10 Actors Who Lost Roles For Insane Reasons
The ridiculous reasons these actors lost out on huge roles.
Hollywood is one hell of a dog-eat-dog industry, a thoroughly cut-throat business that isn't for the faint of disposition, and where only the most doggedly dedicated are likely to succeed in the long term.
Until an actor reaches a certain level of fame, they're going to constantly lose out on roles - far more than they actually book, in fact. But even when actors become sure-fire names in their own right, they can still lose a juicy role totally out of nowhere.
And sometimes they end up missing out on a role for a wildly unexpected, even totally ridiculous reason, which if nothing else is a testament to how totally fickle Hollywood truly is. You can do everything right and still not get what you want.
With that in mind, these 10 actors all lost out on these coveted roles for bizarre, perhaps even nonsensical reasons, whether self-inflicted or entirely outside of their control.
While in most cases it's tough to begrudge the actor who eventually won the role instead, in some instances it's impossible not to consider the "what if?" factor, of how different things would've been with these actors playing the part instead...
10. Bill Murray Didn't Check His Voicemail - Who Framed Roger Rabbit
In the year 2000, Bill Murray fired his agents after becoming frustrated with their constant calls, instead deciding to set up an automated voicemail inbox where he could be contacted for potential movie roles.
And because Murray only occasionally checked said voicemail, he would often end up missing out on roles, including the likes of Iron Man, The People vs Larry Flynt, The Squid and the Whale, Bad Santa, and Monsters, Inc.
But the Big One surely has to be Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as Murray was one of director Robert Zemeckis' initial picks to play gumshoe protagonist Eddie Valiant, which of course ultimately went to the late, great Bob Hoskins.
Nevertheless, it's easy to see how Murray could've played a brilliant Valiant, and the actor seemingly agreed, as he stated that it's the only lost movie role he truly regretted missing out on.
And yet, he's really only got himself to blame here - such is the price of a quiet life without agents breathing down your neck.