5 actors who were too afraid to accept iconic movie roles
There are various reasons why actors have shied away from accepting iconic roles whether that be due to the scariness of a script or fear or rejection from the industry and fans. Here are five actors who passed on famous movie roles.
1. Michelle Pfeiffer – Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs
Michelle passed on the role in this thriller because she was overwhelmed by the darkness and violence in the script. The director of the film, Jonathan Demme, had worked with Michelle previously and was disappointed as she was his first pick for the role. He went through a number of other actresses before selecting Jodie Foster for the role.
2. Jeremy Irons – Dr Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs
Jeremy also turned down the opportunity to work on Silence of the Lambs as Dr Hannibal due to the dark plot and because he was involved in other projects as a villain. He told the Daily Telegraph, “I like doing edgy things, but at the time I had just done Dead Ringers was about to star in Reversal of Fortune. I thought I just can’t do it; I’m already too far down this road.’”
3. Bette Midler – Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence in Sister Act
The role made famous by Whoopi Goldberg was originally lined up for Bette Midler. She explained she turned down the role because she believed fans wouldn’t want to see her portray a nun. When talking about her career regrets Bette told Metro, “There was Sister Act, which was written for me, but I said: ‘My fans don’t want to see me in a wimple.’ I don’t know where I got that from. Why would I say such a thing?”
4. Denzel Washington – Detective David Mills in Se7en
Denzel Washington is an internationally renowned actor and has won two Oscars. When talking with GQ the star explained that he regrets not working on David Fincher’s Se7en which is about a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as inspiration for his murders. The star turned down the role due to the dark nature of the plot.
5. John Lithgow – Seth Brundle in The Fly
John’s agent wanted him to play Brundle but the star did not want to play the monster who morphs into a man-sized fly. John told In Magazine that he found the movie to be an “icky story” and that “he didn’t want to play something so grotesque”.
Can you imagine these actors starring in these roles? Let us know in the comments below.