These A-List Actors Turned Down Legendary Roles, and Some Regret It

Will Smith actually admitted that Keanu Reeves was the better pick for the lead role in the legendary cyber noir. In an interview with Wired magazine, Smith stated: “I watched Keanu’s performance—and very rarely do I say this—but I would have messed it up. At that point, I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be.”

John Travolta, Forrest Gump

It's difficult to unsee Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump. But, as it turns out, Hanks wasn't even the first consideration for the role. Strangely enough, John Travolta turned down the role of Forrest Gump to be in Quinten Tarintino's Pulp Fiction

Travolta then went head to head with Hanks at the 1995 Academy Awards. Hanks walked away with both titles that Travolta was nominated for. Travolta regrets not playing Forrest Gump, despite being a part of one of the most legendary movies of all time, Pulp Fiction. 

Michelle Pfeiffer, The Silence of the Lambs

Twenty four years after Silence of the Lambs was released, director Jonathan Demme released a statement admitting that Jodie Foster wasn't who he originally wanted to play Clarice Starling. He spoke to many actors about assuming the role, and he particularly wanted Michelle Pfeiffer to be a part of it. But, Pfeiffer wasn't into the violent nature of the movie. 

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