10 Actors Who Turned Down Billion Dollar Movies

Wouldn't it just be the easiest thing in the world for a film studio or a director to identify who they want for a particular role, come to agreement, and commence shooting the next day? Of course, that is not how these things work.

There are a lot of moving parts within the casting process for any movie, but even once the right person is found, there is no guarantee they will actually accept the work. Hollywood is full of almosts, near-misses, and what ifs when it comes to casting, and in some cases, actors have said no to some of the biggest box office hits in history.

There is an elite list of films to have grossed over $1 billion globally. Just 57 at the time of writing have hit that magical milestone, from Jurassic World: Dominion just squeaking into the club, right up to the likes of Avatar and Avengers: Endgame at the very top of the list, pulling in almost $3 billion each.

Imagine having the chance to star in one or more of these smash hits, only to turn it down. For a multitude of different reasons, that's what these ten actors did. Some of them are happy with their decision, while others, quite understandably, desperately regret them.

Michael Douglas has had a long and successful career. He has appeared in some incredible films and roles, has won two Academy Awards, and hasn't been shy of joining huge franchises as shown by his appearances in the MCU.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the legendary actor would have little to no regrets about his career, something that he has echoed himself. However, there is one role that he wishes he hadn't turned down, as he told James Corden in 2015.

According to Douglas, he doesn't even remember the role he was up for, but the character has nothing to do with his regret. The film in question was Frozen, and the highest-grossing movie of 2013 would have been the most profitable role he ever had. Even with a career as successful as Douglas', it's no wonder there is a certain regret here.

Variety claim that fans believe the actor turned down the role of Olaf, but can you really see Michael Douglas as the happy-go-lucky snowman? Surely it's more likely to have been someone like Pabbie, the leader of the trolls ultimately played by Ciarán Hinds? Or maybe people are right, and Disney originally had a much different Olaf in mind to the one ultimately voiced by Josh Gad.