20 Actors Who Turned Down Major Movie Roles
8. Reese Witherspoon - Sidney Prescott (Scream)
Scream is one of the most iconic and wildly popular slasher films ever made, and all of its cast were made stars by their roles. Neve Campbell was a great choice to play Sidney Prescott, but before her Reese Witherspoon was approached to take the role by director Wes Craven.
Actresses Alicia Witt and Brittany Murphy had auditioned for the role, but had been turned down, and Drew Barrymore - the original choice for the lead - had to take on a smaller role because of scheduling conflicts. Witherspoon had never auditioned, but Craven was interested in casting her because of her some of her earlier work.
Ultimately, though, she turned it down, fearing the film would be a generic horror flick which would flop at the box office and damage her career. Of course, it wasn't a flop, and is now a cult classic with several sequels.
Though Witherspoon may regret this move, it hasn't effected her. She's now an Oscar winner with an incredibly varied filmography. That said, Scream would have been a nice addition to her CV.