10 Actors Who Turned Down The Decade's Biggest TV Shows

2. Gillian Anderson - Cora Crawley (Downton Abbey)

In 2012, gorgeous X-Files star Gillian Anderson confirmed that she had initially been offered a lead part in Downton Abbey, playing Cora Crawley, the role that eventually went to Elizabeth McGovern. Though Anderson was relatively circumspect about explaining why she turned it down, she did state that, "€˜My 18-year-old cannot believe that I would turn down Game Of Thrones or Downton €” things she loves to watch...But if I am going to be spending that amount of time working on something I would rather be working with a director like Martin Scorsese." A tad snobbish, perhaps, but you can't fault her honesty. Would It Have Worked? Probably, but with a caveat. Anderson has plenty of experience working in period fare (Bleak House, Great Expectations), and certainly has the acting chops to boot, but casting the older, more normal-looking McGovern was certainly a savvy choice, as we can't help but think that Anderson's comparative youth and movie star beauty would just distract us from everything else going on around her.