Some of Hollywood’s most famous characters could have looked very different.
Actors turn down roles for all kinds of reasons: scheduling conflicts, confusing scripts, contractual obligations, concerns about typecasting, or simply feeling the part isn’t right for them. Sometimes the decision works out. Other times, the role becomes one of the most recognizable performances in movie history.
Here are 12 stars who passed on iconic movie roles that ultimately went to someone else.
Will Smith – Neo in The Matrix
Image credit:Raph, via Wikimedia Commons
Before Keanu Reeves became Neo, Will Smith was offered the lead role in The Matrix.
Smith later explained that he did not fully understand the Wachowskis’ unusual pitch for the film, particularly their description of the groundbreaking visual effects. He chose to make Wild Wild West instead.
Smith has since acknowledged the decision while also saying Reeves was perfect for the role.
Tom Hanks ultimately starred in the 1994 film and won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Travolta didn’t have a bad year, though. He appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, which revived his career and earned him an Oscar nomination.
Michelle Pfeiffer – Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs
Image credit:joyparris, via Wikimedia Commons
Director Jonathan Demme initially wanted Michelle Pfeiffer to play FBI trainee Clarice Starling.
Pfeiffer turned the film down because she was uncomfortable with its dark subject matter.
Jodie Foster eventually took the role and won the Academy Award for Best Actress, while the film became one of the most acclaimed psychological thrillers ever made.
Al Pacino – Han Solo in Star Wars
Al Pacino has confirmed that he was offered Han Solo in the original Star Wars.
At the time, Pacino was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars after The Godfather. However, he struggled to understand George Lucas’ script and passed on it.
Harrison Ford eventually landed the role, turning Han Solo into one of cinema’s most famous characters. Pacino has jokingly taken credit for helping Ford’s career.
Molly Ringwald – Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman
Image credit:Panio Gianopoulos, Via Commons
Molly Ringwald received an early version of the script that became Pretty Woman but didn’t want to make it.
Ringwald later said she disliked the story and felt uncomfortable with aspects of it.
Julia Roberts eventually played Vivian Ward, earning an Academy Award nomination and becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Tom Selleck – Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Tom Selleck came extremely close to playing Indiana Jones.
He was chosen for the role, but his commitment to the television series Magnum, P.I. kept him from making the movie.
Harrison Ford stepped in instead and went on to play the adventurous archaeologist across multiple films. Interestingly, production delays later meant Selleck technically might have had enough time to make both projects.
Laurence Fishburne – Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction
Image credit:Harald Krichel, via Wikimedia Commons
Quentin Tarantino wrote the character Jules Winnfield with Laurence Fishburne in mind.
Fishburne turned the role down because he disliked the film’s treatment of heroin use and felt it made drug use appear too attractive.
Samuel L. Jackson ultimately took the part, delivering one of the most celebrated performances of his career.
Matt Damon – Jake Sully in Avatar
James Cameron offered Matt Damon a role in Avatar, reportedly along with a percentage of the film’s earnings.
Damon declined because of existing commitments, including the Bourne franchise.
Sam Worthington eventually played Jake Sully, while Avatar became a massive global hit. Damon later joked about the extraordinary amount of money he potentially missed by saying no.
Hugh Jackman – James Bond in Casino Royale
Before Daniel Craig became James Bond, Hugh Jackman was approached about taking over the role.
Jackman declined, partly because he was already heavily involved in the X-Men franchise and didn’t want to commit to another major series.
Craig was eventually cast and made his Bond debut in 2006’s Casino Royale, beginning a five-film run as 007.
Denzel Washington – Se7en
Denzel Washington has said that he turned down a role in David Fincher’s dark crime thriller Se7en.
Washington later admitted that after seeing the finished movie, he realized he had made the wrong decision.
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman ultimately starred as the detectives investigating a series of murders inspired by the seven deadly sins. The film became one of the most influential thrillers of the 1990s.
