🎭 Actors

6 Actors Who Turned Down Legendary Movie Roles (And Who Got Them Instead)

One phone call away from movie history — and they said no.

By The Clapperboard Staff · July 10, 2026 · 1 min read

6 Actors Who Turned Down Legendary Movie Roles (And Who Got Them Instead)

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Will Smith passed on Neo in The Matrix

The Matrix (1999) — the role he passed on

Will Smith was Warner Bros.' first choice to play Neo, but turned it down because he didn't fully understand the script — choosing Wild Wild West instead. He's since called it one of his biggest career regrets. Keanu Reeves took the role, and "I know kung fu" became movie history.

Tom Selleck was cast as Indiana Jones — then lost the role to a scheduling conflict

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) — the role he lost

Selleck was actually cast as Indiana Jones for Raiders of the Lost Ark, but Paramount wouldn't release him from his Magnum, P.I. contract in time for filming. Harrison Ford stepped in instead, and the fedora-and-whip look became one of the most recognizable in film.

Sean Connery turned down $30 million (plus a cut of the box office) to play Gandalf

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Connery was offered Gandalf for The Lord of the Rings trilogy — reportedly $30 million plus 15% of box office earnings — and still said no. Ian McKellen took the role and earned an Oscar nomination for it.

Denzel Washington passed on Se7en because it was "too dark"

Washington was offered the role of Detective David Mills in Se7en but turned it down, later admitting he found the material too dark and evil for his taste — and that he came to regret it. Brad Pitt took the role instead, in what became one of the most talked-about endings in thriller history.

Michelle Pfeiffer said no to Clarice Starling — and Jodie Foster won an Oscar for it

Pfeiffer was considered for the lead in The Silence of the Lambs but found it too dark. Jodie Foster took the role of FBI trainee Clarice Starling and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for it.

Marilyn Monroe was meant to play Holly Golightly — her acting coach talked her out of it

Breakfast at Tiffany's was reportedly written with Monroe in mind, but her acting coach Lee Strasberg advised her against playing a call girl, worried it would damage her image. Audrey Hepburn took the role instead, and Holly Golightly became one of her most iconic performances.