Stars like Nicolas Cage have played many well-known roles in their long careers. But sometimes a thoughtless rejection means that film history has to be written differently.
Missed Chances of Hollywood Stars. (Source: VitalikRadko / depositphotos.com)
Some actors and actresses are so closely connected to their role that one could not imagine anyone else for these characters: Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine or Emma Watson as Hermione for example.
However, the cast of a film is often only set in stone shortly before shooting begins, and before that there are many famous names circulating who would be suitable as the main actors. It is not uncommon for Hollywood stars to turn down projects, only to bitterly regret this decision afterwards.
We show you which stars missed great opportunities in film history and thereby helped their fellow actors to achieve huge success. Would you have missed these opportunities?
Nicolas Cage in “The Matrix” and “The Lord of the Rings” Nicolas Cage in “Massive Talent” (Source: Themoviedb.org)
Nicolas Cage has starred in so many films that it’s hard to imagine that he would turn down a role. However, that’s exactly what happened in the ’90s when Cage was offered roles in The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings.
For Cage, the commitment of having to move to New Zealand or Australia for three years to shoot the films was just too big. His son Weston was 9 at the time and Cage wasn’t ready to leave him for that long. Family always comes first for Cage, so to this day he has no regrets about his decision.
Hugh Jackman in Casino Royale Hugh Jackman in Wolverine: Way of the Warrior. (Source: Themoviedb.org)
Hugh Jackman (“X-Men”) almost became Pierce Brosnan’s successor as James Bond. But Jackman turned down the role because he was already playing Wolverine at the same time and didn’t want to embody two such iconic characters at the same time. Instead, Daniel Craig got the role of James Bond in “Casino Royale”.
Michelle Pfeiffer in “The Silence of the Lambs” Michelle Pfeiffer in “Shadows of Truth” (Source: tmdb.org)
We almost saw Michelle Pfeiffer (“Batman Returns”) as Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs.” But the actress decided against the role. The story was too brutal and dark for her. So Jodie Foster (“Taxi Driver”) got the chance to shine as Clarice.
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