Last blog, I was talking about how actors turned down iconic film roles, for whatever reason – it just didn’t interest them, they had a previous commitment, etc. Here are a few more people that turned down very important roles:
Sean Connery as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings? Oh sure, Connery has made his mark in cinema, but he turned down the role of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, saying he “didn’t understand the script.” Too bad for Connery – he was offered up to 15% of the box office receipts by New Cinema, which could have turned into a tidy sum (about $400 million by some estimates).
Steve McQueen as Jimmy Doyle in The French Connection? McQueen turned down the role because he felt it was too much like the character he played in Bullitt. I loved Gene Hackman in the role, which won him an Oscar, but I could still see McQueen playing it as well.
Bette Davis as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind? It seems like it isn’t only the guys that make film mistakes. Davis turned down the role because she thought Errol Flynn, whom she had refused to work with before, was going to play Rhett Butler. Vivien Leigh got the role, played Scarlett alongside Clark Gable’s Rhett, and won the Best Actress Oscar.
Daryl Hannah as Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman? She’s certainly a “pretty woman,” but Hannah turned down the role because she felt it was too demeaning to women. Also turning down the role was Molly Ringwald. Julia Roberts took the role, made it her own, and a star was born.
Kevin Costner as Bill in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2? Costner decided to forego the role of Bill to direct Open Range. Tarantino’s second choice for Bill, Warren Beatty, also passed. David Carradine took the role and I cannot imagine anyone else as Bill.
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Okay, forgive me, but this is just too much fun. Tomorrow, I will post my last blog on the actors that turned down incredible roles.