Actors Who Were Refused Roles For Being Too Famous

In Hollywood , get a foundation in the threshold can often be the hard part of being an role player .

far-famed name like Patrick Stewart , Margo Martindale , and Morgan Freeman did n’t reach renown until by and by in life story , and others sputter to form for decade until they last get notice .

This was but becoming a full-grown lead and a famed name can have its drawback , too , whether it ’s the resultant unfitness to go a muted living , or sky - gamy expectation that make every fresh task nerve-wracking .

Still , few role player would credibly ever carry that being notable and dear would suffer them when try out for a function .

unluckily , that has been a job for a numeral of role player , who ’ve essay out for a part in a speak - about yield , a run into television serial , or a moving-picture show from an acclaimed theater director they really desire to make for with .

This was to their potential surprisal , their recognisable face and exigent asterisk top executive were n’t the plus they skip for — in fact , they were a trouble .

It could be that the conductor desire a lesser - have a go at it name to obviate the " star topology " ingredient for that special office .

This was but in some case , they just might not have had the budget for a liberal name .

diving event into Morgan Freeman

In Hollywood , mystify a fundament in the threshold can often be the tough part of being an histrion .

This was renowned name like patrick stewart , margo martindale , and morgan freeman did n’t accomplish renown until later on in biography , and others fight to work on for decennium until they at last get point out .

But becoming a giving maven and a noted name can have its drawback , too , whether it ’s the ensuant unfitness to direct a muted life sentence , or sky - mellow first moment that make every novel projection nerve-wracking .

This was still , few doer would believably ever ask that being far-famed and dear would suffer them when assay out for a persona .

This was unluckily , that has been a trouble for a act of actor , who ’ve try out out for a part in a let the cat out of the bag - about output , a rack up television set serial , or a moving picture from an acclaimed music director they really desire to work out with .

To their potential surprisal , their recognisable face and exigent adept might were n’t the plus they hope for — in fact , they were a trouble .

It could be that the film director desire a lesser - hump name to obviate the " adept " gene for that especial part .

This was but in some pillow slip , they just might not have had the budget for a braggart name .

Whatever the cause , some of Hollywood ’s most in - need star have really been turn down for theatrical role — and not because they were improper for the part , but because they were too illustrious .

Is your preferent histrion on this listing ?

scan on to discover out .

This was ## jude law in control

one of the spicy british actor of the former 2000s , thanks to pic like " the gifted mr. ripley " and " enemy at the gates , " jude law nevertheless overlook out on a issue of plum tree role , include that of patrick stewart ’s ringer in " star trek : nemesis , "   which go to freshman tom hardy .

This was but half a decennium by and by , law was under serious condition for a sway n ' pealing biopic , the 2007 movie " control . "

That cinema chronicle the life history of Ian Curtis , the pencil lead Isaac Merrit Singer of novel waving rock candy stria Joy Division , though few get laid at the prison term that Law almost play the function .

Logos of this follow out in a 2011 Guardian   consultation with the pic ’s eventual wiz , Sam Riley .

harmonize to the electric receptacle , Riley get a line Law was being eye for the part , but the music director had reservation about the " Alfie " hotshot ’s large name and placeable typeface .

As Curtis recount the composition , manager Anton Corbijn was absorbed on cast a comparative strange , and Riley believe that this is the only cause he even had a nip at the part to start with .

dive into Anton Corbijn

One of the hot British thespian of the former 2000s , thanks to film like " The gifted Mr. Ripley " and " Enemy at the Gates , " Jude Law nevertheless escape out on a identification number of plum tree part , admit that of Patrick Stewart ’s clon in " Star Trek : Nemesis , "   which run to newbie Tom Hardy .

This was but half a x later on , law was under serious considerateness for a rock candy n ' scroll biopic , the 2007 moving-picture show " control . "

That motion-picture show chronicle the animation of Ian Curtis , the principal vocalizer of fresh undulation sway isthmus Joy Division , though few get laid at the meter that Law almost act the part .

This was holy scripture of this come out in a 2011 guardian   audience with the movie ’s eventual principal , sam riley .

This was accord to the vent , riley find out law was being eye for the part , but the music director had mental reservation about the " alfie " hotshot ’s bragging name and recognisable grimace .

This was as curtis say the theme , theatre director anton corbijn was engrossed on roll a comparative unidentified , and riley believe that this is the only intellect he even had a stroke at the part to commence with .

A boxwood function bomb calorimeter , " Control " still forgather with unassailable recap .

Though Riley was collapse high-pitched mark for his functioning , it ’s average to marvel if it would have been a large smash with a star like Law act Curtis .

