayne was determined that the screenwriters needed to rewrite the conclusion or he would leave the movie. Johnson eventually forced the filmmakers to rewrite the plot so that it had a happy ending.

#8 Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone

Source: © Home Alone 2: Lost in New York / Twentieth Century Fox

Macaulay declined to participate in the sequel trilogy of the franchise because he had become tired of the part and believed there was nothing else he could have done with it. Many might not know that Culkin could not have been in the second film either, though. The truth is that his father effectively held the studio hostage by threatening to have his son removed from the series unless they offered him the star part in a different film that was slated for release.

#9 Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock

Source: © Sherlock / Hartswood Films

It was quite difficult to convince Benedict Cumberbatch to participate in the fourth season of the program, according to the co-creator and writer of the series. Benedict and Martin Freeman no longer needed the show because they were both so well-known at that point and had full schedules.

#10 Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games

Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson have said they will leave the series if the studio does not increase fees for sequels. They were unhappy that Jennifer Lawrence received a wage raise but others did not. In the end, the creators didn't let financial concerns stand in the way of the franchise's success.

#11 Brad Pitt, Interview with the Vampire

During the filming of Interview with the Vampire, Pitt was really unhappy.“I spent 6 months in the dark, wearing contact lenses and makeup.” Brad eventually mustered the confidence to phone the producer and inform him that he wanted to end the project.

“I called David Geffen, who was the producer, and said, ’David, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do it. How much will it take to get me out?’ And he goes, very calmly, ’Forty million dollars.’” So, Pitt decided to stay.

#12 Zoë Saldana, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

In the first part of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Zo had a minor role. The actress admitted that she intended to leave the project as well as the business in general. She said that the attitude of the filmmakers toward supporting actors and extras, rather than the excellent ensemble, was to blame. “It was very elitist,” she claimed.

#13 Alan Rickman, Harry Potter

Before The Prisoner of Azkaban, Alan Rickman thought about leaving the series. He had low expectations for the movie's creators, filmmakers, and overall Harry Potter plot. He admitted in his autobiography that he truly wanted to kick the filmmaker's ass. He remarked, “I get the character development and the spiffing effects (dazzling), but where is the story?”

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