10 Questionable Reasons Why Actors Turned Down Big Roles

4. Julia Roberts - The Proposal

julia roberts The Proposal was a hugely successful and surprisingly enjoyable romantic comedy that starred Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, doing the old pretending to be engaged for a green card bit. It could have starred Julia Roberts, but she reportedly turned down the role after being asked to take a pay cut. While she's a decent actress, she's a few years out of relevance to be demanding millions, especially while the film industry was hit by the same recession as everyone else and most A-List actors were being paid far less than their usual quote. I would argue that her last good film was Ocean's 11, which came out twelve years ago. Interestingly enough, she passed on The Blind Side, a role which also went to Bullock and even earned her an Oscar. It seems like she's learned her lesson, though -- her slate for the next year or so includes August: Osage County and The Normal Heart, two prestigious stage-to-film adaptations.
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Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.