16 Stars Who Turned Down Roles That Could Have Changed Their Lives

In life, people make thousands of choices that define who they are as a person. From getting out of bed to what you're going to eat, you're constantly making choices and many of them are subconscious. But what about those big decisions with everlasting effects, the ones that define your life and your career, the ones for which people remember you? Once you become an adult or leave the nest, those choices become much more significant. Have you ever been haunted by a choice you had to make that would have skyrocketed your career? Many celebrities have. Consider Tom Selleck, who chose Magnum PI  instead of the leading role in Indiana Jones?

Have you ever been as wrong as Will Smith when choosing Wild Wild West over Neo in The Matrix? When you're in Hollywood, the script decisions you make can cost you millions of dollars and make or break your career. Look what happened with Tom Hanks when John Travolta declined without explanation the role of Forrest Gump. How many actors over the years have turned down a movie script which turned out to be a huge box office or TV hit?

Here are 16 actors who turned down some iconic roles that catapulted someone else to superstardom. What's worse? Those movies likely became their family's favorite movies, ones they had to watch on repeat every family movie night. For these actors, they are the worst decisions of their entire career. I mean, they seem to have landed on their feet, but still.

16 Michelle Pfeiffer Turned Down Silence of the Lambs (1991), Basic Instinct (1992), And Pretty Women (1990)

Even though Jodie Foster desperately wanted the role of Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs, director Jonathan Demme wanted Michelle Pfeiffer. However, Pfeiffer disliked the amount of violence so Foster landed the role that heightened her career to superstardom. Sharon Stone was the second choice for Basic Instinct, which had some initial negativity and public bashing, though it became one of the most financially successful films of the 1990s, grossing $352 million worldwide. To complete the trifecta of career altering decision in three years, Pfeiffer passed up on Pretty Women, which changed the life of Julia Roberts as it became one of the most popular films of all time. Pfeiffer has had some success since turning down these three blockbuster hits, like Batman Returns (1992), Dangerous Minds (1995), What Lies Beneath (2000) and Hairspray (2007), but do you think Pfeiffer's career would have been any different if she accepted any of these roles?

15 Will Smith Passes On Neo In The Matrix Film Franchise (1999)

Will Smith was sought after for the lead role in the mega blockbuster sci-fi trilogy, The Matrix. He turned down the role because he didn't understand the concept and he had skepticism over the film's ambitious bullet-time special effects. These special effects won The Matrix four Academy Awards and the film was praised for its innovative visual effects, cinematography, and its entertainment. Nicolas Cage, Brad Pitt, and Val Kilmer also turned it down ,which led Warner Brothers to push for Keanu Reeves, who eventually won the role over Johnny Depp, the writer/director's first choice. Keanu's career was given new life and the Canadian born actor became a sought after A-lister who was now in control of his career's destiny. Some poor choices acting in a few B-level movies opened him up to criticism, but he also had some hits that kept his career moving along. Will Smith's, career on the other hand, hasn't really skipped a beat. While he may have initially regretted not becoming Neo because of the financial windfall the film ended up getting, he's since been a part of many successful films and is one of Hollywood's highest paid actors.

14 Matt Damon Declines The Lead Role In Avatar (2009)

Matt Damon will always be known as Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise, but declining to be Jake Sully in Avatar cost him some major Hollywood bucks. The film remains the highest-grossing movie of all time, bringing in more than $2.7 billion worldwide. Sam Worthington is surely glad about Matt's decision, as it has changed his life tremendously. Sam is a British-born Australian actor who earned Australia's highest film award for his performance in Somersault in 2004, but his true success didn't come until Avatar became the smashing hit that it did. He was living in his car when he auditioned in pre-development and has now been signed on for the sequels. My how things change! What Matt Damon let pass turned out to be the huge opportunity and big break that Worthington needed, which has now made him a household name. Could you see Damon playing Jake Sully or was Worthington the right choice?

13 Emily Browning Passes On Bella In The Twilight Series (2008)

Emily Janae Browning is an Australian-born actress and singer who had limited success when she was offered the role of Bella in Twilight, which she refused. She had just finished shooting a horror flick, The Uninvited, and was looking to take some time off before committing to a film that was most likely going to be a series. Kristen Stewart was chosen second, but anyone that's seen the series knows she definitely nailed it, winning the hearts of teens all around the world. Kristen had been in many previous movies since she started acting when she was nine and landed the role of Jodie Foster's daughter in the hit movie, The Panic Room when she was 12. Nothing could have prepared her for what was to come from the success of Twilight, however, which has grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide. Emily has since landed roles in Sleeping Beauty, Pompeii, and Legend to name a few. Have you ever needed some time off which led to you losing out on an opportunity?

