Actors who turned down major roles or who were strongly considered

[Ukbrotha]

Marlon got paid for a role he didn’t get

that’s crazy

I think he did get the role and had signed the contract. But there was a last minute change to something either the character or they just changed their mind so had to pay him. I remember reading something like that.

 

[FaTaL]

Also, if I recall correctly, Brandon Lee was also supposed to be Neo before he died

Lee died in the early 90s, that makes no sense

 

[KnickstapeCity]

Ja Rule was gonna be Luda's character in 2 Fast 2 Furious.

You do know Ja Rule is in the first one, right?

 

[Kingshango]

You do know Ja Rule is in the first one, right?

Yeah, they wanted his character to return in the second one to play a more supporting role but Ja turned it down. So the character got replaced by a new character played by Ludacris.

 

[Sauce Dab]

Dave Chappelle turned down Bubba in Forrest Gump

I probably would have unintentionally cracked up laughing watching him die in Forrest's arms

 

[WesCrook]

Christopher Walkin was gonna be Jack Sparrow at one point.

Ja Rule was gonna be Luda's character in 2 Fast 2 Furious.

His voice would have been too distracting.

 

[General Mills]

Nas in save the last dance

I’m dying picturing Nas doing this like

 

[Dad]

Michael Cerra - Sixth Sense
I auditioned for The Sixth Sense, which I didn't know was about seeing dead people. They didn't mention that in the breakdown. After seeing the movie, and remembering the scene they had me read... It was the scene with the penny. Bruce Willis is saying, "I can't be your doctor anymore," and Haley Joel Osment starts crying and slides the penny over to him. It's a very emotional scene. And I did not do it that way. I did it upbeat. I said "Some magic's real" very optimistically.

Michael Cera Quotes on Arrested Development Movie and More

 

[Geek Nasty]

Will Smith turned down Neo in The Matrix

Robert Deniro turned down Sal in Do The Right Thing

Nas turned down Derek in Save The Last Dance

Donald Glover turned down Cassius in Sorry To Bother You

Will Smith turned down Django in Django Unchained

Denzel Washington turned down Cypher in Fast & The Furious series


Angela Bassett turned down Leticia in Monster’s Ball

Kanye West turned down Chiraq in Chiraq

Weird, Halley made more sense for Speed but Bassett made more sense for Monster's Ball.

 

[zerorequiem]

Wow, and these are some LEGENDARY roles and movies that are being named. It's mind-blowing when thinking about it.

 

[KevCo]

James Remar (dexters dad)was set to start filming the role of Hicks in Aliens but got busted with heroin in his hotel room and Michael Biehn flew in overnight, trusting the fact it was Cameron film, without reading the script.

Leo was up for Anakin iirc

 

[Black Mamba]

I don’t know if no one said it but James Gandolfini for Regional Manager in “The Office”
Man he would’ve brought that show to a whole new level after Michael left

 

[downtheline]

David Tennant was almost Hannibal instead of Mads Mikkelsen

Ian McKellen almost took over the role of Dumbledore after Richard Harris died, but didn't because Harris had called him a horrible actor shortly before he passed

I've heard stores about Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole. Straight alcoholics

 

[CROM]

Christopher Walkin was gonna be Jack Sparrow at one point.

Ja Rule was gonna be Luda's character in 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Literally the only person stranger than Johnny Depp!