# Actors that turned down roles that made another actor famous **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075 "2020-01-07T16:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/21 "2020-01-07T20:45:51Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I’ve never heard that before. Cite, please? No mention of it here, for instance: [Star Trek Beyond: Who Got Really Rich from the Franchise | Fortune](https://fortune.com/2016/07/21/star-trek-beyond-net-worth/) As mentioned above, I believe it was in Solow and Justman’s book, but my copy of it is currently thousands of miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/22 "2020-01-07T20:53:10Z")
Bill Cosby was already a famous comedian and TV star but had only starred in a couple of movies when Gene Hackman recommended him for the role of “Mother” Tucker in _Mother, Jugs & Speed_. Hackman didn’t want such a large role because he wanted a break, having worked practically non-stop since _The Poseidon Adventure_. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/23 "2020-01-07T21:54:49Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Gere, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Don Johnson, Nick Nolte, Mel Gibson and Richard Dean Anderson all turned down the roll of John McClane in Die Hard - which made Bruce Willis into an action star. I remember seeing the preview of that movie; everybody in the theater literally laughed out loud, as Willis was only associated with the TV show “Moonlighting”, a comedy role. The idea of him playing a tough guy was just ludicrous. The production company had to remove Willis from the promotion posters, as the whole notion was getting panned by critics and public alike. Surprise! ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/24 "2020-01-07T22:31:06Z")
Jeffrey Hunter died in 1969 so he could not have made the Star Trek movies . ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/25 "2020-01-07T22:32:43Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Bill Cosby was already a famous comedian and TV star but had only starred in a couple of movies when Gene Hackman recommended him for the role of “Mother” Tucker in _Mother, Jugs & Speed_. Hackman didn’t want such a large role because he wanted a break, having worked practically non-stop since _The Poseidon Adventure_. My mistake; [it was Peter Yates, the director, who recommended Cosby](https://scriptmag.com/interviews-features/masters-of-screenwriting-interview-tom-mankiewicz-part-1-of-2). ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/26 "2020-01-07T23:05:21Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in the\* LOTR\* movies, giving a big boost to Ian McKellen’s career. Christopher Plummer turned down the role as well: _"despite being a fan of the franchise he grew up with and the extended stay in the beautiful New Zealand countryside, the famed actor felt that the commitment just wasn’t for him. Or to put it more bluntly, his exact remark was, “I thought there are other countries I’d like to visit before I croak.”_ > **[Why Christopher Plummer Turned Down The Role Of Gandalf In Lord Of The Rings](https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Why-Christopher-Plummer-Turned-Down-Role-Gandalf-Lord-Rings-70535.html)** > > To think that Christopher Plummer was almost Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings is surprising in and of itself. Yet hearing the man himself explain just why he didn't sign on the dotted line ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/27 "2020-01-08T01:04:36Z")
Al Pacino, Kris Kristofferson, Burt Reynolds, James Garner ,Chuck Norris, Dustin Hoffman, Powers Boothe, Nick Nolte, Steve McQueen, and Michael Douglas were all considered for the role of John Rambo in _First Blood_ at some point. (The book was published in 1972, the movie rights were bought the same year by Columbia Pictures, and was in “production” in some form for the rest of the 70s until being made and released in 1982.) Also Lee Marvin, Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas were considered for the role of Colonel Trautman before Richard Crenna was cast. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/28 "2020-01-08T01:21:56Z")
Rod Steiger turned down the lead role in _Patton_. The role didn’t make George C. Scott famous but it certainly boosted his career while Steiger’s career faded. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/29 "2020-01-08T05:49:10Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > As mentioned above, I believe it was in Solow and Justman’s book, but my copy of it is currently thousands of miles away. Ah. I thought you were referring to the Solow and Justman book just in your first paragraph. I read the book, too, and don’t remember the Shatner ownership stake being in it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/30 "2020-01-08T06:05:29Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Ah. I thought you were referring to the Solow and Justman book just in your first paragraph. I read the book, too, and don’t remember the Shatner ownership stake being in it. Sorry I can’t be more specific at the moment. If I didn’t read it there, it may have been in one of the later editions of Gerrold’s _ **World of Star Trek** _, but I don’t think it was. Seems to me it was more recent than that. ---
**Author:** ![bionic\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@bionic\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bionic_man)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/31 "2020-01-08T06:27:57Z")
Martin laundua claimed to have turned down Spock. None of the primal trek production team verified it.may not be true.I liked landau in 1999.nimoy as Spock. fess parker turned down the role of cloud.which went to Dennis Weaver.parkerpersonality tyle seems folksy perfect for Boone and fact crockit. Weaver seems more like the cloud type.I of liked to seen Deforest kelly take the role had weaver not been avaible. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/32 "2020-01-08T06:48:20Z")