12 Katie Holmes Turns Down Orange Is The New Black (2013)

Katie Holmes is not the first person to turn down a career-defining role, but with the amount of awards that Orange is the New Black has received, it must be a hard pill to swallow. The part of Piper Chapman was given to Taylor Schilling, who has helped the show grow into the unmissable series it is today. Schilling had roles in TV and movies, but nothing compared to the phenomenal success that Orange is the New Black has given her. She has gone from a good looking B actress to one of the most sought after female actresses in Hollywood today. As for Katie, she has been mostly out of the public spotlight since she divorced Tom Cruise in 2011 and missing out on this glorious opportunity has surely brought her into deeper depression than reports have already stated. How easy is it for you to get over a decision you made that turned out to be one of your biggest mistakes?

11 Tom Selleck Misses Out On Raiders Of The Lost Arc (1981)

Even though Harrison Ford looks like he was born to play Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Arc, the role was actually intended for Tom Selleck, who had to choose between this role and Magnum PI. The show didn't want to let their star act in a movie that they knew was going to have smashing success. A six-month delay in filming would have given Selleck enough time to film Indiana Jones, which has haunted him ever since. Ford took the reigns of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. and kept the audiences on the edge of their seats with some of the best acting of his career. Not only did Indiana Jones become a blockbuster movie, so did the following four prequels, which all had major success. After Magnum PI (1980-1988), Selleck had some minor movie roles but as of late he has had his career rejuvenated with TV shows like Las Vegas and Blue Bloods and TV movie Jesse Stone. Do you think Tom will ever get over this mistake?

10 Pamela Anderson Declines To Be Agent Scully In The X-Files (1993)

Pamela Anderson was exactly the tall curvy woman the producers of the X-Files were seeking to play Agent Dana Scully alongside of David Duchovny. Her success on Baywatch made her the front-runner to play this TV role but she declined, opening the door for the relatively unknown Gillian Anderson. The producers from 20th Century Fox were hesitant to offer Gillian the role, but they changed their mind when they saw how well she could act and she ended up becoming a perfect fit. The series became a television hit, which, along with her talent, opened the door for her future success on Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire. Pamela never really figured out the acting thing and her talent really stopped at her bombshell good looks. She starred in a few movies that all turned out to be flops. Would things have been different if she accepted the role? Would the show have been the hit that is was?

9 Molly Ringwald Wasn't Interested In Pretty Woman (1990)

Molly Ringwald was the hottest star in Hollywood in the '80's and was offered the role of prostitute Vivian Ward in Pretty Women. She'd starred in The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles, but missed out on an Oscar in one of the most famous roles in movie history. Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Darryl Hannah also turned down the role, which became a career defining moment for Julia Roberts. Pretty Woman was one of the highest grossing films of the '90's, which paved the way for Julia's remarkable career. Everyone fell in love with Vivian Ward and they say the rest is history for one the highest paid female actresses of all time. Ringwald also turned down the lead role in Ghost, which went to Demi Moore, and she never got her career back on track. She moved to France and starred in numerous French films to keep her career from coming to a complete end. Have you ever had to move because of a bad decision you made?

8 Al Pacino Loses Out On Han Solo in Star Wars (1977)

Al Pacino reached superstardom after starring as Michael Corleone in The Godfather and he was being offered every single script being produced in Hollywood. He read the Star Wars script and was asked to be Han Solo, but found it too confusing and passed up on this mega opportunity. Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Burt Reynolds, and James Caan were all chosen before Harrison Ford, but as luck may have it, Harrison became an on-screen sensation, which opened many doors to his acting career. Harrison's charisma and on-screen presence was the perfect complement to Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon and, as they say, the rest is history. Pacino's career hasn't suffered and he is one of the all-time great actors of our generation, but that was truly a missed opportunity. Can you imagine being the person that passed up the opportunity to be in Star Wars? Successful or not, Pacino still must regret this one.

7 John Travolta Declines Forrest Gump (1994)

John Travolta will always be remembered as Danny Zuko in Grease in 1978, but he surely missed out on the opportunity to be Forrest Gump when he declined without reason. He's openly admitted that it wasn't one of his best career decisions, but he has had major success in numerous movies since, which surely has numbed the pain. Bill Murray and Chevy Chase also turned down the role, which helped Tom Hanks become one of the most sought after actors of his generation. The film earned Hanks his second Oscar, making him only the second actor in history to win an Academy Award for Best Actor two years in a row. Travolta also declined roles in Splash and Apollo 13, both of which Hanks starred with huge box office success. Hank's sense for picking the right roles has gained him major critical acclaim for his acting career. Does this mean Hanks is a visionary when it comes to reading scripts?

