Navigating the complex world of Hollywood is never easy for actors, and when it comes to deciding whether to accept a potential project (or turn it down), movie stars often regret their decision.
There's really no way to know if a movie will be a box office hit or a failure, and sometimes actors feel lucky when they refuse to star in a certain movie.
Conversely, they may also miss out on significant career opportunities by saying "no."
Matt Damon made headlines when he revealed that he would be handsomely rewarded if he agreed to star in James Cameron's sci-fi blockbuster, just as Oscar winner Russell Crowe missed out on a potentially life-changing sum of money when he decided to quit Peter Jackson's groundbreaking Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Here are 10 actors who turned down huge paychecks.
10 Matt Damon
Rejected a 10% stake in Avatar's profits
Matt Damon is no stranger to starring in blockbusters after starring in hits such as "Saving Private Ryan," the "Spy" series, and the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy, however, James Cameron's "Avatar" could forever be a sore spot for the Oscar winner. In Hollywood, movie stars often turn down major film productions (which can prove to be a blessing or a curse), but few say no to such lucrative blockbusters as Damon does.
unimaginable potential income
Damon was approached personally by Cameron to star in the groundbreaking blockbuster and offer the veteran actor 10% of the film's profits to play the lead role, Jack Sully. Despite being interested in the script and wanting to work with the respected director, Damon could not agree to join Avatar due to his still commitment to the Jason Bourne franchise, and he could not morally leave the series in suspense.
Avatar ended up grossing over $2.9 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of all time, but it seems like Damon can now face it all with a smile.
At the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, the actor humorously revealed:
"I was offered a little movie called Avatar and James Cameron gave me a 10% stake. I will be ...... in history You'll never meet an actor who turns down so much money. ”
9 Jerry Sefield
Rejected $110 million for more episodes of Seinfeld
Widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest TV series of all time, Seinfeld has been loved by critics and audiences alike for its quirky humor and mischief over the course of nine incredible seasons of airing.
Co-created by Larry David and Jerry Sefield, this comedy has been famously described as "a TV series about nothing" and follows a group of Manhattan buddies as they experience the highs and lows of everyday life.
Say no to record money
After topping the ratings charts during the TV broadcast and winning numerous accolades, including 10 Primetime Emmys and 3 Golden Globes, the stars of Seinfeld decided to say goodbye and close the curtain in 1998.
However, if NBC had gotten its way, the sitcom could have lasted another year and added a tenth season. The network offered Seffield a whopping $110 million in return for another season, which would be a record $5 million per episode, but the comedian turned down the lucrative deal. NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield said about Seifel's decision:
"We give him $5 million per episode. We're not kidding. What we offer is unheard of. We went in with a staggering number and were very confident that no one would turn it down. He came to me and said, 'I don't have a life, I'm not married, I don't have children.' We did our best and he was tempted, but in the end it was a quality of life decision. ”
8 Keanu Reeves
Rejected $12 million for "Life and Death 2: Thrilling at Sea".
Long before he played the masterful assassin in the thrilling Fast and Furious series, Keanu Reeves established himself as an action hero by starring in the adrenaline-pumping thriller Life and Death.
Not only did this exciting 90s movie make Sandra Bullock the heroine, but it also showed the audience how easy it was for Reeves to take control of an action movie. "Life and Death" grossed more than $350 million, won two Oscars, and was hailed as the best film in the genre.
Reeves dodged the failure of a movie
Hoping to capitalize on the great success of the original, although director Jan de Bont considered it a "one-off story" with no real sequel potential; The filmmakers had to direct the sequel due to contractual obligations. Bullock initially declined an offer to star in "Dead or Fast 2: Thrill at Sea," but eventually agreed, although Reeves declined to continue playing the role of Jack Travin, a role that would bring him $12 million.
The actor did not like the script, felt financially secure after starring in the original, and was not ready to star again in another action movie at that point, both mentally and physically. He later said that Fox was "outraged" by his rejection of the offer and even posted "propaganda" to discredit him.
The decision was wise for Reeves, as Life & Death 2: Thrill at Sea was a box office fiasco and has since been considered one of the worst sequels of all time.
7 Michael Keaton
Turned down $15 million to play Bruce Wayne again in Batman Forever
Michael Keaton completely changed his image in Hollywood by playing the iconic role of Cape Knight Bruce Wayne in 1989's Batman.
Initially, when his casting was announced, he was met with harsh opposition from fans, but when the highly anticipated superhero classic finally premiered in theaters, the naysayers were quickly convinced. Audiences were blown away by Keaton's determined and painful rendition of the legendary DC character, and "The Batman" grossed over $400 million worldwide.
