If only crystal balls could truly see the future, these actors may have avoided turning down roles that would later go on to be massive hits. Check out 10 actors who may regret turning down these famous roles.

‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ – Natalie Portman

Director David Fincher offered the role of Lisbeth Salander to Natalie Portman, but she turned down the starring role in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Actress Rooney Mara was then cast in the role and was awarded an Oscar nomination for her brilliant performance.

‘Dallas Buyers Club’ – Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling was attached a few years back to play Woodroof, but when funding fell through the actor left the project. Mathew McConaughey joined the film and made a shocking physical transformation and performance which has earned him an Oscar nod. He’s rumored to be a favorite for the win this year for his role in Dallas Buyers Club.

‘Silver Linings Playbook’ – Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway was originally cast as Tiffany, but would later leave due to “creative differences” with Academy Award nominated director David O’Russell. Jennifer Lawrence jumped at the chance to work with the director and received her second Academy Award nomination and first win for her role in Silver Linings Playbook.

‘Casino Royale’ – Hugh Jackman

Wolverine actor Hugh Jacman was in contention for the role of James Bond back in 2006 when the role was being recast for Casino Royale, but he passed on the role because he didn’t want to be typecast. Daniel Craig would sign on to play 007 and entirely reinvent the character while skyrocketing into super stardom.

‘Gravity’ – Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie was busy prepping her directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey when she was offered the role of Ryan Stone. Jolie turned down the role, which landed in Sandra Bullock’s lap, shooting her into the stratosphere with one of the best performances of the year. She’s currently a frontrunner for an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Gravity.

‘The Bourne Identity’ – Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt was getting ready to shoot Spy Game with Robert Redford in 2001 when he was offered the role of Jason Bourne. Pitt turned the role down, which sent it over to a young Matt Damon who made the role his own. The Bourne franchise has now made over a billion dollars worldwide.

‘The Devil Wears Prada’ – Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams was originally offered the role of Andy in The Devil Wears Prada. Despite Meryl Streep co-starring, McAdams reportedly wanted to focus on more serious roles. Anne Hathaway had no issues with the role, which turned out to be one of her most memorable.

‘Jerry Maguire’ – Tom Hanks

The role of Jerry Maguire was written for the iconic Tom Hanks, but he turned down the role so that he could make his directorial debut with That Thing You Do. Another famous Tom was given the script, which would become one of his most quoted movies of all time. Cruise would also receive an Oscar nomination for the role in Jerry Maguire.

‘Titanic’ – Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow was director James Cameron’s first choice to play Rose, but would turn down the role for unknown reasons. An up-and-coming Kate Winslet would later audition for the role, which gave her more exposure than an actress could ever dream of. Titanic became the highest grossing film of all time, holding the record for the next 13 years.

‘The Dark Knight’ – Matt Damon

Matt Damon was offered the role of Harvey Dent in director Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight. The coveted role was being eyed by multiple big name actors, but Damon passed due to scheduling conflicts. The role of Two Face would later go to Aaron Eckhart and the film would go on to be the highest grossing movie of 2008 – pulling in over $1 billion at the box office.
 

It’s quite difficult to see these characters being played by any other actor now, but it’s always interesting to imagine how the roles and the films would have turned out had a different actor been cast.

Let us know if you think an actor that passed on one of the roles above would have been a more interesting choice, or if it would have done irreparable harm to the film.