Will Smith turned down _The Matrix_ to star in \* Wild Wild West\*. Not his best move. Keanu was not unknown but that movie bumped him up several notches. Not a turn down but by his own account Jamie Fox badly botched his audition for \* Jerry Maguire\* which gave Cuba Gooding his Oscar. > [@mbh](#): > > And the weirdest part is, they were contractually obligated to offer the role to Frank Sinatra, and to wait years for him to relinquish the obligation. The book was written as a sequel to the book the Sinatra movie \* The Detective\* was based on. The sequel was written years after the first movie came out. Sinatra had the right to first refusal but they didn’t have to wait years. Sinatra knew he was too old for the plot. It was changed to have nothing to do with the original character but kept most of the plot. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/33 "2020-01-08T08:39:48Z")
> [@bionic\_man](#): > > Martin laundua claimed to have turned down Spock. None of the primal trek production team verified it.may not be true.I liked landau in 1999.nimoy as Spock. > fess parker turned down the role of cloud.which went to Dennis Weaver.parkerpersonality tyle seems folksy perfect for Boone and fact crockit. > Weaver seems more like the cloud type.I of liked to seen Deforest kelly take the role had weaver not been avaible. George Lindsey (“Goober” from the _Andy Griffith Show_) also turned down the role of Spock. > **[George ''Goober'' Lindsey was the first choice to play Spock and our mind is...](https://www.metv.com/stories/george-goober-lindsey-was-the-first-choice-to-play-spock-on-star-trek)** > > From gas station worker to science officer? Can you imagine the Mayberry Mind Meld? ---
**Author:** ![Trisha\_Gaurav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Trisha\_Gaurav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trisha_Gaurav)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/34 "2020-01-08T08:50:57Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Leo turned down Boogie Nights for Titanic, inadvertently making Mark Wahlberg… somehow… a semi-respected actor for the next decade or so. Wasn’t Matthew McConaughey originally going to play Jack Dawson before James Cameron saw Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/35 "2020-01-08T09:29:31Z")
> [@bionic\_man](#): > > Martin laundua claimed to have turned down Spock. None of the primal trek production team verified it.may not be true.I liked landau in 1999.nimoy as Spock. Landau may have been \*considered \*for the role at one point, since Nimoy had second thoughts while they were filming the first pilot. But he stuck with it, and the rest (as they say) is history. I don’t believe Roddenberry offered it to anyone other than Nimoy, and I don’t think he ever saw anyone else playing Spock. Landau would have been an unlikely candidate in any case, since he was cast as Rollin Hand in _ **Mission: Impossible** _, which started production at Desilu the same time as _ **Star Trek** _. (This was two years \*after \*the filming of the first pilot.) The only caveat I can add to this is that he was not contractually bound to _ **M:I** _, and \*may \*have been considered for (or even offered) the role of Spock when it looked like Nimoy might not be back for the second season because of a salary dispute. (IIRC, it was at this point that Leonard got a deal similiar to Shatner’s.) The casting department went so far as to draw up A, B, and C lists of potential replacements for Nimoy in the interim. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/36 "2020-01-08T09:54:32Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > George Lindsey (“Goober” from the _Andy Griffith Show_) also turned down the role of Spock. > > [George ''Goober'' Lindsey was the first choice to play Spock and our mind is still blown](https://www.metv.com/stories/george-goober-lindsey-was-the-first-choice-to-play-spock-on-star-trek) I have a \*very \*hard time believing any of this. Dorothy Fontana is on record as saying Spock was considered from the start, as was also stated in Stephen Whitfield’s _ **The Making of Star Trek** _. Anyway, Jim Nabors left _ **The Andy Griffith Show** _ for _ **Gomer Pyle, USMC** _ a the end of the fourth season in 1964, the same time the first _ **Star Trek** _ pilot was getting under way. How could Lindsay even be considered for the role of Spock if he had already been introduced on _ **Andy Griffith** _? (Goober and Gomer appeared together in one episode.) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/37 "2020-01-08T10:03:22Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > (Goober and Gomer appeared together in one episode.) Episode no. 27 of the fourth season, “Fun Girls,” aired 13 April 1964. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/38 "2020-01-08T10:07:20Z")
[Sam Neill did a screen test](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-05/james-bond-trailer-is-out-and-sam-neill-almost-played-007-spy/11768270) for James Bond after Roger Moore’s reign. He didn’t want the role, and it sounds like the producers didn’t want him either. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/39 "2020-01-08T10:08:26Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Landau may have been \*considered \*for the role at one point, since Nimoy had second thoughts while they were filming the first pilot. It was during preproduction, actually. Filming was scheduled to commence just days later, and Roddenberry must have been desperate to keep Leonard on board. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/40 "2020-01-08T16:35:11Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > [Sam Neill did a screen test](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-05/james-bond-trailer-is-out-and-sam-neill-almost-played-007-spy/11768270) for James Bond after Roger Moore’s reign. He didn’t want the role, and it sounds like the producers didn’t want him either. Wikipedia has a whole page of actors who were considered for the role of James Bond. Some the producers passed on; others the actors declined. : [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_actors\_considered\_for\_the\_James\_Bond\_character](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_actors_considered_for_the_James_Bond_character) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075.md?page=3)