Keaton and Schumacher
Keaton eventually reunited with Burton in his role in the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, a much-talked-about sequel that took on a more edgy and dark tone and featured Penguins and Catwoman. When Burton was replaced by Joel Schumacher and no longer directed his third film, Batman Forever, Keaton didn't like the direction of the script and the series.
He was offered $15 million to play Bruce Wayne again, but after a conflict with Schumacher's vision, he chose to leave; Keaton was then replaced by Val Kilmer. Reflecting on his conflict with the late director in 2022, the actor revealed in an interview:
"I remember walking away and saying, 'Oh boy, I can't do this.'" He asked me, 'I don't understand why everything has to be so dark, everything has to be so sad,' and I said, 'Wait, do you know how this man became Batman?' Have you read ...... I mean, it's pretty simple. ’”
6 Dave Chappell
Rejected $50 million for "Chappell's Talk Show."
Leaving a multi-million dollar comedy empire isn't easy, and when comedian Dave Chappell abruptly ended his popular sketch series Chappell Talk Show in 2005, the media and fans alike.
For two seasons to make viewers laugh with hilarious original characters like drug addict Tyrone Bigamus and cocaine trafficker Tron Carter, the world was shocked when the performer left for a vacation in South Africa during the production of the third season.
Chappell struggles with pressure
The entertainment industry and tabloids were quick to speculate that Chappell might be experiencing psychological issues or battling drugs, however, the comedian had previously publicly expressed his displeasure with the overall direction of the show and the pressure he was under.
He had publicly expressed his professional and moral concerns and frustration with Chapur to the producers, prompting him to make an unprecedented departure. During his pivotal journey and Hollywood break, Chappell told Time:
"Coming here, I didn't have the distraction of fame. It calms the ego. I'm interested in who I want to be. I want to be well-rounded, and this industry is an extreme place. I want balance. I'll have to check my intentions, man. ”
Leaving the show meant Chappell turned down a $50 million contract with Comedy Central, and his unexpected decision to leave also led to a bitter disagreement with his frequent collaborator Neil Brennan, who co-wrote and co-directed the acclaimed sketch series. Chappell allegedly did not inform Brennan of his decision in advance, which caused strain in their relationship and caused Brennan to have to compile the remaining sketches for the third and final season.
5 Sean Connery
Rejected $30 million + 15% dividend for "The Lord of the Rings".
Film icon Sean Connery is an Oscar-winning and three-time Golden Globe-winning outstanding and well-respected performer who is known for his first on-screen appearance as the legendary agent James Bond in his career.
When Peter Jackson began working on The Lord of the Rings, an adaptation of his epic J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy novel, Connery was the director's go-to for Gandalf, the wise and powerful Ishtari wizard to mentor the young hobbit Frodo Baggins.
Connery gets lost in creative translation
Jackson and the studio offered the veteran actor a lucrative deal to play Gandalf, offering Connery $30 million and a 15 percent stake in exchange for his services. However, the actor was confused by the script and Jackson's creative vision, and he turned down the role, which ended up being played by Ian McKellen.
Connery later admitted that he regretted rejecting The Lord of the Rings, recalling:
"I read the script, but I didn't understand what I was watching. I completely misunderstood the book. I've never seen The Lord of the Rings. I've never heard of Tolkien. I've never heard of Gandalf. I've never heard of a hobbit. I've never heard of elves. I've never heard of dwarves. I've never heard of wizards. ”
4 Jodie Foster
Refused $20 million to return to play Clarice Sterling in "Hannibal".
In 1991, Jonathan Demmy's psychological horror masterpiece The Silence of the Lambs had viewers nervously sitting on the edge of their seats as they anxiously watched FBI trainer Clarice Sterling engage in a tense cat-and-mouse game with cannibal serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
The film adaptation of Thomas Harris's novel made Oscar history, becoming the only third and most recent film to win the distinction in all five major categories; Both Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won Oscars for their outstanding performances in the acclaimed film.
A vivid and deeply disturbing sequelAfter a decade of dominance at the box office and awards season for The Silence of the Lambs, the studio decided to adapt Harris's 1999 sequel, Hannibal, in hopes of reuniting Foster and Hopkins on screen.
