Actors Who Said No to Hollywood’s Most Iconic Roles

Imagine a world where your favorite on-screen heroes and villains were played by someone else, an alternative universe where an entirely different actor or actress took on these iconic roles. It's a bittersweet thought, but in reality, Hollywood is full of such "what ifs". Sometimes, even the biggest stars miss out on the roles that transformed others into cinematic legends. It wasn't that they weren't offered the part — in fact, these actors and actresses were initially cast in the role, but for various reasons, decided to pass, only to discover later that the film became one of the biggest of all time.

There are plenty of reasons why an actor or actress would turn down a role. Once you reach a certain level of stardom, role offers come up all the time, and it's simply impossible to accept them all. Hindsight is 20/20, and even the best actors (and their agents) can't predict whether or not a film is going to be a hit. Some turn down roles because of scheduling conflicts — either they've already booked a film or TV show that films at the same time, or they had the choice between starring in two films and ultimately chose the latter. Some actors and actresses may want to avoid typecasting, or they do not understand the script, or they simply don't think that the film will do very well.

It's certainly entertaining to imagine an alternate universe where Hugh Jackman starred as James Bond instead of Daniel Craig. Sometimes, a different actor could have completely changed a film's outcome — but of course, we'll never really know. Fortunately, many of the actors and actresses who passed on such iconic roles, however, went on to star in movies that are so important they're studied in college.

Let's take a peek behind the curtain and see what might have been with these 26 actors and actresses who rejected some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood history!

• Role: Neo
• Film: "The Matrix"

Will Smith received an offer for the role of Neo in "The Matrix." On his YouTube channel, Smith explained that he turned down the role because the movie sounded confusing. He went on to make the notorious bomb "Wild Wild West" instead.

Keanu Reeves took on the role, and Neo has become one of the most iconic characters in film history.

• Role: Ren McCormack
• Film: "Footloose"

Tom Cruise showed off his dancing moves in "Risky Business," but we would have loved to see him really strut his stuff in the lead role of Ren McCormack in "Footloose." He had to turn down the role because he had already been cast to star in "All the Right Moves," however.

The role went to Kevin Bacon instead, becoming his breakthrough role and one of the actor's defining roles.

• Role: Han Solo
• Film: "Star Wars"

We're as shocked to learn about this as anyone else, but Al Pacino was actually one of the top choices to play the role of Han Solo in "Star Wars." He told MTV that he turned down the role because he didn't understand the script and didn't feel like he was right for the role.

Harrison Ford took the role instead, and Han Solo became one of the greatest movie characters ever.

• Role: Ferris Bueller
• Film: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

Johnny Depp had to decline the lead role in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" due to scheduling conflicts.

Matthew Broderick took up the role instead, rocketing him to superstardom.

• Role: Holly Golightly
• Film: "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

When author Truman Capote, who wrote the novella "Breakfast at Tiffany's," sold the film rights to Paramount, he told them that he envisioned Marilyn Monroe in the leading role of Holly Golightly. Monroe turned down the role after being offered it, however, reportedly because her acting coach didn't want the character's party girl persona damaging her image.

The role went to Audrey Hepburn instead, and it became her defining role.

• Role: Alan Grant
• Film: "Jurassic Park"

Another role we would have liked to have seen Harrison Ford in? Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster "Jurassic Park." Even though he was director Steven Spielberg's top pick and was offered the role, Ford unfortunately turned it down.

We're not upset about Sam Neil taking on the role in his place, though. Fun fact? Neil actually beat out actors including Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss for the role.

• Role: Dumbledore
• Film: The Harry Potter series

We would honestly be perfectly cool with Ian McKellen playing Dumbledore. McKellen was offered the role after original Dumbledore actor Richard Harris passed away in 2002, but he passed on the role because Harris once referred to McKellen's acting as "passionless," and McKellen told the BBC that he couldn't "take over the part from an actor who I'd known didn't approve of me."

The role went to Michael Gambon instead.

• Role: Vivian Ward
• Film: "Pretty Woman"

Molly Ringwald revealed in a Reddit AMA that she was approached to star in the 1990 smash hit romantic comedy "Pretty Woman," but didn't reveal why she turned it down.

Julia Roberts took on the role instead, and the film established her as a leading actress, earning her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

• Role: Maximus
• Film: "Gladiator"

Mel Gibson was actually offered the leading role of Maximus in "Gladiator," but turned the role down because he felt he was too old to take it on.

It went to Russell Crowe instead, who's nine years younger than Gibson.

• Role: Danny Zuko
• Film: "Grease"

"Happy Days" greaser Henry Winkler was an obvious choice to play Danny Zuko in "Grease," but he told AARP Magazine that he turned down the role because he didn't want to be typecast, which we can understand.

• Role: Forrest Gump
• Film: "Forrest Gump"

Can you picture anyone but Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump? It's hard to envision, but John Travolta was actually offered the role, but turned it down in order to appear in "Pulp Fiction."

Hanks took the role, and the rest is cinematic (and Oscar-bait) history.

