5 Actors Who Regret Turning Down A Life-Changing Role

Being an actor is a double-edged sword — one moment you are starring in a movie that barely breaks even, and the next you are taking part in one of the biggest box office hits.

But there are also situations when you turn down the role that could have changed the course of your career, and as the years go by, you still can't forgive yourself.

Here is the list of actors who turned down one of the most prominent roles in their lives and regret it till these days.

1. Gwyneth Paltrow

The role of the brave and fierce passenger of the Titanic, Rose DeWitt Bukater, could have gone to Gwyneth Paltrow, as she was one of the two last candidates for the role. However, at the last minute, she decided to pass on the role, which she still deeply regrets, but also sees as God's decision and fate.

Titanic became the highest-grossing film of all time and Kate Winslet, who portrayed Rose, got her life-changing course. So we guess the universe worked right with this one.

2. Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis called himself a "knucklehead" in an interview with the New York Times for turning down the opportunity to play the role of Sam Wheat opposite his wife Demi Moore in the movie Ghost. Willis admitted that he misunderstood the concept and did not get the romantic bond between a ghost and a human.

The role eventually went to Patrick Swayze, and while it would be interesting to see Bruce on the screen along with his wife, the romantic duo of Demi and Patrick is one of our all-time favorites.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio expressed his regret for not accepting the role of Dirk Diggler that went to Mark Wahlberg in the film Boogie Nights, as the actor had a deep admiration for the film.

DiCaprio, who ultimately chose to portray no less significant character in the cinematic history of Jack Dawson in Titanic instead, shared his appreciation for both roles and his desire to portray them simultaneously.

4. Will Smith

Will Smith passed on the role of Neo in The Matrix, the iconic sci-fi action film directed by the Wachowskis, in 1999. Smith called his decision a huge mistake and admitted that he wished he could go back in time and tell himself to take on the role of the main film's protagonist instead of doing the Wild Wild West movie.

5. Al Pacino

Another example of losing the role of a lifetime just because you don't understand the concept of the movie.

Supposedly Al Pacino was meant to play Han Solo in Star Wars, but the complexity of the adventures in the galaxy far, far away didn't allow the actor to jump on the Millennium Falcon and explore the universe. That really sounds like a huge oversight for us.

Source: New York Times