Every Movie Role Tom Hanks Turned Down!
9. Jerry Maguire - Jerry Maguire
He's been mentioned a few times already on this list as a fellow decliner of roles, but now we find ourselves in a situation where Tom Cruise was very nearly deprived of one of his most memorable performances due to one Tom Hanks.
Writer-director Cameron Crowe originally wrote the screenplay for Jerry Maguire with none other than the star of this list in mind. However, by the time he'd finished the script, Hanks was no longer in a position to take the role.
Crowe explained to Empire magazine in 1997:
"I took so long doing the script that Hanks was no longer a 35-year-old man. By the time he got (the script) he was almost 40 and had two Academy Awards and wanted to direct.”
As we all know, Cruise eventually went on to knock Maguire out of the park and produced yet another iconic display which included the ever-quotable "Show me the money!" moment. The role also bagged him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe win for Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.
Hanks later graciously admitted, "I think you look at it now and it couldn't have been anybody other than Tom Cruise."
Incredible talent and a gentleman? Just another reason to love the Hanks.