• Role: Anastasia Steele
• Film: "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Emilia Clarke was offered the leading role of Anastasia Steele in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel "Fifty Shades of Grey," but she turned down the role because of all the required nudity — not wanting to be subjected to the same treatment as when she appeared nude in "Game of Thrones."

Dakota Johnson took her place, in what became her breakthrough role.

• Role: Jason Bourne
• Film: The Bourne Series

Brad Pitt was approached to star as Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Identity," but he was forced to pass on the role because he'd already been cast in "Spy Game."

The role went to Matt Damon instead, and the film series became a box-office juggernaut.

• Role: Michael Corleone
• Film: "The Godfather"

Jack Nicholson was offered the iconic role of Michael Corleone in "The Godfather," but he reportedly turned down the role because he believed that it should be played by an Italian.

The role, of course, went to Al Pacino, cementing his Hollywood A-list status and earning him an Oscar nomination.

• Role: Deloris Van Cartier
• Film: "Sister Act"

The leading role of Deloris Van Cartier in "Sister Act" was literally written for Bette Midler, but The Divine Miss M confessed that she turned down the role because she didn't want to wear a nun costume, and assumed that her fans didn't want to see her in one.

The role went to Whoopi Goldberg, and the smash hit remains a beloved film to this day.

• Role: Gandalf
• Film: The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Sean Connery was offered $10 million per film and 15% of box office earnings in order to play Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" films, but he reportedly turned down the role because he didn't understand the script.

The iconic role went to Ian McKellen, instead.

• Role: Rose
• Film: "Titanic"

Gwyneth Paltrow was reportedly director James Cameron's first choice for the leading role of Rose DeWitt Bukater in the 1997 megahit "Titanic," but she turned down the opportunity.

• Role: Indiana Jones
• Film: "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

It goes without saying that "Indiana Jones" would have been a very different movie with Tom Selleck in the lead role, but we'd definitely like to see that version. He was offered the role but wasn't able to get out of his "Magnum, P.I." contract.

Harrison Ford took on the role instead, which became one of the most iconic in all of film history. We'll admit, however, that it would be fun to see Selleck delivering some of the most famous "Indiana Jones" quotes.

• Role: Black Widow
• Film: "Iron Man 2"

Emily Blunt could have had a starring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, only if she'd accepted the offer to play Black Widow in 2010's "Iron Man 2." She had to turn the role down due to a scheduling conflict, however.

The role instead went to Scarlett Johansson, who's appeared in the role in nine films to date.

• Role: James Bond
• Film: "Live and Let Die"

None other than film icon Burt Reynolds received an offer for the role of James Bond in 1973, to star in "Live and Let Die" after original Bond Sean Connery declined to return for another film. He turned it down, reportedly because he didn't think that Bond should be played by an American.

The role went to Roger Moore instead, and he went on to star as Bond in six more films before hanging it up in 1985.

• Role: Mia Dolan
• Film: "La La Land"

Emma Watson was offered the lead role of Mia Dolan in "La La Land," but had to turn it down because she'd already committed to starring as Belle in Disney's live-action remake of "Beauty and the Beast."

Emma Stone took on the role instead, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

• Role: Phil Connors
• Film: "Groundhog Day"

Michael Keaton received an offer to play the lead role of Phil Connors in "Groundhog Day," but he told Entertainment Weekly that he passed it up because he didn't want to play another "kind of wry, sardonic, glib young man."

We're grateful he turned it down because it ended up becoming one of Bill Murray's most iconic roles.

• Role: Sam Wheat
• Film: "Ghost"

Bruce Willis was married to Demi Moore during the filming of the 1990 hit film "Ghost," so it would have been a no-brainer to see them star in the film together. He was offered the leading role of newly deceased Sam Wheat but turned it down because he didn't understand how someone dead could have a romance with someone alive.

Patrick Swayze was cast in the role instead, and it's one of the defining roles of his career.

• Role: James Bond
• Film: "Casino Royale"

Another alternate-universe James Bond? Hugh Jackman. He was offered the starring role in "Casino Royale," but told Variety that he turned it down because "the scripts had become so unbelievable and crazy." He was also already playing Wolverine by this point and was concerned that he would have no time for anything else between the two roles.

Daniel Craig took the role instead, and we have no complaints.

• Role: Elle Woods
• Film: "Legally Blonde"

Christina Applegate was offered the iconic role of Elle Woods in 2001's "Legally Blonde," but as she told "Entertainment Tonight," she turned down the role because she "got scared of kind of repeating myself" after already spending time playing a ditzy blonde in several films and TV shows including "Married… with Children."

The role went to Reese Witherspoon instead, and it made her into a bona fide superstar.

• Role: Jerry McGuire
• Film: "Jerry McGuire"

The role of Jerry McGuire was written for Tom Hanks, so when he turned it down because he was already booked to direct "That Thing You Do!" it nearly derailed the film.

Thankfully, Tom Cruise stepped in, and it became one of his most beloved roles.