Woulda, coulda, shoulda – or just didn’t want to. In some big hits of Hollywood which have hit the box office, major roles were offered to other stars who intentionally or by chance did not performed those roles but these intentional or unintentional drop out have really made them feel unlucky as these character proved indispensable in the movie.
This list presents the top ten famous movie roles who that were offered to and turned down by Hollywoood A-list actors.
10. Will Smith: Neo, The Matrix
Role Offered To: Will Smith
Role Passed On To: Keanu Reeves
Smith justified his withdrawal from such block bluster by saying that he was unable to understand the theme and concept of movie whereas Keanu answered that don’t let your minds to work do what ever the directors want you to do.
9. W.C. Fields: Wizard, The Wizard of Oz
Role Offered To: W.C. Fields
Role Passed On To: Frank Morgan
The role of wandering Con Man was written for Fields and was thought to be perfect according to his personality and style. But money was the reason for turning the tables in favor of Morgan.
8. Cary Grant: James Bond
Role Offered To: Cary Grant
Role Passed On To: Sean Connery
The famous character of James Bond was offered to Cary and I think he was most blessed fellow to be offered such an amazing and famous character that many wish to have, but he rejected to be the part of James Bond films because of long series of movies.
7. Bette Davis: Scarlett O’Hara, Gone with the Wind
Role Offered To: Bette Davis
Role Passed On To: Vivien Leigh
Davis was offered role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind but she turned up the role to other actor because of her personal reasons and she did not want to work with Errol Flynn.
6. Sean Connery: Gandalf, Lord of the Rings
Role Offered To: Sean Connery
Role Passed On To: Sir Ian McKellan
Connery was offered and subsequently turned down the role of Gandalf in one of the eminent picture series of lord of the ring. The reason of his withdrawal was long shooting span as this project was taking up to 18 months to complete the shoot.
5. Daryl Hannah: Vivian, Pretty Woman
Role Offered To: Daryl Hannah
Role Passed On To: Julia Roberts
Daryl passed her role to Vivian because she thought that the role of hooker is actually a humiliation for women. But later she appeared in many unbelievable similar roles.
4. Kevin Costner: Bill, Kill Bill Vols. 1 and 2
Role Offered To: Kevin Costner
Role Passed On To: David Carradine
Kevin rejected the role of Bill in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill in both volumes 1 and 2. Making good movie choices and sound career decisions? Waterworld, The Postman…you decide 
3. John Cusack: John Bender, The Breakfast Club
Role Offered To: John Cusack
Role Passed On To: Judd Nelson
One of the major characters of big hit movie The Breakfast Club was offered to John but the age issue was major cause for the transformation.
2. Bruce Willis: Sam Wheat, Ghost
Role Offered To: Bruce Willis
Role Passed On To: Patrick Swayze
Bruce thought that the role of Sam Wheat in Ghost can be harmful for his career. However later he played this role of ghost in the sixth sense in which he gave spectacular performance.
1. Al Pacino: Han Solo, Star Wars
Role Offered To: Al Pacino, Nick Nolte, Christopher Walken, Burt Reynolds
Role Passed On To: Harrison Ford
Apparently Harrison Ford, an unknown actor before Star Wars was released, was not the first, second or even third choice for the role of Han Solo in the movie. Several A-list actors were approached, but did not take the part. As the role of Han Solo was offered to and rejected by leading men, Harrison was eventually tested for the part, and must have done quite well, as was offered and accept the role finally. Ford has gone from obscurity to global fame, and made a fortune along the way – talk about a mega-career launching part!
Another factoid in the same category – Alex Baldwin played the role of Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, the first movie based on the novels by Tom Clancy. He turned down playing Ryan in the subsequent movies, that turned in to a highly successful franchise, with Harrison Ford taking the part that became another blockbuster in his career.
