8 A-List Actors Who Let an Oscar Get Away

Winning an Oscar is a goal for every actor because it honors the best of Hollywood, with a nod to international cinema as well. However, you'd be surprised at how many of Hollywood's most talented A-listers have failed to win an Academy Award. These A-List Actors Lose Oscar.
Even more shocking part, some famous actors and actresses may miss out on an Oscar. It's not because they aren't good enough, but aren't lucky enough to choose the right script. Gene Hackman, for example, nearly starred in The Silence of the Lambs in 1991, and Richard Gere dropped out of Wall Street in 1987.
We discovered which stars could have won Oscars in the 2000s but instead let it go to other actors or actresses. Do you think these celebrities made the right choice? Can you imagine how these films would have turned out with the original cast? A-list actors to lose the Oscars might be found here. 

#1 Angela Bassett (Monster’s Ball, 2001)

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Monster's Ball, a 2001 romance drama, stars Halle Berry. She was the first woman of color to win an Oscar for Best Leading Actress for this performance. However, Angela Bassett could have received the award instead. According to Newsweek, she turned down the role "because it's such a stereotype about black women."

#2 Anne Hathaway (Silver Linings Playbook, 2012)

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Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for Best Leading Actress in this 2012 rom-com drama, though Anne Hathaway could have won instead. Unfortunately, there was a scheduling conflict: Hathaway was already committed to The Dark Knight Rises by the time the project began.

#3 Emma Watson (La La Land, 2016)

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La La Land, a musical comedy-drama, won a whopping six Academy Awards and one of them is  the award for Best Leading Actress that went to Emma Stone. However, her namesake, Emma Watson, could have won. Watson, however, turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts with Beauty and the Beast.

#4 Gael García Bernal (Dallas Buyers Club, 2013)

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Matthew McConaughey stars in the 2013 drama-biopic Dallas Buyers Club. Gael Garcia Bernal was considered for the co-leading role, but the deal was never decided. Instead, it went to Jared Leto, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Role.

#5 Harrison Ford (Syriana, 2005)

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Syriana is a dramatic political thriller directed by Stephen Gaghan that earned George Clooney an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He played Bob Barnes, a CIA agent, but the role was originally offered to Henry Ford. Ford declined because he "didn't feel strongly enough about the truth of the material," but has since expressed regret.

#6 Hugh Grant (The King’s Speech 2010)

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This historical biography drama won four Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year. Colin Firth as King George VI won Best Leading Actor, but Paul Bettany could have easily won. Bettany expressed regret for passing up the opportunity to "work with such great people," but he declined the role to spend more time with his family. Interestingly, Hugh Grant could have played King George in this film as well, but he declined.

#7 Liam Neeson (Lincoln, 2012)

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Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for this dramatic historical biography, but Liam Neeson could have taken his place. However, after years of waiting for the project to begin, Neeson stated in an interview with GQ that the new script "had no connection with [him] whatsoever."

#8 Sandra Bullock (Million Dollar Baby, 2004)

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Another multi-award winner, this sports drama took home four Academy Awards. Although Sandra Bullock had been attached to the role for years, Hilary Swank won the Oscar for Best Leading Actress. It was difficult to find a studio willing to finance the film, and by the time it was released, Bullock had committed to Miss Congeniality 2 and couldn't make the schedules work.