6 Sarah Michelle Gellar Was Clueless When Passing On Clueless (1995)

Sarah Michelle Gellar's scheduling conflict could have jump-started her career when she was offered the role of Cher Horowitz in Clueless. Little did she know that the movie that was about a bunch of ditsy school girls would rake in $50 million at the box office and become a huge box office hit. Alicia Silverstone was the beneficiary who did receive that jump-started career, after which she became Batgirl in 1997 in Batman and Robin. She has been in over 20 films since her big break, but only Blast From The Past (1999), Scooby Doo 2 (2004), Beauty Shop (2005), and Tropic Thunder (2008) had big box office success. Sarah would have to wait another two years before she got her big break in the smash hit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which became her career defining role. How do you think that made her feel missing out on Clueless? Where do you think her career is today compared to where it could have been had she been able to star in Clueless?

5 Paul Shaffer Too Busy To Become George Costanza On Seinfeld (1989)

Paul Shaffer made an error in judgement when he said he was too busy for the role of George Costanza in the hit TV series, Seinfeld. He wasn't asked to audition for the part because Jerry Seinfeld said he would be perfect since he resembled Larry David, on whom the character was based. Shaffer never returned Jerry's call, a call that could have been one of his biggest breaks. He did become the band leader for David Letterman for 30 years, which brought him some fame though. He also had appearances on a number of TV shows, but nothing that could make up for the long-lasting Seinfeld co-star role he ignored. As everyone know, Jason Alexander landed the role, which definitely changed his life by showing that a short, balding, overweight man could really shine. Alexander touched the hearts of fans in his role in an episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, reuniting with Jerry Seinfeld and Wayne Knight. Do you think Shaffer would have made a better George?

4 Matthew Broderick Not Interested In Breaking Bad (2008)

Matthew Broderick's biggest role was in 1986 in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Twenty years later, he was offered the role of Walter White as a drug dealer in Breaking Bad. The producers pursued Broderick for the role, but he simply said he wasn't interested, so the shows creator, Vince Gillian, got his choice for Bryan Cranston. What a change of fortune that had become because Breaking Bad became a huge success, winning many awards during its five seasons. Prior to accepting this role, Cranston was most well-known as the dad in Malcolm in the Middle, which made people hesitant at the choice at first. Well, five seasons of what some people call a masterpiece in television history shows that the creator not only wrote an epic script, but he knew who the perfect actor would be for Walter White. Will Broderick ever get over what could have been his big break to getting back in the Hollywood spotlight?

3 Gwyneth Paltrow Abandons Ship In Titanic (1997)

James Cameron's first choice was Gwyneth Paltrow to become Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic, but she didn't think it would be a good role for her so she abandoned ship. She could have won the Oscar instead of second choice actress Kate Winslet with the film winning 11 Academy Awards. Paltrow didn't have to wait long to win an Oscar though, as she landed one a year later for her role in Shakespeare in Love. After winning the Oscar, however, she faded from the limelight, though her career was rejuvenated with her role as Pepper Pots alongside Robert Downey, Jr. in Iron Man in 2008. Winslet's big global break came with the Titanic role. Though a British actress, she is one of the few women who have won awards in three out of four major American Entertainment awards and has numerous awards around the globe. Would Titanic have been any different with Paltrow as Rose?

2 Hugh Jackman Opts Out of James Bond In Casino Royale (2006)

Hugh Jackman can say he was one of the few actors that gave up the chance to play James bond because he had better things to do. He didn't want to get stuck into the James Bond role, one that most people would have done anything to get, but he says he wouldn't pass it up a second time. Jackman then played the lead in the musical Les Miserables followed by becoming an icon as Wolverine in X-Men. Passing up James Bond didn't hurt his career at all and allowed Daniel Craig to take his career to another level. Craig is the sixth actor to play James Bond and has made four successful movies with the last being Specter in 2015. Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton had limited success as James Bond and some say that Daniel Craig has definitely been one of the best to take on the role so far, though it is a hot topic still up for debate. How many other actors do you think could turn down the opportunity to star as James Bond?

1 Christina Applegate Does Not Accept Role In Legally Blonde (2001)

Everyone got to fall in love with Reese Witherspoon and her stunning performance as Elle Woods in major motion picture Legally Blonde. The film grossed over $140 million at the box office and Christina Applegate still tells people that she is full of regret for passing on the film. She told Entertainment Tonight, "What a stupid move that was, right?" Can you blame her for feeling that way when it literally could have changed her life? In Hollywood, the decisions people make can help or hurt their careers and this one would have catapulted Applegate into the stratosphere. Since Legally Blonde, Witherspoon has been one of the shinning stars of Hollywood and Applegate has been relatively quiet. This underscores the amount of pressure in Hollywood to pick the right script. One bad move and you may find yourself without any other options. How good are you at making those big life altering decisions?