Movies

7 Actors Who Were Turned Down For Ridiculous Reasons

7 Actors Who Were Turned Down For Ridiculous Reasons
Image credit: Hulu/Relativity Media

Even some of the most talented people in Hollywood have been rejected for a part in a movie for some pretty absurd and irrational reasons.

7. Henry Cavill

At the age of 21, the Superman actor was told that he wasn't slim enough for the role of James Bond. The director advised Cavill to lose weight before his next audition, and it was the pivotal moment for Cavill to start focusing on getting in better shape, especially for any future roles like Bond.

6. Olivia Wilde

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Apparently, the Don't Worry Darling director auditioned to play Naomi Lapaglia in The Wolf of Wall Street but was rejected for being too sophisticated. It was later revealed that the real reason the actress lost the role was because she was too old for the part.

It seems that Wilde, who was only 28 at the time, was one of the women who joined Leonardo DiCaprio 's "no older than 25" club.

5. Michelle Pfeiffer

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Apparently, Pfeiffer was considered for the role of Vicki Vale in the 1989 film Batman, but her ex-boyfriend Michael Keaton, who played Batman in the film, told her not to take the part as he was trying to make up with his ex-wife at the time.

However, against all odds, Pfeiffer eventually played one of her most iconic roles as Catwoman, Selina Kyle, in the sequel Batman Returns.

Would you take the role just to piss off your ex?

4. Elle Fanning

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The actress has been shining on the big screen since she was a young girl and has since gone on to become one of the most popular actors. However, the world of Hollywood has no mercy even for young talents.

Elle Fanning shared that when she was 16 years old, she lost a role because someone involved in the movie thought she was "unf*ckable." She then lost another role because she didn't have enough Instagram followers.

3. Andrew Garfield

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When it comes to actors who have portrayed Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield is often ranked behind the likes of Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland, as critics found his portrayal of Peter Parker to be too attractive.

However, Garfield's exit from the franchise has been more eventful, as the actor was fired after a missed press event in Brazil. Garfield was supposed to tease his return in The Amazing Spider-Man 3, but his jetlagged absence led to his departure and the debut of Tom Holland.

2. Meryl Streep

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One of Hollywood's most infamous stories was when now multiple Oscar winner Meryl Streep was criticized for not being beautiful enough to play Dwan in 1976's King Kong.

During her audition, the actress overheard the producer, Dino De Laurentiis, making negative comments in Italian about her appearance and calling the young actress "ugly" for the role.

1. Michael Jackson

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The King of Pop may not have been an A-list actor, but he did miss out on the chance to shine on the big screen and play Jar Jar Binks in George Lucas' epic Star Wars franchise for a ridiculous reason he caused himself.

Apparently, the singer wanted to use prosthetics such as his Thriller look to portray the military commander of the Gungans, but George Lucas preferred to use CGI instead.