Based on both the quantity and quality of his output over the last decade, it comes as a surprise to hear about Nicolas Cage actually turning down any offers that come his way. However, in a 2011 interview with MTV the actor revealed that he had passed on the roles of both Neo in The Matrix and Aragorn in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It turns out that family commitments were behind the prolific actor's decision to turn down the chance to appear in some classic movies, with Cage saying that "They both shot in New Zealand for great quantities of time... I mean years... But I had family obligations, so I'm glad I stayed and I had those experiences with my family." Of course, this was at a time when Cage was still one of the world's biggest and most popular movie stars, and had yet to begin his alarming descent into mediocrity. That being said, the very presence of Nicolas Cage amongst the cast would have been hugely distracting to say the least, and who knows just how the self-styled 'Nouveau Shamanic' Method actor would have decided to play the character? Did you know these actors had auditioned or turned down roles in the trilogy? Could you imagine any of them playing these characters? Are there any other casting close-calls that were missed? As always, sign off in the comments below.
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