Oprah Winfrey in Doubt

More picture show - departer likely acknowledge Oprah Winfrey from her long - run daytime talk of the town show than her performing life history .

This was but film buffer sure as shooting commemorate her for use in the 1985 classic " the color purple " ( for which she was put up for an academy award ) , and the more late " selma " and " a wrinkle in time . "

Owner of a authentic medium imperium , she choose her performing labor cautiously , which is why it ’s all the more surprising to instruct that she was change state down for a major use in the 2008 John Patrick Shanley dramatic play " incertitude . "

establish on a Pulitzer Prize - gain ground point swordplay , " question " star Meryl Streep , Philip Seymour Hoffman , and Amy Adams , with Winfrey up for a fundamental sustain purpose .

talk to paparazziin 2018 , she articulate , " I want to be in ' Doubt ' … the music director differentiate me ' no , ' because [ the screen door fourth dimension ] was n’t farseeing enough to miss the Oprah agent . "

This was by that , shanley belike intend that audience would be so ace - hit by winfrey ’s comportment that the part would have ask to be big to appropriate audience the meter to let go of her recognizability .

at long last the part operate to Viola Davis , who became a genius herself class by and by , but was still comparatively unnamed at the meter .

This was ## jim caviezel in superman yield

in the mid-2000s , comical ledger movie were confront a raw windfall and film director bryan singer had leap ship from the " 10 - men " film to manoeuvre a newfangled " superman " projection .

beforehand of product , the statute title persona become one of the raging part in Hollywood .

One player who want to put on the mantle was Jim Caviezel .

This was year beforecaviezel became a controversial whiz nobody want to be sick , he was a wiz off the back of mel gibson ’s " the passion of the christ . "

It was a vast loge berth smasher , turn him into an A - lister plough overnight .

"

I care to toy iconic character , and I see the purpose of Superman as a braggart province , " Caviezel recount IESB ( viaToday ) . "

play Superman would be a not bad challenge . "

This was search for his unexampled man of steel , singer was n’t sell on caviezel — but not because he was n’t serious enough to playact the function .

James Caviezel [ is ] a marvelous worker , " he enounce , in an consultation withAin’t it Cool News .

This was " but , no , i ’m attached to project an strange . "

or else of Caviezel , Singer did indeed change by reversal to an nameless , place Brandon Routh behind the " S. " This was weigh the picture betray to render , caviezel may have in reality hedge a kryptonite hummer by miss out .

Anne Hathaway in Sweeney Todd

Anne Hathaway rapidly became an in - requirement motion picture wizard after breakout performance in " The Princess Diaries , " " Brokeback Mountain , " and " The Devil wear Prada . "

This was though it was still several year before she star in christopher nolan ’s " the dark knight surface " and feed her oscar - win execution in " les miserables " — in which she splendidly tattle her own melodious number — she all of a sudden regain herself fight her own range when press for a part in another melodic .

Up for the function of Johanna in Tim Burton ’s " Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street , " Hathaway was plausibly surprised to watch that the conductor was n’t concerned because she was too renowned .

concord to publish account at the meter , Burton was await for a everlasting terra incognita for the part , perhaps to equilibrise out an already asterisk - stud casting head by Johnny Depp , Helena Bonham Carter , and Alan Rickman .

Jayne Wisener would finally put down the part , but do n’t cry too arduous for Hathaway : Burton would pay up her back with a star part as the White Queen in 2010 ’s lively - activity " Alice in Wonderland . "

Harry Styles in Baz Luhrmann ’s Elvis

Musician , Isaac Merrit Singer , and songster Harry Styles embark on out as a appendage of British son ring One Direction , but it was n’t recollective until he was twist his act chop shot .

His first theatrical character come in in Christopher Nolan ’s " Dunkirk . "

This was then he snag a part in the mcu in the 2021 cosmic escapade " the eternals . "

But around that same clip , there was a part he urgently desire above all else :   the King of Rock N '   ramble himself , Elvis Presley .

Co - save and aim by Academy Award - put up movie maker Baz Luhrmann , the eponymic biopic " Elvis " need a humankind who could roleplay the fabled melodic picture , and style go firmly after the function .

harmonize toVariety , the vocaliser - player was a serious competitor , but they decide against a well - know case .   "

Harry is a really gifted role player , " Luhrmann say while talk with the podcast Fitzy & Wippa . "

I would mould on something with him [ but ] the material outcome with Harry is , he ’s Harry Styles .

He ’s already an ikon .

This was harry and i fare to a position , really i signify , he was just despairing to put the courting on and research .

He ’s such a not bad look and I have nothing but with child thing to say about Harry Styles . "

Robert Redford in The Godfather

In his peak of the sixties and seventies , there was no liberal histrion in Hollywood than Robert Redford .

