Even for the most famous Hollywood A-listers, a billion dollars is a lot of money. Yet, there have been instances of actors turning down billion-dollar films, whether they knew it at the time or not. Turning down a role can be as consequential for an actor’s career as landing one. Given the ever-expanding roster of expensive studio films, it’s likely that every household name has been offered a major role at some point in their career, whether as a Marvel cape, sci-fi survivor, or the second most powerful being in Middle-earth.
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That’s not to say refusing these roles was always a mistake, as some actors’ legacies have benefited in the long term from dodging bloated blockbusters. Whether for creative, scheduling, or personal reasons, stars don’t always leap at the chance to nab hefty tentpole roles, but the billion-dollar question remains: how much fame and fortune did these decisions cost them?
10) Jessica Chastain – Iron Man 3
Marvel reportedly eyed Jessica Chastain for two MCU roles: Maya Hansen in Iron Man 3 and Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange, but it was Iron Man 3 that ultimately went on to exceed $1 billion at the box office. Early press coverage mistakenly reported that Chastain had been confirmed for the role, which she quickly clarified, stating that her schedule was already packed and that the announcement was premature.
Turning down a role like Maya Hansen could mean it clashed with her calculated career approach. Even as the MCU became a cultural phenomenon, Chastain prioritized dramatic projects with more challenging roles that likely aligned with her creative goals rather than chasing after big box-office numbers.
9) Harrison Ford – Jurassic Park
Harrison Ford famously declined the role of Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park after it was offered to him by Spielberg. He’d already played a similar character in Indiana Jones, which is likely why he was the top pick, but probably also had something to do with his declining it. Instead, the part went to Sam Neill, and it all worked out in the end. Ford’s refusal left room for Neil to shine as the franchise evolved into a $6 billion property.
Perhaps having the sardonic archaeologist on his resume gave him some courage and the financial stability to turn down the part of the paleontologist. Despite passing on what became a cultural phenomenon, Ford carved out his own legendary trajectory. His wide-ranging filmography went on to include classics like Blade Runner and Witness.
8) Tim Roth – Harry Potter
Severus Snape almost looked very different in the Harry Potter movies, as Tom Roth was initially offered the role. He decided against it, however, worried the part would define him, which is a valid concern in all fairness. On the There’s Something About Movies podcast, he explained that he didn’t want to become solely known for a single character immortalized on lunchboxes and merchandise.
Instead, Roth pursued a different role in Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes and continued his collaboration with Quentin Tarantino in films like The Hateful Eight. Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus and crew settled on the iconic Alan Rickman as Snape, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Even Roth later reflected that he felt Rickman was better suited to the professor.
7) Michael Douglas – Frozen
On The Late Late Show With James Corden, Michael Douglas revealed that he turned down a role in Disney’s animated hit Frozen, which became he highest-grossing movie of 2013. Although he couldn’t remember the exact character, he acknowledged that the opportunity had passed him by. Fans and various media outlets have speculated that the part was likely that of Olaf, though it has never been confirmed.
Thankfully, Douglas’ extensive career has meant he has remained financially secure and artistically admired. Yet even for someone with multiple Oscars and decades of work, his admitted regret is an example of how even established actors can feel the sting of missing out.
6) Rooney Mara – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rooney Mara was reportedly considered for Jyn Erso in Rogue One, but she never auditioned due to her hectic schedule, which involved working six days a week and leaving no time to commit to a major franchise project. Mara admitted to Deadline that she liked the director and the project but knew it wasn’t logistically possible.
While Felicity Jones ultimately made the role her own, Mara’s refusal was likely the best thing for her career at the time. She was free to star in critically acclaimed films like Lion and dodged some of the negative press and fan reactions surrounding Disney’s lackluster Star Wars outings.
5) Johnny Depp – Titanic
In the 1990s, Johnny Depp was offered the role of Jack in Titanic but passed on it, apparently citing the script’s length as a barrier to entry. On the Howard Stern Show, he admitted he labored through only the first 15 pages before realizing that taking on a three-hour epic just wasn’t appealing to him at that time.
The film went on to catapult Leonardo DiCaprio to global stardom and dominate the box office. Even though Depp went on to star in other billion-dollar franchises, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, he later admitted to regretting his hasty decision. In a Rolling Stone profile, Depp joked about remaking Titanic in his bathtub, but according to him, “Hollywood never takes risks anymore.”
4) Sean Connery – The Lord of the Rings
Director Peter Jackson reportedly offered James Bond actor Sean Connery the role of Gandalf before anyone else, with a $30 million upfront payment plus 15% of the box office revenue. It was an incredible offer, especially for the time. However, Connery declined, admitting later he didn’t fully understand the story or its appeal.
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels got wizard Ian McKellen in the adaptations instead, helping the trilogy earn nearly $3 billion globally, and even being asked to reprise his role as Gandalf the Grey in an upcoming spinoff. While Connery walked away from what could have been at least $447 million in the pocket, he had the luxury of turning down the role thanks to his legacy and the substantial fortune he had amassed during his time as 007.
3) Denzel Washington – Furious 7
Before Kurt Russell signed on to play Mr. Nobody in Furious 7, Denzel Washington was offered the role and declined. The part, though brief, introduced the covert ops coordinator who would recur across multiple sequels. Furious 7 went on to gross $1.5 billion worldwide and ranked as the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time at its release, partly due to Paul Walker’s final appearance.
Washington’s pass on the role came ahead of production, leaving the door open for Russell to inject his grizzly charisma into the Fast saga. While Washington’s specific reasons remain a mystery, the decision is evidence that two-time Oscar winners have a bit more leeway when it comes to turning down blockbuster money.
2) Saoirse Ronan – Avengers: Age of Ultron
In 2013, Marvel Studios locked onto Saoirse Ronan as their first choice to play Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, with the Avengers: Age of Ultron creative team using Ronan as the visual baseline for look tests and character design. However, Ronan turned down the offer, and Elizabeth Olsen inherited what would become one of the MCU’s most expansive roles, spanning eight projects to date, including the WandaVision series.
Years later, Deadline’s Justin Kroll revealed on The Town podcast that Ronan also passed on playing Yelena Belova in Black Widow before Florence Pugh took the part, noting that “Marvel has not been her cup of tea.” Ronan’s double rejection of the MCU came even as both films crossed the billion-dollar mark (Age of Ultron earned $1.4 billion globally). Meanwhile, Ronan accumulated four Oscar nominations between 2015 and 2023, a loud and clear message that her artistic endeavors were a higher priority than big paychecks.
1) Matt Damon – Avatar & The Dark Knight
Matt Damon turned down not one but two films that would each gross over $1 billion: James Cameron’s Avatar, in which he was offered the lead, and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, where he was offered the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, eventually played by Aaron Eckhart. Avatar went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time (which it still is to this day), and The Dark Knight pulled in over a billion, setting a new artistic bar for blockbusters. Eckhart’s Dent even became a fan-favorite movie villain, second maybe to co-star Heath Ledger’s Joker.
Damon has never publicly expressed regret about either pass, and these may not have been tortured decisions, but incompatibilities with the material or timing. Together, the two rejections represent roughly $4 billion in box office he opted out of; yet Damon’s career trajectory, including the Bourne franchise, The Martian, and collaborations with Clint Eastwood and Steven Soderbergh, remains unshaken.
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