# Actors that turned down roles that made another actor famous

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075>\
**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:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/61 "2020-11-01T21:49:42Z")

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John Travolta backed out of _American Gigolo_ after several days of filming. It ended up going to Richard Gere instead, making a star out of him. (I’ve seen an early preview movie poster with Travolta instead of Gere on it.)

Other movies Travolta declined which then went to Gere are _Days of Heaven_, _Officer and a Gentleman_, and _Chicago_.

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/62 "2020-11-01T22:27:31Z")

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> [@cochrane](#):
>
> Mickey Rooney was Norman Lear’s first choice to play Archie Bunker in _All in the Family_ .

Oh My God That Would Have SUCKED!

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**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-turned-down-roles-that-made-another-actor-famous/846075/63 "2020-11-01T23:43:24Z")

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> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> To the point that she had actually shot shot one or two days’ worth of scenes before departing the show. My recollection from that time is that Bujold hadn’t done much television work (at least, not episodic television in which she had a recurring, lead role), and was unpleasantly surprised at what the production schedule was like.

I’ve seem some of Bujold’s outtakes from the show. She did not seem into it at all and it was quite clear she didn’t want to be there.

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