15 Actors Who Were Pressured or Tricked Into Taking Roles They Really Did Not Want
Here's a look into the secrets of being an actor and having to take roles you don't want.
Some of the biggest movie roles came with a catch, and not every actor was eager to say yes. Behind the scenes, pressure, contracts, and a few clever tricks pushed certain performers into parts they would have passed on in a heartbeat.
That is what makes these stories so interesting, because the films were popular, but the actors behind them were not always on board. From uneasy casting decisions to roles that felt impossible to refuse, each case has its own messy backstory.
Here are 15 actors who ended up in roles they really did not want, and the reasons are more surprising than you might think.
1. The Watcher
Keanu Reeves says that a friend forged his signature on the contract for "The Watcher," but he couldn't exactly prove it, so he decided to take the role rather than pursue legal action.
Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection2. X-Men: Origins
Ryan Reynolds was connected with Deadpool, so when X-Men was starting production, they basically told him to play Deadpool in the X-Men movie or they would find someone else. Ryan said he'd "just do it," but he claims that Deadpool isn't portrayed correctly in the X-Men movie.
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection3. Theodore Rex
Whoopi Goldberg actually faced a $20 million lawsuit because of a verbal pact she made to star in Theodore Rex, so she ended up playing Katie Coltrane. Whoopi had claimed that she didn't agree to it, but the producer had a recording of her agreeing to take the role.
New Line Cinema / ©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection
4. The Cat in the Hat
Mike Myers wasn't too keen on doing another movie with Universal after their failed attempt at the movie Dieter; however, he took on the role in The Cat in the Hat.
Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
5. Thor: The Dark World
Natalie Portman basically took on the role in Thor: The Dark World with the knowledge and intentions of Patty Jenkins directing, as she would be the first female director of a superhero movie. However, Jenkins left her role, which left Natalie stuck with her role as Jane Foster.
Walt Disney Co. / ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
6. Gulliver's Travels
Emily Blunt was actually offered the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2, which she wanted to accept, but she had already taken the role in Gulliver's Travels. She said it was extremely heartbreaking not to be able to take that role.
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
It’s like the OP in the “hidden terms” loan fight with their brother, where the fine print changes everything.
7. Garfield: The Movie
Bill Murray took the role of voice acting as Garfield in Garfield: The Movie because he accidentally misread the director's name. He thought the director was Jeff Coen, but the director of Garfield was actually Jeff Cohen.
John Phillips / Getty Images for BFI / 20th Century Fox Film Corp courtesy Everett Collection
8. Jaws 2
Once Steven Spielberg turned down the directing role for Jaws 2, Roy Scheider actually wanted to get out of his role too, but unfortunately was unable to due to contract rules.
Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
9. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Channing Tatum said that because of his three-picture deal with Paramount, he was unable to decline the role of Duke in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Paramount / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
10. Elektra
Jennifer Garner didn't want to play the titular character in Elektra, but she had obligations to do so as it was part of her contract because she originated the role in Daredevil.
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
11. Top Gun
Val Kilmer purposely tried to sabotage his audition for Top Gun, but because of his contract obligations, he had to take the role.
Paramount / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
12. The Italian Job
Edward Norton had to take on the role in The Italian Job to avoid being sued by Paramount.
Paramount / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
13. Dogville
Paul Bettany was coerced by Stellan Skarsgård to take on the role in Dogville by saying it would be "fun," but Paul really didn't want to take on the role.
Lions Gate / ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection
14. The Bourne Ultimatum
Matt Damon said that the script for The Bourne Ultimatum was "unreadable" and embarrassing. However, this was the third Jason Bourne movie he had been in, so it was a bit of an obligation.
Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
15. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
Sylvester Stallone had a rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger, which actually led to Stallone taking a role in this terrible movie. Schwarzenegger read the awful script and spread a rumor saying he was interested in it, which prompted Stallone to take the role.
Stallone later said that it was one of the worst films he had seen.
Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Knowing that these roles were unwanted is pretty interesting, considering the popularity of many of the films. Some of these actors were tricked, contract-bound, and some just didn't really want the role, but they took it anyway.
No matter the reasoning, it is super interesting to hear the backstory of these roles.
It all makes the finished movie look a little different once you know what happened behind the scenes.
Keanu Reeves signing “The Watcher” under pressure? Then read these celebrity tell-alls that expose Hollywood’s everyday weirdness.
