Stars Who Turned Down Legendary Roles

Career paths are often one of the hardest choices we make. Not all of us know what we want to do with our lives, something we may not discover until later in life. Yet, even when we do embark on a path, it's not always an easy journey. We're always faced with choices no matter what course we choose and we never know if we've chosen wisely. We may opt to do one thing to only wish we had done another, regretting the missed opportunities that came our way. The same can be said for stars who turned down legendary roles.

For some actors, it's probably a bit harder to not look back on certain missed opportunities to star in films, not because they didn't get cast in the role, but because even though they got cast in the role, they decided to turn it down. Regardless of why they passed, it allowed other actors to embrace roles who have since gone on to win praise and awards for their performances.

In many instances, it was the catalyst that started their careers. One thing is certain – stars who turned down legendary roles didn't suffer for it; some of them even went on to star in movies that are so important they're studied in college.

Tom Cruise

Movie role: Ren McCormack
Film: "Footloose"
Passed because: He was cast to star in "All the Right Moves"
Who took on the role: Kevin Bacon

Will Smith

Movie role: Neo
Film: "The Matrix"
Passed because: He said the movie sounded confusing
Who took on the role: Keanu Reeves

Al Pacino

Movie role: Han Solo
Film: "Star Wars"
Passed because: He didn't understand the script and felt it wasn't the right role for him
Who took on the role: Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford

Movie role: Alan Grant
Film: "Jurassic Park"
Passed because: Unknown
Who took on the role: Sam Neil

Johnny Depp

Movie role: Ferris Bueller
Film: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
Passed because: Scheduling conflicts
Who took on the role: Matthew Broderick

Marilyn Monroe

Role: Holly Golightly
Film: "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Passed because: Reportedly, her acting coach didn't want the character's party girl persona damaging her image
Who took on the role: Audrey Hepburn

Mel Gibson

Role: Maximus
Film: "Gladiator"
Passed because: He felt he was too old
Who took on the role: Russell Crowe

Ian McKellen

Role: Dumbledore
Film: The Harry Potter series
Passed because: Harris once referred to his acting as "passionless," and he couldn't "take over the part from an actor who I'd known didn't approve of me."
Who took on the role: Michael Gambon (after Richard Harris, who originated the role, passed away)

Molly Ringwald

Role: Vivian Ward
Film: "Pretty Woman"
Passed because: She didn't like the story
Who took on the role: Julia Roberts

Henry Winkler

Role: Danny Zuko
Film: "Grease"
Passed because: He didn't want to be typecast
Who took on the role: John Travolta

John Travolta

Role: Forrest Gump
Film: "Forrest Gump"
Passed because: To appear in "Pulp Fiction"
Who took on the role: Tom Hanks

Jack Nicholson

Role: Michael Corleone
Film: "The Godfather"
Passed because: Reportedly, he believed that it should be played by an Italian
Who took on the role: Al Pacino

Emilia Clarke

Role: Anastasia Steele
Film: "Fifty Shades of Grey"
Passed because: All the required nudity
Who took on the role: Dakota Johnson

Brad Pitt

Role: Jason Bourne
Film: The Bourne Series
Passed because: He'd already been cast in "Spy Game"
Who took on the role: Matt Damon

Bette Midler

Role: Deloris Van Cartier
Film: "Sister Act"
Passed because: She didn't want to wear a nun costume
Who took on the role: Whoopi Goldberg

Emma Watson

Role: Mia Dolan
Film: "La La Land"
Passed because: Committed to starring as Belle in Disney's live-action remake of "Beauty and the Beast"
Who took on the role: Emma Stone

Sean Connery

Role: Gandalf
Film: The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Passed because: Reportedly, he didn't understand the script
Who took on the role: Ian McKellen

Gwyneth Paltrow

Role: Rose
Film: "Titanic"
Passed because: Chose a part in "Great Expectations"
Who took on the role: Kate Winslet

Emily Blunt

Role: Black Widow
Film: "Iron Man 2"
Passed because: Scheduling conflict
Who took on the role: Scarlett Johansson

Michael Keaton

Role: Phil Connors
Film: "Groundhog Day"
Passed because: Didn't want to play another "kind of wry, sardonic, glib young man"
Who took on the role: Bill Murray