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by - August 9, 2008 - 10:55 AM
Sean Connery wasn’t supposed to be James Bond. Keanu wasn’t supposed to be “the One.” So, who were the original choices? Here are 5 actors and the legendary roles they turned down.
THE ROLE: James Bond in Dr. No
WHO LET IT GET AWAY: Cary Grant. Despite being Bond producer Albert Broccoli’s best man, Grant said “I don’t” to the offer, and Sean Connery got the role instead. Of course, many studio executives objected to the decision, and even Bond creator Ian Fleming said Connery “wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
REGRETTABILITY METER: Low. By the 1960s, Cary Grant already had a spectacular film career. If he’d accepted the role (as Broccoli later revealed), it would’ve been just a one-movie deal.
THE ROLE: Neo in The Matrix
WHO LET IT GET AWAY: Will Smith turned it down to star in the forgettable action flick Wild Wild West, and the part went to Keanu Reeves.
REGRETTABILITY METER: Low. In an interview with Wired, Smith said, “I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix. At that point I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be—whereas Keanu was.”
THE ROLE: Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction
WHO LET IT GET AWAY: Michael Madsen, who was stuck in lengthy rehearsals for Wyatt Earp. John Travolta got the role instead and, almost overnight,
transformed from a Hollywood has-been into one of the most bankable stars in the business.
REGRETTABILITY METER: High. Madsen called Wyatt Earp “a big waste of time.”
THE ROLE: Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy
WHO LET IT GET AWAY: Sean Connery, who’d never read the J.R.R. Tolkien series and claimed he “didn’t understand the script.” (Can you say karma?)
REGRETTABILITY METER: High. In return for playing the role, New Line Cinema offered the Scottish actor up to 15 percent of worldwide box office receipts, which would have earned Connery more than any actor had ever been paid for a single role—as much as $400 million.THE ROLES: Sundance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection, and Captain Benjamin Willard in Apocalypse Now.
WHO LET THEM GET AWAY: Steve McQueen.
REGRETTABILITY METER: Tragically high. McQueen turned down the role of Sundance simply because costar Paul Newman refused to give him top billing. Later, McQueen declined the lead in The French Connection because he felt the part was too similar to the tough cop he’d played in 1968’s Bullitt. Gene Hackman took the part and won an Oscar for it. And finally, in 1978, McQueen told Apocalypse Now director Francis Ford Coppola to shove off when he was offered the lead. McQueen’s non-negotiable asking price was $3 million; plus, he didn’t feel like spending four months shooting in the Philippine jungle. Instead, Martin Sheen landed the role, and despite suffering a heart attack during the stressful production, he gave one of cinema’s greatest performances.
Great post! I can’t picture Sean Connery as Gandalf (a hobbit, maybe).
But you need to adjust the title on the homepage. It currently reads: “Hollywood Miscalculations: 5 Famous Actors and the Roles THEIR Turned Down”.
posted by K on 8-9-2008 at 11:33 am
Cool post. I have to say, the regrettability factor is only high for the Gandalf role in a monetary sense. Sean Connery would have been completely wrong for Gandalf. Completely and utterly. Whereas Sir Ian McKellan was pretty much perfect.
posted by s michael c on 8-9-2008 at 12:30 pm
I’m with these two…Connery would’ve been a terrible Gandalf. I’m so glad he turned it down :).
posted by Fruppi on 8-9-2008 at 12:36 pm
Always glad to see bits like this that don’t include Tom Selleck turning down Indiana Jones.
You need to fix Steve McQueen’s “The Roles”. Right now it looks like part of Sean Connery’s regrets.
posted by Diane on 8-9-2008 at 12:55 pm
It’s always interesting to hear about “what could have been.” But at the same time, who knows if these iconic movies would have been just as iconic without the second-choice actors in them. Sure, Lord of the Rings would have made a bazillion dollars anyway, but as Will Smith was right to point out, it would have been a whole other Matrix - you would expect big Willie to be smirking at every improbable explanation, like in Men in Black. Keanu did rely on some of his previous acting trademarks, specifically his Bill and Ted’s awed-by-everything “whoooooa,” but thankfully it was toned down a bit.
posted by Colin GG on 8-9-2008 at 1:53 pm
Going back a bit, Al Pacino was supposed to play Ron Kovic in “Born On The Fourth Of July”. Pacino committed to the role, then famously left Kovic waiting in a hotel lobby never to return to the project.
posted by ray on 8-9-2008 at 4:13 pm
What about Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones.
posted by vikipedia on 8-9-2008 at 4:42 pm
Yes, Michael Madsen might have turned down Vincent Vega, but he did end up working for Tarantino after all, as Bud in Kill Bill Vol 2.
posted by Amy on 8-9-2008 at 4:51 pm
Madsen worked with Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs prior. But Travolta really nailed that role. Also, wasn’t Tom Cruise offered Dicaprio’s role on Titanic? Here’s a short list from another site:
Molly Ringwald: Vivian in Pretty Woman and Molly in Ghost
Mel Gison: Maximus in Gladiator
Melanie Griffith: Thelma in Thelma and Louise
Sarah Michelle Gellar: Cher in Clueless
posted by jdhc on 8-9-2008 at 6:08 pm
um, Michael Madsen played Vic Vega in Resevoir Dogs in ‘92 - so he didn’t necessarily “end up” working for Tarantino - so much as he ended up working with him, again.
posted by Justin on 8-9-2008 at 6:25 pm
I’d heard that McQueen was considered to play Colonel Kurtz in _Apoclaypse Now_, if Brando was unavailable. (Coppola also considered Jack Nicholson as an alternative.)
posted by Brian Siano on 8-9-2008 at 7:43 pm
He had already worked with Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs a couple years before Pulp Fiction…
posted by Ron on 8-9-2008 at 7:49 pm
Will Smith? gimme a break after that stupid “I am Legend” I will never see another one of his movies again. Loser.
