Actors who almost turned down their most iconic roles

Emma Stone, 'La La Land' (2016) - She thought she'd be crazy to accept a role in another musical, and initially told director Damien Chazelle that she wasn't interested. Chazelle wasn't ready to give up though, and worked hard to persuade her. In the end, she accepted and won the Oscar for Best Actress!

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Jennifer Lawrence, 'The Hunger Games' (2012) -

Jennifer Lawrence was wary of accepting the role of Katniss Everdeen in 'The Hunger Games.' She was a big fan of the book series it was based on, and actually opposed the idea of it being made into a movie!

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Jennifer Lawrence, 'The Hunger Games' (2012) -

Lawrence was also scared she'd be pigeonholed for the rest of her career after taking on such a significant role in a blockbuster series. She said she got some sage advice from her mother and decided to jump in feet first.

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Chris Hemsworth, 'Thor' (2011) - Taking on the role of Thor in the Marvel Universe was obviously a huge honor, but Chris Hemsworth had his doubts. The first deal he was offered was a contract for six movies. He was intimidated at the thought of locking himself into so many years of filming for the same franchise.

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Chris Hemsworth, 'Thor' (2011) -

Hemsworth realized he was worrying that it was all too good to be true, and decided to get over his fears and go for it. It seems like it turned out pretty well, taking him from a relatively unknown actor to a superstar.

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Leonardo DiCaprio, 'Titanic' (1997) - Much of the success of 'Titanic' can be attributed to the charisma and chemistry of the two leads: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. However, DiCaprio nearly passed on the opportunity. DiCaprio was looking for a character with a dark side, and he felt that Jack was lacking in complexity.

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Leonardo DiCaprio, 'Titanic' (1997) -

Kate Winslet, director James Cameron, and the rest of the team persuaded him that the role was sophisticated enough for his standards. The success of the movie certainly gave him the freedom to take on some more neurotic characters later on!

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Chris Pratt, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014) -

Before 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' Chris Pratt was the funny guy with the dad bod on 'Parks and Recreation.' He was offered the opportunity to audition for the superhero franchise, but he had doubts about the physical requirements.

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Chris Pratt, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014) -

Pratt had bad experiences in the past with directors thinking he didn't have the right physique for action movies, and didn't want to be humiliated again. However, he pushed past his insecurities and got the role after hitting the gym for a few months.

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Gwyneth Paltrow, 'Shakespeare in Love' (1998) -

In 1998, Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in five major films. On top of that busy schedule, she was going through a difficult breakup with Brad Pitt and feeling completely overwhelmed.

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Gwyneth Paltrow, 'Shakespeare in Love' (1998) - When she was given the script for 'Shakespeare in Love,' she refused to even look at it. A few months later when her life had calmed down, she read the script and fell in love with it. Luckily, the part was still available and she went on to win an Oscar for her performance.

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Ralph Fiennes, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (2005) - Ralph Fiennes is one of the most respected actors of his generation, on both screen and stage. The seasoned thespian starred in serious dramas like 'Schindler's List' (1993) and 'The English Patient' (1996). When he was offered the ultimate villain role in the 'Harry Potter' franchise, he didn't think it was for him.

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Ralph Fiennes, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (2005) -

Fiennes hadn't heard about the books or movies and was inclined to turn down the offer. However, his sister freaked out when he told her about it and enlightened him on the magical world of Harry Potter! The rest is history.

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Brie Larson, 'Captain Marvel' (2019) - Brie Larson was already a well-respected Oscar-winning actress by the time was offered the role of Captain Marvel. She took several months to consider her decision, and had some serious doubts about accepting.

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Brie Larson, 'Captain Marvel' (2019) -

Larson felt that playing such a huge superhero role might limit her future offers. It's not that easy to pivot from action blockbusters to more intimate dramatic roles. In the end, she decided to accept because she found Captain Marvel to be inspiring.

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Chris Evans, 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (2011) -

Chris Evans was another actor who had doubts about entering into the superhero world. He was concerned about losing his anonymity after taking on such a high-profile role.

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Chris Evans, 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (2011) - His mother told Esquire that she talked him through his inner conflict. She reminded him that the role would set him up for life financially, allowing him to continue his acting career as long as he wanted and with greater freedom of choice.

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Jeff Bridges, 'The Big Lebowski' (1998) -

The Coen brothers have a special knack for picking the perfect actors to play their unusual characters. They knew that Jeff Bridges was meant to be "The Dude," long before Jeff Bridges did!

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Jeff Bridges, 'The Big Lebowski' (1998) -

Bridges was concerned about playing a stoner character because he had three young daughters at the time. He went to his family to discuss it with them, and lucky for us, his daughters gave him the green light!

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Audrey Hepburn, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961) -

When Truman Capote agreed to turn his book 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' into a movie, he only had one actress in mind to play Holly Golightly: Marilyn Monroe. Monroe's agent didn't want her to take the part, so the studio offered it to Audrey Hepburn instead.

