Imagine if these 10 actors hadn’t turned down the huge roles they were offered in blockbuster films

There are a lot of blockbuster films that become classics, not just because of the plots but also because of the actors who played the main characters in them.

However, sometimes these actors weren’t always the first choice to take on these roles. Here are 10 classic films where an actor turned down a big role (and often later regretted it)

1. John Travolta was offered the role of Forrest Gump but turned it down to star in Pulp Fiction instead. Tom Hanks instead took the part.

2. Michelle Pfeiffer could have played Clarice Starling in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ instead of Jodie Foster but turned it down because of the film’s ‘evil nature’.

3. Gandalf in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ was offered to Sean Connery before Ian McKellen stepped into the role. Connery apparently turned the part down as he didn’t understand the script.

4. Jim Carrey was meant to star as Buddy the Elf in ‘Elf’ but, because the project was delayed for years, he lost interest in taking on the role and Will Ferrell was cast instead.

5. Eddie Murphy has admitted he regrets turning down the role of Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ The part instead went to Bob Hoskins.

6. Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in ‘The Matrix’ to star in Wild Wild West. Keanu Reeves instead took on the role.

7. Tom Hanks was the first choice to play Andy Dufresne in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ but turned down the part, as did Tom Cruise and Kevin Costner. Tim Robbins portrayed Dufresne in the film.

8. Claire Danes turned down the role of Rose in Titanic, which instead went to Kate Winslet.

9. Tom Cruise was considered for the role of Iron Man before Robert Downey Jr. was cast, but turned it down.

10. Bruce Willis turned down the role of Sam Wheat in the film ‘Ghost’ as Willis said he didn’t understand how it would work if the main character was dead for most of the film. Patrick Swayzee was cast instead (and 9 years later Bruce Willis would star in ‘The Sixth Sense’)

Image Screengrab, Screengrab