7 Times Actors Almost Left Their Iconic Roles, But Everything Was Done Peacefully

Elise Feyrer

It is possible that some actors or actresses will not participate in the sequel that will inevitably be made to a film. Throughout the creation of the movie, people may conclude that they no longer want to be involved in any way. There might have been personality conflicts with the film's director, personal concerns to deal with, or a scheduling conflict, to name just a few of the potential reasons.
Before eventually resolving to see their various initiatives through to completion, each and every star profiled in this article came perilously close to abandoning their respective endeavors.

1. Macaulay Culkin

Source: Home Alone

Macaulay declined to appear in the third installment of the series because he was bored with the character and thought he had exhausted his options. But, few are aware that Culkin certainly would not have been in the sequel either. In reality, his father held the studio essentially to ransom by threatening to remove his son from the franchise if he did not receive the lead part in the next film set to be made in the series.

2. Dwayne Johnson

Source: Rampage

After agreeing to feature in Rampage, the actor was surprised to read the script and discover that his character had a tragic ending. Dwayne threatened to quit the film if the finale wasn't rewritten, and the authors listened. Johnson insisted that the film's finale be altered to have a happy resolution, and the producers eventually gave in to his requests.

3. Al Pacino

Source: The Godfather

Because of this, they hesitated to cast Al Pacino, a virtual unknown at the time, in the part of Michael Corleone. They were still having second thoughts about their decision when the gunfire started. Al Pacino "didn't want to be where he was not wanted," so much so that he considered leaving his job. The film's director, Francis Ford Coppola, finally persuaded him to stay.

4. Liam Hemsworth

Source: The Hunger Games

Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson threatened to abandon the franchise if the company didn't increase their pay for the sequels. The fact that Jennifer Lawrence received a raise, but did not make them quite upset. The franchise's eventual popularity was prioritized over financial concerns for the producers.

5. Lisa Kudrow

Source: Friends

The actress said in an interview that she was ready to leave the program after the third season because she was bored with her role. She was going to go, but Joey, played by Matt LeBlanc, talked her into staying. He advised her to take it easy and enjoy herself in the job.

6. Russell Crowe

Source: Robin Hood

Russell Crowe was on the verge of walking away from the film for reasons related to the screenplay. The script, in his opinion, was dull at first. He insisted it is redone and returned to his job only once it had been revised.
 

7. Alan Rickman

Source: Harry Potter

Before filming The Prisoner of Azkaban, Alan Rickman thought about leaving the franchise. He was dissatisfied with the Harry Potter films and their plot. He wrote in his autobiography that he wished to "kick the butts" of the film's creators. Where is the story? he questioned. "I understand the character development and the spiffing effects (dazzling)," he wrote.