Famous roles turned down by actors

[Freddy]

Has Hugh Grant ever turned down a ham role wink



deep joy

goodley byeload

Freddy

[Wilfried Mueller]

JOHN WAYNE should play the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in GUNSMOKE which was taken over from James Arness then.

[Wilfried Mueller]

SEAN CONNERY offered the role of Robert Elliott by Brian De Palma in Dressed to Kill (1980) and was enthusiastic about it, but declined on account of previously acquired commitments.

Also turned down the role of the Architect in Matrix Reloaded, The (2003) and Matrix Revolutions, The (2003).



Ian Fleming modelled the James Bond character with CARY GRANT in mind but he turned down the role.

He also turned down roles opposite Audrey Hepburn in both "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina", later he starred with her in "Charade". In "Roman Holiday", the offered role ended up going to Gregory Peck, and the role in "Sabrina" went to Humphrey Bogart

[Wilfried Mueller]

Lana Turner turned down the role in Dead Ringer which was played then by Bette Davis because she didn't want to play twins.

[The_Late_Peter_Cook]

Cary Grant also turned down the Billy Wilder -Audrey Hepburn movie "Love In The Afternoon" (he was replaced by Gary Cooper).



Michael Caine turned down the role of the killer in Hitchcock's "Frenzy" while Peter Cushing declined John Carpenters offer to star in "Halloween" (Donald Pleasence did it instead).



According to Gavin Lambert's recent book on Lindsey Anderson, the maverick director turned down the role of "Prince Of Darkness" (the Emperior?) in "The Empire Strikes Back".

[samkydd]

Originally posted by DB7@Sep 10 2004, 05:20 PM

Hayley Mills, she had to turn down the role of Lolita in Kubrick's film because Disney felt it would damage her image.

The gorgeous Anulka Dziubinska (b 1950) who was one of the bisexual vampire women in Jose Larraz' UK filmed Vampyres (1974), was offered the leading role in The Story of O (1975), but her agent advised her to turn it down.



I've seen Vampyres several times which is enjoyable for its low budget Britishness (by a Spanish director), British cast and location shooting, and the gorgeous vampire duo of course, but I've never seen The Story of O.



Both films have gained cult status over the years, more so The Story of O. I imagine she regrets taking her agent's advice because she didn't become the big star everyone assumed she would, and not many people today have even heard of her! She was in The Likely Lads feature film in 1976 and played Dawn(Her first claim to fame was as Playboy's Playmate of the Month May 1973).

[Hackett]

I think Mcgoohan is a very shrewd man. By keeping quiet about the significance of "THE PRISONER" storyline he has been able to do whatever he has wanted over the last 40 years. If he stays quiet he will have a nice little pension to look forward to as well.

[Rennie]

Not 100% British topic, but I understand that Michael Rennie only got the role of Klaatu/Carpenter in 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' after many other big stars were offered the part, including Spencer Tracy and Claude Rains. I believe it was Rains they really wanted.

[samkydd]

Originally posted by HACKETT@May 16 2005, 01:04 PM

I think Mcgoohan is a very shrewd man. By keeping quiet about the significance of "THE PRISONER" storyline he has been able to do whatever he has wanted over the last 40 years. If he stays quiet he will have a nice little pension to look forward to as well.

What's this all about? What was the significance of The Prisoner storyline?

[smudge]

I think what Hackett means (correct me if I am wrong here H !) is that it was very clever of McGoohan to give an allegorical, open-ended slant to his magnum opus. very much like the response given by Number Six about his allegorical sculpture in the Prisoner episode THE CHIMES OF BIG BEN, "It means what it is..."



McGoohan has long held that it is down to the individual viewer to fathom out the 'mystery' or 'riddle' of THE PRISONER and to find their own interpretation. Hence he will never give a definitive explanation of the puzzle because, by definition, such a thing does not exist.



Contrast this with the view of co-creator the late novelist George Markstein, who maintained that he interpreted the progamme as a logical (?) extension of the earlier DANGER MAN series and that he intended things to be much more straightforward.



Thus McGoohan's shrewdness in that he has (as producer) extended the lifetime of his product - and yes, it IS still relevant today, although technology has somewhat caught up with it - and settled himself with a lot of artistic freedom over the years, basically down to his and its reputation, and a nice little nest egg to boot.



Like the man said - you pays your money and takes your choice...



SMUDGE

[Sturmvogel]

Another non-Brit movie topic I'm afraid; I hear Kim Novak turned down the lead in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

[jacobean]

I know Roger Moore turned down James Bond first time round as he was doing the Saint as did Piers Brosnan after Moore retired, but as we know they revisited the role later.



Cary Grant was offered or considered for the role wasnt he originally before Connery? Strange as he was nearly 60 then!! Imagine if he had done the same number as Connery.

[Jay]

I just wanted to clear the air on two roles that were supposedly turned down by famous actors. These turn-downs didn't happen for the reasons why people think they did. Yes, Tom Selleck was up for the role of Indiana Jones and Pierce Bronsnan was up for the role of James Bond. Both actors wanted their respective roles, but were unable to take them at the moment. Tom Selleck was under contract for Magnum PI and the studio did not allow him to do the role. If you watch the bonus features on Indiana Jones, it has a screen test with Selleck and an interview about what happened. Also, Bronsnan was under contract with Remington Steele and they didn't allow him to do the film. The role eventually went to Timothy Dalton. Bronsnan eventually did Bond after he was free from his contract. I just wanted to point these two myths out about why these talented actors didn't do those parts.

[Wetherby Pond]

Originally posted by Jay@Aug 17 2005, 07:57 PM

Also, Bronsnan was under contract with Remington Steele and they didn't allow him to do the film. The role eventually went to Timothy Dalton. Bronsnan eventually did Bond after he was free from his contract. I just wanted to point these two myths out about why these talented actors didn't do those parts.

The DVD of The Living Daylights covers this in some detail, including riveting footage of Sam Neill's screen test for the role when they were trying to find a Brosnan replacement.



And Sterling Hayden was very keen on doing Jaws but found it impossible for tax reasons. Ironically, the protracted shoot ended up playing havoc with Robert Shaw's tax affairs - he ended up working in the US rather longer than he was legally entitled to.

[harryfielder]

Hello folks,

I've just finished reading a book called...Starring Roles..by Ron Base..1994.

It goes back to the 1920s and reads who got (and never got) to work on films.

It's the best read I've had for a long time.



Aitch,

[DeeDee]

This is a real tragedy! I read that Daniel Day Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Too bad! He would have been wonderful.

[tonewheel]

I'm almost certain the late Ian Bannon was offered, and declined the role of Steve Mcgarret in Hawaii 5.O

Chears, Tonewheel

[Flick]

I remember reading that Viggo Mortensen turned down the main role of Platoon, or maybe he just didn´t get it - don´t remember! :mad:



Richard E Grant quite rightly turned down a part in Pam Anderson´s Barbwire!!!



Flickster

[Cuffy]

Back during the xmas hols, I think it was, I watched an interview with Robin Asquith (possibly on one of BBC's cable channels). Where he talked of getting the lead role in the Confessions movies because Dennis Waterman and Nicky Henson, amongst others, had turned the role down.

[Marky B]

I'm almost certain the late Ian Bannon was offered, and declined the role of Steve Mcgarret in Hawaii 5.O

Chears, Tonewheel

Curious,but it would be interesting to know if it was true

Ta Ta

Marky B