10 Actors Who Passed On Iconic Movie Roles

It’s always going to be a challenge finding someone to take on the role of a famous historical figure. Whether it’s a beloved celebrity, a war hero, or one of the most well-known American presidents of all time, every audience member is going to be bringing a lifetime of expectations to your performance and may judge it harshly if it falls short.

Spielberg had been attempting to get a biopic about Abraham Lincoln off of the ground since around 1999 and he first cast Liam Neeson as his leading man in 2005. By 2010, however, Neeson believed that he had grown too old to play Lincoln and dropped out.

So, Spielberg returned to his first choice. He had actually asked Daniel Day-Lewis if he was interested in the role back in 2003 but Day-Lewis had considered the idea of playing Honest Abe “preposterous”. Clearly the intervening seven-year period had softened his opinion on this somewhat and he finally agreed to play the part, which won him Best Actor at the next Academy Awards.