10 Actors Who Quit Major Film Roles

Having an up-and-coming starlet like Winona Ryder among its cast wouldn't have hurt the Godfather Part III's chances of living up to the previous sequel, since that was a near-impossible task anyway. The Beetlejuice actress was due to play Al Pacino's daughter in the film, but bowed out on the eve of production.

The official explanation was “exhaustion”. Ryder was prolific in Hollywood between the mid-80s and early '90s and had shot three films back to back in the run-up to the gangster sequel.

This was backed up by her doctor, who ordered her to take some time out when she visited him with a 104-degree fever, an offer she couldn't refuse.

This left director Francis Ford Coppola in a bind, and he ended up handing the role to his daughter Sofia, whose performance was roundly criticised.