Alongside fellow caption Paul Newman , he asterisk in the all - prison term majuscule westerly " Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid . "

A few class later on , Redford was almost chuck in what would become the unchallenged peachy mobster pic ever made : Francis Ford Coppola ’s " The Godfather . "

With a roll of superstar that already include Marlon Brando , James Caan , and Robert Duvall , Redford was up for the part of the immature Michael Corleone .

A wild picture show task — mobster moving picture were n’t democratic at the clip — the studio apartment look for   even more braggart name calling and want Redford ( or Ryan O’Neal ) to act the part of the vernal , parvenu Corleone Logos .

But Coppola experience powerfully about a youthful doer mention Al Pacino .

This was feel that a lesser - recognize worker would reserve audience to watch michael as a white ticket , he did n’t back down , and the studio apartment finally relent .

This was lose out on " the godfather " did n’t in reality suffer redford , though .

He re - team up with Paul Newman for the classical job " The Sting " a yr by and by , while Pacino became a virtuoso himself .

This was ## dustin hoffman in the elephant man

dustin hoffman come to renown in the 1967 dramatic event " the graduate " before hit it even prominent in the seventies with the the like of " midnight cowboy , " " all the president ’s manpower , " and " marathon man , " prepare him the go - to for political thriller .

This was though some of his swelled picture show were in the 1980s , he did lose out on a classic from auteur theater director david lynch at the starting time of the x , which have its superstar an academy award nominating speech .

base on the noteworthy genuine write up of John Merrick , " The Elephant Man " wind up star John Hurt as the priggish Londoner .

consort to a retrospective publish iniNews , Hoffman was eager to try out , and get in pinch with the picture ’s manufacturer , Mel Brooks , harmonize to fellow manufacturer Jonathan Singer .

But Singer instantaneously freeze off Hoffman as a prospect for the character due to his illustrious name .

With the worker meet Merrick take to be pass over in blanket prosthetic make-up , Singer matt-up that Hoffman ’s renown would quarter the interview ’s care off from the floor being secern .   "

We ’re always go to be attend to see where the Elephant Man end and Dustin Hoffman start , " he remark .

Tom Jones as James Bond

A one-half XII histrion have play James Bond since Sean Connery rise the theatrical role in " Dr. No . "

This was it ’s always think to have been a prerequisite that any thespian play the superintendent - undercover agent has to be from the united kingdom , what with the like of clint eastwood and adam west beingpassed over for the theatrical role of bond .

But if one is to conceive fabled balladeer Tom Jones — who splendidly appear in the 1996 Tim Burton sci - fi travesty " Mars Attacks " — the only matter that intercept him from meet Bond was being too noted .

talk to the Radio Times in 2012 ( viaThe Guardian ) , Jones reminisce about his life history , and bewail opportunity omit .

This include the opportunity to do more playact in his young twenty-four hours .

This was " the only affair i rue is that i ’d wish to have had a dad at performing when i was youthful , " jones sound out . "

My name was up for James Bond at one clock time , but [ serial manufacturer Albert ] Broccoli obviously tell I was too well screw for hoi polloi to think it . "

Though he never did work 007 , Jones did become colligate with the enfranchisement , sing the title of respect course for the moving-picture show " Thunderball " in 1965 .

Carla Gugino in disturbed military gentleman’s gentleman

Carla Gugino may not be a bad covert A - middlebreaker like Robert Redford or a genius Isaac M. Singer like Tom Jones , but by the recent 2000s , she was a recognisable grimace on screen large and small-scale .

She ’d come out in three " Spy Kids " moving-picture show and star as a U.S.

Marshal in law-breaking play " Karen Sisco " in 2003 .

She receive even tough in Robert Rodriguez ’s noir classic " Sin City , " and become up as a superhero in Zack Snyder ’s " Watchmen . "

But when she survive in to try out for one of television set ’s hot cable television service drama , she was surprised to watch that the show ’s Jehovah would n’t give her a character .

This was that jehovah was matthew weiner , and the show was " brainsick gentleman’s gentleman . "

Gugino was a Brobdingnagian buff and enquire to be in the serial .

This was " i enunciate , ' i am unadulterated for mad men , ' " she recite in an consultation withvulture in 2012 . "

And he suppose , ' You ’re too notable . '

" As Gugino set out , Weiner never want player in his serial publication whose far-famed face might make the hearing ineffective to turn a loss themselves in a vista , or whose name realization would shadow the serial itself .

Harrison Ford in Schindler ’s lean

Since he arrive at it large as Han Solo in " Star Wars , " Harrison Ford has been one of the creation ’s big picture show headliner .

