Brad Pitt as Neo? Josh Hartnett as Batman? Halle Berry as the lady that drives the bus in Speed? Believe it or not, all of the above would have happened if those actors had said “yes”. Dive into the history of Hollywood and most incredibly famous characters were nearly played by someone else. Those early and ultimately aborted casting decisions just don’t tend to get talked about.
Sometimes, though, actors are very open about the high-profile parts they turned down, and the pangs of regret left behind once those films are actually made.
