12 Role Regrets of Some of the Biggest Celebs Out There
Sandra Bullock almost played Neo and Trinity? What?
Some celebrity career choices age better than others, and a few of the biggest stars have admitted they still think about the roles they passed on, or the ones they took. In Hollywood, one decision can change the whole path of a career, which is why these regrets tend to stick around for years.
This list looks at actors and entertainers who looked back on major role decisions with second thoughts. Some turned down parts that became huge hits, while others wished they had handled a project differently after the fact. Either way, the stories show how unpredictable show business can be.
Here are 12 role regrets that still get talked about today.
1. Sandra Bullock
The producers of The Matrix actually sent Bullock the script for the film because they were having a hard time finding the right actor for the character of Neo. However, she wasn't interested, so they cast Keanu Reeves.
Bullock was also considered for the role of Trinity, and she has expressed regret for not taking it; however, she ultimately loved the pairing of Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images2. Sandra Bullock (again)
As for the roles Bullock regretted taking, her role in Speed 2: Cruise Control is one of them. She believes the movie turned out poorly.
Roger Ebert even had a running joke that he enjoyed the movie more than she did.
20th Century Fox / courtesy Everett Collection3. Sir Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness was not a fan of his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. He thought the dialogue was "lamentable."
In his autobiography, he recounted an encounter with a fan who asked for an autograph. The fan claimed he had watched the Star Wars films more than 100 times, and Guinness stated he only agreed to give the autograph on one condition: that the fan never watch the films again.
20th Century Fox Film Corp / courtesy Everett Collection
4. Sir Christopher Lee
Leslie Nielsen did a great job as Dr. Rumack in Airplane!; however, the role was originally offered to Sir Christopher Lee, who turned it down. Lee later admitted that not taking it was one of his greatest regrets.
Mike Marsland / WireImage / Getty Images
5. Eddie Murphy
Every time Eddie Murphy watches Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, he feels like an idiot for turning down the role of Eddie Valiant, which was played by Bob Hoskins instead.
Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images for Netflix
Billy Crystal was supposed to play the role of Buzz Lightyear, and initially, he felt good about turning it down because he believed his voice was not the right fit for the character. However, when he saw his test footage for the dialogue from When Harry Met Sally over an animation of Buzz, he thought, "You know what? I was wrong."
This realization was a significant reason he ended up playing Mike Wazowski.
7. Ben Affleck
Apparently, the only movie Affleck regrets doing is Daredevil.
20th Century Fox Film / courtesy Everett Collection
That one clearly stuck with him.
And if you’re thinking Bullock’s “what if” choices were messy, this is similar to those biggest stars who wanted the Earth to swallow them whole.
8. Sylvester Stallone
Stallone has not been shy in saying that Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is the worst movie he has ever made.
"If you ever want someone to confess to murder, just make him or her sit through that film," he said. "They will confess to anything after 15 minutes."
Hilariously, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he actually baited Stallone into taking the role in the film because of their rivalry. He saw how bad the script was and feigned interest so Stallone would accept it.
Universal / courtesy Everett Collection
9. Halle Berry
Halle Berry was very vocal about her dislike and regret for doing Catwoman. She even showed up to accept her Razzie Award that year, joining others who hated the film in lambasting everyone involved in the decision.
Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection
10. David Cross
While many people loved Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, David Cross hated doing it so much that he actively told people not to watch it during an appearance on Conan.
Jason Merritt / Getty Images, 20th Century Fox Film / courtesy Everett Collection
11. Dan Patrick
Patrick was once considered to host The Price Is Right, but he rejected the offer due to an odd stipulation that the salary would not be revealed until he accepted the offer. After turning it down, he discovered that his salary would have been $10 million a year.
Mike Coppola / Getty Images
12. Will Smith
Will Smith was also considered for the role of Neo, but he turned it down because he did not want to be known as the "alien movie guy." Instead, he took on the film Wild Wild West, which he regrets doing.
Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection
We can't blame many of these actors. Of course, some of them were just looking for good jobs that they knew they could pull off and that would be great for their careers.
We also understand that making these kinds of decisions isn't exactly easy. No one ever really knows if a movie will flop or not, right?
Hopefully, they are at peace with their decisions now.
Hollywood regret is part of the job.
Want more unfiltered celebrity drama, like the memoirs that expose everyday weirdness behind the Hollywood gloss? Check out these celebrity tell-alls trading fame for total honesty.
