Comments on: Hollywood Miscalculations: 5 Famous Actors and the Roles They Turned Down

By: Louise

Louise — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:30:50 +0000

I heard once that John Denver was offered the part Richard Gere played in “An Officer and a Gentlemen.”

By: John

John — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:22:30 +0000

Harrison Ford turned down the role of Capt. Miller in Saving Private Ryan. Tom Hanks stepped in on that one and made it a winner.

By: Bellatrix Orionis

Bellatrix Orionis — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:44:08 +0000

My fave never-was is Tom Cruise turning down the lead role in “Philadelphia”, which won Tom Hanks an Oscar. He wasn’t comfortable playing a gay man. Too funny.

By: beauessai

beauessai — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:44:27 +0000

This article neglects another important loss for Steve McQueen, and, as far as I’m concerned, for movie fans everywhere. He was offered the lead in “Close Encounters of a Third Kind,” but turned it down. It went, sadly, to Richard Dreyfuss.

For anyone who can imagine what McQueen would have looked like with those eyes while looking up into that spaceship at the end…totally different movie. Every scene, every stare, completely different. His casting also made a lot more sense opposite Truffaut.

As far as I’m concerned, one of cinema’s great losses. Dreyfuss was completely and totally wrong for it.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:38:43 +0000

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Shu Qi turned down the role of Jen. The role was given to Zhang Zhiyi, who wasnt well known at that time. Shu Qi instead accepted to do a coke commercial.

By: jumanji

jumanji — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:03:07 +0000

Just to add to the Willard role Sheen didn’t land it. He replaced Harvey Keitel who was fired after two weeks.

By: D

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:53:14 +0000

I’m glad Brad Pitt left The Fountain!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:41:25 +0000

Yes, the Steve McQueen roles are in Sean Connery’s last paragraph. The formatting is off as a result, so it is a bit confusing!

Good stuff, including other ones in comments.

By: ricochet

ricochet — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:49:55 +0000

Michael Madsen with “booze problem and crappy attitude”? You sure you’re not thinking of Tom Sizemore? I’ve never heard anything negative about Madsen before.

By: Bert

Bert — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:19:10 +0000

I’ve actually heard that Tarantino is thinking of doing a prequel to both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction starring the Vega Brothers (it would have to be a prequel for obvious reasons).