Stars that turned down big, life-changing roles

Scheduling conflicts, being unsure about the project, or a questionable manager… There are many reasons to reject a role, but not enough life-changing roles. Turning down these projects may have been a terrible mistake or… not.

In some cases, rejecting an important role has meant the end of their careers, in others… It hasn't changed a thing. Still, the number of actors and actresses that have said no to big roles is really interesting. Let's have a look!

Macaulay Culkin had to turn down the role of Leonard no less than three times. According to Culkin on Joe Rogan's podcast, he didn't like the script. "I'd have hundreds of millions of dollars right now, but at the same time, I'd be bashing my head against the wall."

When Joss Whedon wrote the character of Diana, he had Angelina Jolie in mind. However, the actress turned down the role. Now, it's actually difficult to imagine another actress in Gal Gadot's place.

The actor was married to Demi Moore at the time, but that wasn't the reason he rejected the movie. Willis stated that playing a ghost wouldn't do much for his career. Patrick Swayze proved him wrong, and a couple of years later, we saw Bruce Willis in 'The Sixth Sense.'

The actress said no to Kevin Feige and 'Guardians of the Galaxy' because "I didn't want to be part of the first Marvel movie that bombed," she explained on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast. What a miss.

He was the first choice to play the leading role in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' but turned it down to work on 'Sin City 2.' It's fair to say that he made a mistake.

The Oscar-winning actress was just 13 years old when she was offered the lead role in the film based on Nabokov's novel. She turned it down at once, and maybe that was the right call.

Cameron Crowe had Tom Hanks in mind when he wrote the role. He insisted that the actor do it, but, at the time, Tom Hanks was preparing his debut as a director with the movie 'That Thing You Do!' However, 'Jerry Maguire' would be a great opportunity for the young Tom Cruise.

Tom Hanks could have played one of Johnny Depp's most iconic characters, but the actor had to turn it down in order to work in the questionable Brian de Palma movie: 'The Bonfire of the Vanities.'

FOX wanted an older British actress for the role, a profile that suited Kate Winslet. However, she didn't want to do it and so, Anna Paquin got the chance to play the ambitious role.

When promoting one of his recent movies, 'The Midnight Sky,' Clooney admitted that he got out of 'The Notebook' at the last moment. He was going to be the younger version of Paul Newman's character, and both agreed that they didn't look very similar at all. Thanks to that, Ryan Reynolds got the golden opportunity.

In an interview with Howard Stern, the actress revealed that she didn't exactly turn down this role. The decision was between her and Kate Winslet, and as we all know, it was the British actress who got it in the end.

The actor didn't want to play Wolverine because he thought that the franchise could go on for a long time. He was right about that. A year later, Mortensen would be cast in the role of his life: Aragorn from 'The Lord of the Rings.'

The actress could have been the iconic Clarice in Jonathan Demme's film but she turned it down because, as she revealed to The New Yorker, "I was uncomfortable with that ending... that evil won in the end."

Pfeiffer was the first choice to be Richard Gere's co-star in this classic '90s romantic movie. The actress turned down the role because she didn't agree with the script. Julia Robert still can't believe what an amazing gift that was.

She was one of the actresses of the moment, but Hannah thought that the role of Vivian denigrated women and turned it down. Again, good for Julia Roberts, cause she made movie history with the role.

Even while the actor's career was going downhill, Josh Harnett still decided to say no to Christopher Nolan's Batman. He later explained that he didn't want to get type-cast on the role. At the same time, he admitted that he was wrong. It was a mistake Christian Bale did not commit.

Will Smith and Quentin Tarantino worked together on the project for months, but Smith wanted a love story, and Tarantino, revenge. They didn't agree and, in the end, it was Jamie Foxx who landed the role.

Although she was in the steamy '9 and a Half Weeks,' the actress said that Catherine's character in 'Basic Instinct' was too sexy. Julia Roberts and Isabel Adjani also turned down the role. Then, Sharon Stone took the opportunity and nailed it.

The actor confessed to David Letterman that he, in fact, didn't turn down the role; it was CBS who made him do it. He was chosen to be Indy but had a previous engagement to star in 'Magnum PI.' That's how Harrison Ford ended up with the role.

The Australian actress turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts. In the end, the part was played by Angelina Jolie, and the movie led to 'Brangelina'. Could there have been a… 'Bradcole'?

Before Ang Lee took on the project, it was Gus Van Sant who wanted to direct the movie. He said that he offered the roles of Ennis and Jack to many actors. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio were among them. The Hollywood stars turned down the roles, possibly because they thought the movie could be bad for their careers.

The actor turned this role and said to Cameron Crowe that he didn't understand the character. In the end, it was Billy Crudup who ended up with the role.

Clint Eastwood asked her to be in the film, but Bullock turned it down because of all the physical efforts the role demanded. Hilary Swank accepted the role which earned her her first Oscar.

He was David Fincher's first choice but the actor turned it down. Years later, as he confessed on multiple occasions, Stallone still regrets his decision.

After Stallone said no, Denzel Washington received the call. The actor, who already had an Oscar and three nominations, said that the script was too dark. Clearly, Brad Pitt would think otherwise.

Emma Watson's demands and some scheduling conflicts were the reasons Damien Chazelle had to find another Emma for his movie. In the end, Stone did an excellent job and was awarded the Oscar for Best Actress.

She had just performed as Kelly in 'Married with Children' and turned down the role of Elle for being too close to what she had previously been doing. While she doesn't regret her decision, Christina Applegate did say, jokingly, on 'the Andy Cohen show' that Reese Witherspoon, the actress who got the part, "now has way more money and way more success [than I do]... so, why would I even regret that?"

The actor told Business Insider that he turned down the role because he didn't feel like doing those kinds of movies at the time. However, it was Han Solo's character who shot Harrison Ford to international fame.

Travolta had to choose between 'Forrest Gump' and 'Pulp Fiction' - a wrong answer was impossible. The actor ended up working with Tarantino on 'Pulp Fiction.' The movie won an Oscar, but the other one, directed by Zemeckis, won six - including Best Actor for Tom Hanks.

It's hard to picture 'Amelie' without Audrey Tautou, but she wasn't Jean Pierre Jaunet's first option. Surprisingly, it was Emily Watson, who turned down the role for a good reason: she didn't speak French.

Five years after performing as William Wallace, the actor had the opportunity to play a similar role. Instead, he joined 'The Patriot' by Roland Emmerich, passing the 'Gladiator' role to Russell Crowe.

As he has revealed to ScreenRant, Jack Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone because he thought that "Italians should be played by Italians." In the end, it was an Italian-American actor who got the role: Al Pacino.

Cooper made one of the biggest mistakes of his career turning down the role of Rhett Butler. He said: "'Gone With the Wind' is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I'm glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling flat on his nose, not me." Not exactly what happened…

He was going to be the first 007 in 'Dr. No' but at 58 years, he saw himself as too old for the part. It would be the 31-year-old Sean Connery who got the role in the end.

A broken wrist prevented Frank Sinatra to hold the famous Smith & Wesson gun that Clint Eastwood would end up using in the movie.

The late Sean Connery turned down a big role in one of the most famous franchises of the past decades. In an interview with the Huffington Post, the Scottish actor confessed that he never really understood the movie: "I read the book. I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don't understand it." Luckily, Ian McKellen did.