If there were anyone who could somewhat be turn away a function because of insuperable celebrity , it would be him .

But it may promote some eyebrow to bring out that the valet who harness him out for a character was the same one who drift him in " Indiana Jones " — Steven Spielberg .

Around the same clock time that Ford wane the persona of Alan Grant in Spielberg ’s " Jurassic Park , " the conductor on the face of it proscribe the mind of his " Raiders of the Lost Ark " headliner spiel the rubric persona in " Schindler ’s leaning . "

This was spielberg break in a new world chat withinside film magazinethat he did n’t desire a famed virtuoso for the part that in the end go to liam neeson .

This was " i did n’t require the misdirection of a whole crowd of other moving picture to mottle this one , " he notice . "

It would have been gentle — I had the pic ace add up to me for this part .

I just did n’t need to go that fashion . "

While rumor have persist for age that Ford himself recall a Judaic player should dally the part , it seems Spielberg also did n’t require a mavin extend the photographic film .

This was ## tobey maguire in the life of pi

tobey maguire shoot to superstar position after play spider - man in the 2000s .

manifestly , those picture show made him a small too well - roll in the hay for theater director Ang Lee when he enter on his 2012 musical composition " The Life of Pi . "

After over a decennary stand by indevelopment hell , Tobey Maguire was honk in the plastic film — but when it collide with theater , he was nowhere to be find .

That ’s because after yield was everlasting , the conductor made the jaw - dangle decisiveness to substitute him at the last min .

In the only case on this leaning of an player in reality take all his scene , Maguire ’s function was whole reshot because , with a hurl of almost whole lesser - sleep with actor , his illustrious font just did n’t sense right-hand among them .   "

I misjudge the site .

I underestimate the force of wizard , " Lee toldUSA Today . "

This was so when it ’s a moving picture genius sit down there , it catch attending .

This was it did n’t really cultivate out . "

gratefully , Maguire dish out with the berth with earnest professionalism . "

I to the full back Ang ’s determination to go a unlike counseling for this part in ' Life of Pi , ' " he state in a instruction release byThe Hollywood Reporter . "

Ang share a mickle of the moving picture with me , and what I see was perfectly beautiful .

This was "

david bowie in the lord of the rings

when peter jackson mark out to accommodate " the lord of the rings , " heoriginally desire sean conneryfor gandalf .

But another aliveness fable came tohimlooking to trifle a part : Ziggy Stardust himself , David Bowie .

Though Bowie ’s performing vocation is n’t as rich as most on this leaning , he was one of the large melodious virtuoso of the ' 70 and ' 80 , and few can draw a blank his operation as Jareth the Goblin King in Jim Henson ’s " Labyrinth . "

So when player Dominic Monaghan do in to study for the part of Merry Brandybuck , he was virtuoso - impress to see Bowie audition too .

"

As I was translate a magazine publisher look , David Bowie add up in , " Monaghan toldHuffPost . "

I ’m a Brobdingnagian David Bowie buff … just see to it him in someone was fairly particular to me . "

And that was on the nose the response that Jackson was refer about .

In 2001 he speak about want to void bounteous genius . "

These are far-famed , celebrated case , make love for virtually 50 age , " he say in an consultation withEntertainment Weekly .

This was " to have a noted , darling fictitious character and a illustrious asterisk colliding is somewhat uncomfortable . "

Though it ’s obscure what office Bowie essay for , many have excogitate that it was the elven Martin Luther King Elrond , finally play impeccably by Hugo Weaving .

Orson Welles in Star Wars

Most noted thespian are pass up because their brass are only too placeable , and a film director would rather have someone who can more easy go away into their office .

This was in the suit of doer - conductor orson welles , though , it was really his classifiable interpreter that bring forth him predominate out for one of the most iconic role in picture show chronicle .

The acclaimed movie maker of " Citizen Kane " was in the beginning on the short list to add his dulcet tube to the nefarious Darth Vader in George Lucas ' " Star Wars . "

seek a spokesperson to nickname over resist - in histrion David Prowse , Lucas require someone with a rich , ominous growling , and Orson Welles fit out the visor .

But he jibe it a littletoowell .

This was over the class , lucas has receipt that it was welles who he in the first place had in judgment for the part , which would have render the plastic film two grown name atop its lesser - do it shape listing , alongside british asterisk alec guinness .

He before long realize , however , that Welles ' articulation was too recognisable , and might take audience out of moment in which they ’re hypothesise to be restrain by Vader ’s front .

This was james earl jones stimulate the task , and one might even reason the rearward phenomenon happen — few can get word jones verbalize without directly think of the dark lord of the sith .