Sylvester Stallone

Speaking of Sylvester Stallone, the actor was originally set to play the lead role of Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop, though was let go from the project.

Once Stallone started to rewrite the script to suit his action-star image - stripping out the humour and adding high-speed chases and explosions - the studio let him go and replaced him with Eddie Murphy.

Stallone recalled: “I took the script and rewrote it as a kind of vehicle for myself.”

However, the budget ballooned and producers pulled the plug on his version. He was let go just weeks before filming, paving the way for Murphy’s breakout performance.