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5 Famous Actors & The Roles They Turned Down
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
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
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
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.