JT
www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
posted by Jim McDosh on 8-9-2008 at 8:26 pm
@Amy-
Michale Madsen had already worked with QT before Pulp Fiction in Reservoir Dogs.
posted by elih on 8-9-2008 at 9:29 pm
great, thanks for sharing.
posted by paresh on 8-9-2008 at 10:10 pm
Um, yeah. Reservoir Dogs came out before Pulp Fiction, and I was under the assumption that Madsen’s character there was Vincent Vega’s brother. I can only further assume Tarantino renamed Vincent to accommodate Travolta. But again, I think John did a great job in the film, and it would have been radically different with Madsen in that role.
posted by Johnny Cat on 8-9-2008 at 10:13 pm
jim carrey with bewitched.
shouldve been on this list.
will farrel killed it with is “overly dramatic” act.
jim carrey at least knows how to be dramatic with the right taste of funny.
throwing tantrums every 4 minutes in every movie that you do gets old fast.
posted by jenn on 8-9-2008 at 10:48 pm
My favorite was the role that sean connery gave up for the Lord of the rings. I really bet he’s regretting that decision.
posted by Free Xbox 360 Elite on 8-10-2008 at 12:19 am
I thought you might’ve mentioned Roy Scheider turning down the lead in the Deer Hunter and wound up doing Jaws 2 instead
posted by matt on 8-10-2008 at 1:57 am
I can see Connery as Gandalf.. but Will Smith as Neo wouldn’t have worked in my opinion
posted by Krazd on 8-10-2008 at 5:43 am
Patrick McGoohan of Danger Man & the Prisoner, turned down the role of James Bond not once, but twice. His denial & recommendation gave us both Connery and Moore!
posted by # Sex on 8-10-2008 at 7:29 am
Great info!
The Will Smith one was so good:)
Thanks:)
posted by SpilltoJill on 8-10-2008 at 8:12 am
Will Smith, ugh, “I am Legend” was awful
posted by moviedude on 8-10-2008 at 9:34 am
Connery as Gandalf??? No way. “I Am Legend” AWFUL?? And you call yourself a “moviedude”.
posted by Aradia on 8-10-2008 at 11:04 am
You forgot Tom Selleck turning down Indiana Jones.
posted by Walty on 8-10-2008 at 1:45 pm
on a similar note, holly golightly (breakfast at tiffany’s) was meant for marilyn monroe. could you imagine the movie w/out audrey?
posted by nat on 8-10-2008 at 2:07 pm
Honestly, the way the character was envisioned by Capote, Marilyn would’ve been amazing in the role. But we might have had Audrey as the cultural icon that film made her.
posted by Edward on 8-11-2008 at 12:44 am
having met, and eventually having to blacklist Michael Madsen from the hotel i work at-
i’m glad he’s not getting any royalties off of pulp fiction. true, he’s making plenty off of kill bill and resevoir dogs but any less money going towards his booze problem and crappy attitude is always a plus.
posted by Em on 8-11-2008 at 2:18 am
“You forgot Tom Selleck turning down Indiana Jones.”
posted by Walty on 8-10-2008 at 1:45 pm
From what I remember, he didn’t trun it down, the studio wouldn’t let him take the time from filming “Magnum, P.I.” to do the movie. Selleck wanted to do it very much.
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 8-11-2008 at 9:03 am
along these same lines…
jodi foster was originally who they wanted for princess leia in star wars but she had to turn it down because she was under contract with disney for candleshoe and freaky friday
posted by amanda on 8-11-2008 at 9:54 am
Michael Madsen character was Mr.Blonde in Reservoir Dogs….not Vincent Vega.
Seriously…Will Smith as Neo…I am SOOOO glad that he passed up on that one. That just wouldnt have worked.
Connery as Gandalf….eh, maybe if he had read LOTR like EVERYONE else in the world has.
posted by Nova on 8-11-2008 at 4:09 pm
mr. blonde’s name was vic vega.
also, burt reynolds turned down the role of randall mcmurphy in one flew over the cuckoos nest before it was offered to nicjolson.
posted by astro9 on 8-12-2008 at 4:24 pm
Another (old) casting change: Dorothy in Wizard of Oz was originally supposed to be played by Shirley Temple…
posted by peaches on 8-14-2008 at 10:18 am
Blazing Saddles was originally supposed to star John Wayne and Richard Pryor instead of Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little.
posted by Mark on 8-14-2008 at 12:59 pm
I like reading these. Didn’t know the Bond or Pulp Fiction ones. Both were good as is but could definitely see them equally as good if the original actors accepted.
posted by 321ronnie123 on 8-15-2008 at 11:32 pm
Will Smith would definately NOT have worked as Neo! You can almost picture him joking as he´s fighting the Agents.
And much as I LOVE Sean Connery, I dont know if he would have been a good Gandalf. Ian McKellan was born to play that role.
posted by GTT on 10-27-2008 at 9:51 am