10 Actors Who SAVED Their Careers By Turning Down Movie Roles

The saga of Boxing Helena - the 1993 directorial debut of David Lynch's daughter Jennifer - is practically mythical in Hollywood, given the lengthy legal dispute which took place between the film's producers and original star Kim Basinger.

Basinger agreed to appear in the film though ultimately backed out after requested script revisions to make her titular protagonist more sympathetic were rejected.

This led to Basinger being sued for pulling out, with the judge ruling that she had to pay $8.1 million in damages to the production. Basinger entered bankruptcy as a result, though ultimately the amount was revised to $3.8 million on appeal.

As terrible as this all might sound, it's still preferable to actually starring in the film, as the career of Basinger's replacement Sherilyn Fenn ground to a halt almost immediately after Boxing Helena was released to scathing reviews.

Despite being a regular David Lynch alum, Fenn's high-profile offers quickly began to dry up, and her career since has largely been comprised of intermittent TV work and supporting film roles, often in indies.

Conversely, Basinger's career rebounded from her bankruptcy a few years later, being cast in 1997's L.A. Confidential, for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

Though hardly an ideal situation for Basinger overall, in the end she made it clear she wouldn't be cowed into a project her heart wasn't in.