MOVIE TRIVIA … ROLES THEY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN

MOVIE TRIVIA …

ROLES THEY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN

It's hard to predict which movies will hit the big time, as the actors who declined roles in The Godfather, The Matrix and Star Wars will tell you. These movies could have made them bigger stars, and bigger bucks: but they turned 'em down.

So: who was the first choice for James Bond? Who turned down Pretty Woman because it was demeaning to women?

Sean Connery: Gandalf

Sir Sean could have made a fortune had he accepted a lucrative profit-sharing deal to play Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings series. But the normally canny Scot turned down the offer, saying he'd read the script and "never understood it". Ian McKellen would eventually play the wizard role.

Gwyneth Paltrow: Rose (Titanic)

Paltrow was James Cameron's first choice to play Rose in Titanic but turned it down. Claire Danes was also offered the role, but passed because she had just worked with Leonardo DiCaprio on William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. Kate Winslet begged to be cast in the film and was.

Anne Hathaway: Alison (Knocked Up)

Anne was originally given the lead in Knocked Up but pulled out when she discovered Judd Apatow intended to use footage of an actual child birth in the scene where her character has a baby. Katherine Heigl had no qualms about it and ended up securing her career-making role.

Brad Pitt: Jason Bourne

  Pitt was lined up to play Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity but pulled out to play another secret agent in Spy Game, opening the door for his Ocean's Eleven co-star Matt Damon. Bourne Identity director Doug Liman would eventually work with the Pitt on Mr and Mrs Smith.

Daryl Hannah: Vivian Ward (Pretty Woman)

Hannah turned down the role of Vivian because she thought it was "degrading for the whole of womankind. They sold it as a romantic fairytale when in fact it's a story about a prostitute who becomes a lady by being kept by a rich and powerful man". It also made Julia Roberts a huge star, of course, but good on Daryl for sticking to her guns.

Russell Crowe: Wolverine

Big Russ was offered the Wolverine role in the first X-Men but demanded too much money. Scottish actor Dougray Scott was then cast, but had to pull out when filming went over schedule on Mission: Impossible II. So Hugh Jackman stepped in, sticking around for two sequels and a prequel.

Matt Damon: Jake Sully (Avatar)

Matt had discussions with James Cameron about Avatar but could not accept the role of Jake Sully (eventually played by Sam Worthington) due to a scheduling conflict with The Bourne Ultimatum. "He was a gentleman about it," Matt shrugged later. "Clearly my not participating cost the film a lot."

Jake Gyllenhaal: Jake Sully (Avatar)

 Former indie star Jake also had the chance to muscle up and star in action epic Avatar. Instead, he chose... er, Prince of Persia. Big mistake. Avatar went on to be the biggest movie of all time, and put Sam Worthington at the top of Hollywood wish-lists.

Julia Roberts: Viola De Lesseps (Shakespeare In Love)

Roberts was lined up to be the female lead in Shakespeare in Love in the early 1990s but abruptly pulled out when Daniel Day-Lewis, her boyfriend at the time, refused to play the Bard. Some years later, Gwyneth Paltrow played the role and scooped an Oscar for her trouble.

Gene Hackman: Hannibal Lecter

 Hackman originally owned the rights to The Silence of the Lambs and at one stage intended to play Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. When he got cold feet, the film was offered to Sean Connery and Jeremy Irons. Both turned it down, allowing Anthony Hopkins to bag his Oscar-winning part.

John Travolta: Forrest Gump

Travolta was offered the role of Forrest Gump in Robert Zemeckis' picture but turned it down as did Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. Tom Hanks ended up playing the part and winning his second Oscar for it, beating Travolta, nominated the same year for Pulp Fiction, in the process.

Lindsay Lohan: Jade (The Hangover)

 Lindsay was offered the role of stripper Jade in The Hangover but is said to have turned it down because she felt the film had "no potential". Heather Graham took the part in Todd Phillips' no-potential comedy, a box office phenomenon that went on to make $467 million worldwide.

Will Smith: Neo (The Matrix)

Big Will was handed the Matrix script on a platter but promptly passed. "In the pitch, I just didn't see it," he says. "I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix... Keanu was smart enough to just let it be. Let the movie and the director tell the story and don't try and perform every moment."

Kelly Lynch: Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct)

Basic Insinct could have made Kelly Lynch a household name instead of a, "Who?.. oh, the one from Drugstore Cowboy?" But recent interviews claim Lynch turned down the role as it wasn't a balanced portrayal of bisexual women. She went on to star in lesbian film Three Of Hearts and The L Word. Kelly is married with kids, just in case you're wondering.

Cary Grant: James Bond

  Ian Fleming had Grant in mind for the role of the superspy but Grant met the Dr No offer with a resounding... "no". At 58, he thought he was too old for the role, and also didn't fancy being tied to a film series. Grant starred in just three movies after that - wonder if Bond would have kept him going well past his pension?

Al Pacino: Han Solo

Al turned down the role of Han Solo, leaving the path clear for Harrison Ford. Perhaps Star Wars was just a little too otherworldly for The Godfather star, who stuck to his gangster guns in movies such as Scarface, The Godfather Part III and Carlito's Way. Things could have been very different, in a galaxy far, far away...

Dustin Hoffman: Michael Corleone

(The Godfather)

  Pacino has a few men to thank for the movie that made his name, including one Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman had made Hollywood inroads with The Graduate, but chose to decline the Godfather, which would go on to be named one of the best movies of all time. Other actors to decline included Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.

Nicole Kidman: Hanna (The Reader)

 Kidman won an Oscar for The Hours and was all set to reunite with director Stephen Daldry on The Reader. When the Australian star became pregnant, though, she swiftly withdrew, allowing Kate Winslet to get the role that won her the Oscar she had previously been denied five times.

Bruce Willis: Sam Wheat (Ghost)

  Oh the irony - the future star of The Sixth Sense thought "playing a ghost would be detrimental to his career" so he declined to star in Ghost, a huge box office smash and career highlight of Patrick Swayze and Willis' then-wife, Demi Moore. Must have made for interesting pillow talk.

Miranda Richardson: Alex Forrest

(Fatal Attraction)

Blackadder actress Miranda refused the role of the bunny-boiling temptress in Fatal Attraction, a film so successful it spawned its own catchphrase. Glenn Close went on to strike fear into the hearts of a generation of men while Richardson continued in her role as one of Britain's finest (and least scary) performers.

Nicolas Cage: Randy “The Ram” Robinson (The Wrestler)

 The Cage was pumped to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler but pulled out over fears he would not have enough time to hone the necessary physique. His departure was good news for Mickey Rourke, who ended up with a Bafta, a Golden Globe and Iron Man 2.

Mickey Rourke and Sylvester Stallone: Axel Foley (Beverley Hills Cop)

 Rourke and Stallone were both in the frame to play Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop, originally conceived to be more of a hard-edged thriller than the action comedy it eventually became. When they left the project, the script was hastily rewritten to accommodate new star Eddie Murphy.

Ralph Macchio: Marty McFly

Karate Kid Macchio had his own trilogy in the works when Back to the Future was offered, but little did he know how successful the time-travel series would be. The role famously went to Eric Stoltz before he was dropped, mid-filming, for Michael J Fox. A few alternate time lines to consider there.

Julia Roberts: Leigh Anne Tuohy

(The Blind Side)

 Julia again. This time she was first choice for the real-life do-gooder in The Blind Side. But it turned into Sandra Bullock's very own Erin Brockovich when the "serious" role won Sandy her first Oscar. Meanwhile Roberts appeared in the atrocious Valentine's Day.