ACTORS WHO TURNED DOWN MAJOR HOLLYWOOD MOVIES

Life is all about choices, right? And sometimes we just don't know what choice to make so we can achieve a positive outcome. After all, we're not clairvoyant, we can't predict the future, and we don't know how our lives would have turned out differently if only we did X instead of Y! Never mind, though, as we're still alive and kicking, touch wood, and most of our choices don't cost us millions upon millions of dollars. Want to know more? Then please check out the following list of actors who turned down major Hollywood movies.

1) Sean Connery

Film and part they turned down: 'Lord of the Rings', and the part of Gandalf.
Reasons for turning it down: Sean didn't understand the script and preferred another one he was offered at the same time, 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen', which was pegged to be the start of its own franchise.
Why it was a mistake: 'The League' bombed at the box office, Big Time, while 'LOTR' made just under a billion each episode.

2) Christina Applegate

Film and part they turned down: 'Legally Blonde', and the part of Elle Woods.
Reasons for turning it down: To avoid being typecast as a ‘ditzy blonde’, Christina rejected the role in favor of the time-traveling comedy, 'Just Visiting'.
Why it was a mistake: 'Legally Blonde' gave Reese Witherspoon (her replacement) a brand new career, while 'Just Visiting' gave Applegate a headache because it lost 19 million dollars at the box office.

3) Jim Carrey

Film and part they turned down: 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and the part of Captain Jack Sparrow.
Reasons for turning it down: Jim fancied another script he was offered, 'Bruce Almighty', mainly because it kept in sync with his usual style of comedy.
Why it was a mistake: Even though he enjoyed playing the part of God for a single film, what he didn't enjoy, was seeing his career go to hell while 'The Pirates' franchise slowly set the screen on fire.

4) Will Smith

Film and part they turned down: 'The Matrix', and the part of Neo.
Reasons for turning it down: He preferred the script for the light-hearted steampunk western, 'Wild Wild West', because like Jim, he wanted to sustain his comedy persona.
Why it was a mistake: While 'The Matrix' became a well-known sci-fi trilogy, Will's other choice became something we'd all rather forget, including Will himself, which was why he started to diversify his choice of projects.

5) Emily Blunt

Film and part they turned down: 'Iron Man 2', and the part of Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff.
Reasons for turning it down: Blunt wasn't able to accept the role of this sultry Avenger due to a scheduling conflict with Jack Black’s updated version of 'Gulliver’s Travels'.
Why it was a mistake: The MCU is making billions by the year, while her quick voyage to Lilliput isn't making Jack and Emily, Jack Sh*t.

6) Brad Pitt

Film and part they turned down: 'The Bourne Identity', and the part of Jason Bourne.
Reasons for turning it down: Brad always wanted to work with the film legend, Robert Redford, so he jumped at the chance of working with him on the 2001 thriller, 'Spy Game', rather than the then-fledgling Bourne franchise.
Why it was a mistake: Even though Pitt isn’t struggling for work, the payout from the Bourne series of films would have made him considerably more comfortable.

Now if you want to see what other actors turned down major parts in Hollywood movies, including entries by Javier Bardem, Emily Browning, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bill Murray, then please check out the following two infographics kindly given to us by Betway casino. Trust me, they are a truly interesting read and a right eye-opener. Please enjoy.

In closing, I would like to thank Betway for allowing me to use some of their resources in this article. Many thanks.