‘Big mistake...' Did you know these 5 stars all regret saying no to iconic roles?
Despite their success, some actors have regrets about certain career choices they have made. Here is a rundown of five actors who wished they’d made different career choices.
‘Big mistake...' Did you know these 5 stars all regret saying no to iconic roles?
Despite their success, some actors have regrets about certain career choices they have made. Here is a rundown of five actors who wished they’d made different career choices.
Rachel McAdams: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Rachel McAdams was the studio’s first choice to play Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada, so much so that she was offered the role three times.
But she turned it down, along with other Hathaway-led films like Get Smart (2008).
Reflecting in a 2018 Bustle interview, McAdams admitted: “I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity… There were definitely some anxious moments of wondering if I was just throwing it all away. It’s taken years to understand what I intuitively was doing.”
Claire Danes: Titanic (1997)
Claire Danes turned down the chance to play Rose in Titanic.
Fresh off 1996 Shakespeare adaptation Romeo and Juliet (1996) - in which she starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio - she admitted the idea of reuniting with him on another epic love story felt “redundant".
Speaking on Armchair Expert, she recalled: “I remember just thinking, I don’t know. I just wasn’t ready for that.”
Kate Winslet went on to make movie history as Rose -and the film ultimately grossed more than $2.2 billion worldwide.
Christina Applegate: Legally Blonde (2001)
Christina Applegate could have bent and snapped her way into history as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde - but she passed.
Fresh off her role as ditzy daughter Kelly Bundy in Married… with Children (1987–1997), she worried the part was too similar. Reese Witherspoon took it instead, turning pink into power and the film into a box-office smash that grossed over $140 million worldwide.
Looking back, Applegate didn’t mince her words, admitting: “A big mistake. I’d have Witherspoon money!”
Will Smith: The Matrix (1999)
Will Smith passed on the role of Neo in sci-fi film The Matrix, later admitting: “You know, The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch… I didn’t see what they saw. But Keanu [Reeves] was perfect.”
He opted instead for Wild Wild West - which also came out in 1999 - a film that grossed roughly $222 million worldwide, while The Matrix went on to haul in about $463 million globally and win four Academy Awards.
Matt Damon: Avatar (2009)
Matt Damon admitted he turned down Jake Sully in Avatar — and with it, 10 per cent of the box office gross.
He told GQ: “Jim Cameron offered me Avatar. And when he offered it to me, he goes, ‘Now, listen. I don’t need anybody. I don’t need a name for this, a guy flying around on a spaceship. If you don’t take this, I’m going to find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn’t really need you.’”
Damon later joked that saying no cost him more than $250 million in earnings. Avatar went on to conquer the box office banking close to $3 billion worldwide.
