10 Actors Who Refused To Make Sacrifices For Roles
4. Robert De Niro Didn't Want To Go Through Gynaecology Training - Dead Ringers
It's all well and good confessing to be an out-and-out method actor, fiercely committed to your craft to the point where you're willing to sacrifice much of who you are for a spell to truly immerse yourself in the world and way of being of another human. However, said tactic of getting into character can also have its downsides when roles pop up that require a very, let's say, specific form of preparation.
As the film's eventual star Jeremy Irons would later recount on Dead Ringers' DVD commentary, Robert De Niro was almost set to take on the role of Beverly/Elliot Mantle in the unsettling story of a pair of twin gynaecologists and their patients. But, on top of the subject matter causing him a little bit of unease, the acting legend was said to have turned down the part because he wasn't comfortable portraying a gynaecologist.
De Niro is, of course, a well-known user of the method. So, the idea of having to put in the time and substantial effort needed to convincingly portray a pair of people who specialise in fertility problems clearly wasn't a sacrifice he was interested in making for David Cronenberg's chilling thriller.