Although both actors expressed interest in returning, Foster ended up not playing Clarice Sterling again for several reasons: she had a previous commitment to another project and was upset by the extremely graphic content of the novel. Demy's resignation as a director also affected Foster, who eventually turned down the $20 million offer to star in "Hannibal"; Julianne Moore then took over the role. Foster told Games Radar in 2005:
"The official reason I didn't do Hannibal was that I was making another film, Flora Plumm [a project that has long been cherished but has not yet been filmed]. So I can say, in a good, dignified way, when that film was filmed, I wasn't available. But Clarice meant a lot to Jonathan and me, she really was, I know it might sound a little weird, but neither of us was able to really trample on her. ”
3 Jim Parsons
Rejected a $50 million contract extension for The Big Bang Theory
After starring in the eccentric and brilliant theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper in the iconic sitcom The Big Bang Theory for 12 years, star Jim Parsons feels his time in this heartwarming comedy has come to an end.
The sitcom famously follows Cooper and his friend and colleague physicist Leonard Hofstadter and how they navigate their social lives outside of their academic careers while developing a friendship with Penny, a beautiful waitress who moves into the hallway. After starring in 12 seasons, Parsons is ready to move on to new career opportunities.
Parsons suddenly decided to leave
In 2018, Parsons was offered a $50 million contract to star in seasons 13 and 14, but he ultimately turned down an offer from producer Chuck Lohr. The brilliant television producer then summoned the cast to his office after a script reading, where Parsons tearfully informed his colleagues of his decision to end the sitcom after 12 seasons.
Lore has said that he would not have gone ahead with the show without the three original lead actors (Parsons, Johnny Gelkage and Carré Cuco), and despite trying to change his mind, Parsons stuck with his decision. The actor expressed his "deep gratitude" to the cast and crew, writing on social media:
"It's hard (really, really impossible) to really accept that this is the last round of 24-episode first season photos that we've filmed. I will miss all of you so much, and all of this, more than I can express and more than I can know now. ”
2 Will Farrell
Rejected the $29 million offer for "Elf 2".
A true Christmas classic and one of comedian Will Farrell's most famous and acclaimed performances, the 2003 holiday blockbuster Elf has become one of the must-see movies for fans of the holiday season and one of the most cherished Christmas movies of all time.
In this wholesome and captivating film, Farrell brilliantly portrays the eccentric Buddy, who is raised by an elf and travels as an adult to New York City in search of his biological father (James Caan). As a work that has been a huge success both critically and commercially, The Spirit's positive legacy has sparked rumors about a possible sequel.
Farrell wanted to keep the classics alive
Although directors Jon Favreau and James Caan are both extremely interested in returning to the sequel, Farrell is said to be unimpressed by the sequel's script, believing that the premise is just a "re-flip". The burlesque comedian has been expressing his thoughts on Elf 2: Buddy Saves Christmas for years, saying on Watch What Happens Live in 2013: "I just feel like it will look a little pathetic if I try to put on the elf tights again." Middle-aged elf Buddy. ”
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the sensational Saturday Night Live alumnus further elaborated on his decision to reject $29 million in compensation, arguing that it would be against his moral code if he accepted the offer to star in a sequel. He told the publication:
"I'm going to have to promote this movie in an honest place where that would be, like, 'Oh no, it's not good. I just can't say no to that much money. I thought, 'Can I really say that?' I don't think I could, so I guess I can't make this movie. ’”
1 Russell Crowe (The Lord of the Rings trilogy)
Rejected 10% of the Lord of the Rings' profits (about $100 million)
Like equally brilliant actor Sean Connery, Oscar winner Russell Crowe turned down a huge income opportunity if he joined Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Crowe was one of the few Hollywood male protagonists seen as playing Aragon in this exciting film series, after Stuart Townsend was replaced from the role after Jackson realized the actor was too young. The producers then pushed Crowe to sign on to play the powerful and heroic role, however the movie star had other plans.
Contact between Crowe and Jackson fails
If Crowe eventually accepts the role of the blockbuster series, he will earn about $100 million (10% of the trilogy's revenue) by playing Aragorn. Crowe eventually rejected the offer, mainly for fear of being stereotyped, and he felt that the character was similar to his role in Gladiator. Crowe also believes he wasn't Jackson's first choice to take on the role, saying in a 2019 interview with Howard Stern:
"I don't think Peter Jackson wanted me to be in that movie. I talked to him on the phone, like, I don't think he even knew what I did, [...] I know my gut feeling is that he has someone else in mind...... It turned out to be Viggo, who should be allowed to hire the actor he wanted. ”
As mentioned, the epic fantasy trilogy grossed $2.981 billion at the box office and could have brought Crow a huge check of $100 million. Stern asked the actor if he had any regrets about his decision to turn down the series, to which Crowe replied, "Never thought about it – only in situations like interviews where people were polite and kind enough to add it up for me." "Stream on Max.