10 More Actors Who SAVED Their Careers By Turning Down Movie Roles
9. Tom Hanks Turned Down Super Mario Bros.
Tough though it is to believe, Tom Hanks was very nearly cast in 1993's live-action Super Mario Bros. movie.
Though online reports vary on whether Hanks was set to play Mario or Luigi, the former certainly makes more sense considering that Hanks was already a bonafide movie star by the early 1990s.
Hanks ended up turning the part down, however, and instead went on to star in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump back-to-back - winning consecutive Best Actor Oscars in 1994 and 1995 for his work.
Conversely, the stink of Mario followed the late, great Bob Hoskins around for years afterwards, and according to co-star John Leguizamo, the pair resorted to getting wasted on set in order to make it through takes.
Had Hanks led the Mario movie, he would've likely missed out on at least the Oscar for Philadelphia, and given Super Mario Bros.' status as one of the 1990s' most infamous flops, it might've also blocked Hanks from being cast in Forrest Gump, wiping out both wins in one fell swoop.
Instead, Hanks confirmed himself to be one of the most beloved and celebrated actors of his generation, and the rest is history.