10 More Actors Who SAVED Their Careers By Turning Down Movie Roles

10. Keanu Reeves Turned Down Speed 2: Cruise Control

Given that 1994's Speed was a storming commercial success for Keanu Reeves, his decision not to return for 1997's Speed 2: Cruise Control was met with many raised eyebrows.

Hell, studio Fox took enough offence that they effectively blacklisted Reeves from their projects for the better part of a decade, and while this could've marked a dire downturn for Reeves' career, it was ultimately anything but.

Rather than star in Speed 2, which was a Razzie-winning box office flop with Jason Patrick replacing Reeves, Reeves instead briefly performed Hamlet on stage, co-starred with Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate, and then headlined a little movie called The Matrix.

While on paper this weirdo sci-fi passion project from the directors of erotic thriller Bound could've been a total mess, it became one of the most defining action films of the 1990s, birthed a media franchise, and cemented itself as Reeves' most iconic role.

Had Reeves agreed to Speed 2, it's safe to say he would've missed the boat - or rather, not.