Actors Who Turned Down Parts in Iconic Movies (Find Out Which Role Cost Matt Damon $250 Million & Who Passed on Playing James Bond!)

Sometimes in Hollywood, an actor has to make some tough choices about the work that they take on.

They have to field a list of potential roles and decide which one seems the most promising. While juggling them around, they might end up missing out on a chance to star in a project that becomes a serious blockbuster.

We previously rounded up 12 actors who nearly passed on what would become their most iconic roles. However, there are even more actors who did say “no thanks” to appearing in solid-gold hits.

For instance, Matt Damon turned down a role and wound up losing a $250 million payday! A pop icon had some regrets about passing on a chance to play Catwoman. One actress was even offered a chance to play Neo, a male role, in The Matrix!

You’ll be surprised to see who was offered a chance to star in movies such as Legally Blonde and Forrest Gump and who passed on roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Scroll through the slideshow to see which actors passed on major roles and why…