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Audrey Hepburn, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961) -

Neither Capote nor Hepburn were thrilled at the idea. Hepburn took some convincing, as she didn't feel she was right for the role. Eventually, director Blake Edwards convinced her to agree. She completely made the character her own, and it would be hard to imagine anyone else playing Holly Golightly.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'The Terminator' (1984) - When Arnold Schwarzenegger met with James Cameron to discuss the lead role in 'The Terminator,' Cameron was convinced he'd found his cyborg. Schwarzenegger wasn't so sure.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'The Terminator' (1984) -

His role as Terminator had fewer lines than his previous movie, and he was concerned about playing a villainous character so early in his career. In the end, Cameron convinced him to accept, and it clearly worked out well!

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Alan Rickman, 'Die Hard' (1988) -

'Die Hard' is one of the great classics of the action movie genre, but it's not exactly Shakespeare. When the late Alan Rickman was offered the part of the German terrorist, he turned his nose up at it, as he was literally a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the time.

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Alan Rickman, 'Die Hard' (1988) -

Luckily, Rickman's agent convinced him that it was a great opportunity, and it ended up solidifying him as one of the great Hollywood villains.

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Ewan McGregor, 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I)' (1999) -

Prior to his stint in a galaxy far, far away, Ewan McGregor was a respected actor known for taking on edgy projects like 'Trainspotting' (1996) and 'Shallow Grave' (1994). McGregor saw himself as a grungy, indie actor and wasn't enticed by a Hollywood blockbuster.

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Ewan McGregor, 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I)' (1999) -

Once he looked into it a little more, he realized that George Lucas was an artist who shunned Hollywood for the most part, and did his own thing. McGregor felt that the movie was going to be something unique, and decided to go for it.

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Julie Andrews, 'The Sound of Music' (1965) -

Julie Andrews had hit major success with her role in 'Mary Poppins' (1964), which convinced 20th Century Fox that she was perfect for the leading role in 'The Sound of Music' (1965). Andrews, on the other hand, was dubious about taking on a second role as a nanny so soon.

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Julie Andrews, 'The Sound of Music' (1965) -

Luckily, her agent and director Bob Wise managed to convince her, and she expressed her gratitude to them in her memoir. “I’ll be forever grateful for the nudge over the fence that he and Bob gave this nervous and insecure young woman.”

Sources: (Looper) (Screen Crush)

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Jennifer Lawrence, 'The Hunger Games' (2012) -

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Jennifer Lawrence, 'The Hunger Games' (2012) -

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Chris Hemsworth, 'Thor' (2011) -

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Leonardo DiCaprio, 'Titanic' (1997) -

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Chris Pratt, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014) -

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Chris Pratt, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014) -

BrunoPress

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Gwyneth Paltrow, 'Shakespeare in Love' (1998) -

In 1998, Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in five major films. On top of that busy schedule, she was going through a difficult breakup with Brad Pitt and feeling completely overwhelmed.

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Ralph Fiennes, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (2005) -

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Brie Larson, 'Captain Marvel' (2019) -

BrunoPress

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Chris Evans, 'Captain America: The First Avenger' (2011) -

Chris Evans was another actor who had doubts about entering into the superhero world. He was concerned about losing his anonymity after taking on such a high-profile role.

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Jeff Bridges, 'The Big Lebowski' (1998) -

The Coen brothers have a special knack for picking the perfect actors to play their unusual characters. They knew that Jeff Bridges was meant to be "The Dude," long before Jeff Bridges did!

Getty Images

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Jeff Bridges, 'The Big Lebowski' (1998) -

NL Beeld

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Audrey Hepburn, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961) -

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Audrey Hepburn, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961) -

Getty Images

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'The Terminator' (1984) -

NL Beeld

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Alan Rickman, 'Die Hard' (1988) -

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Alan Rickman, 'Die Hard' (1988) -

Luckily, Rickman's agent convinced him that it was a great opportunity, and it ended up solidifying him as one of the great Hollywood villains.

BrunoPress

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Ewan McGregor, 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I)' (1999) -

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Ewan McGregor, 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I)' (1999) -

BrunoPress

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Julie Andrews, 'The Sound of Music' (1965) -

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Julie Andrews, 'The Sound of Music' (1965) -

Sources: (Looper) (Screen Crush)

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Actors who almost turned down their most iconic roles

It was a close shave for some of these stars!

15/07/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Near miss

When an actor and their role are the perfect fit, it can give way to an iconic status that makes them a huge star. It can also be a little hard to move on from, and often leaves an actor pigeonholed for the rest of their career. You'd think that having a major role handed to you is the ultimate blessing that no one could refuse, but there are downsides that every artist must consider.

Surprisingly, many of the most respected actors in Hollywood have turned down huge opportunities for reasons that would seem trivial to the average person. Click through this gallery to see which actors almost passed on the roles that defined their careers.