15 Actors Who Foolishly Turned Down Career-Making TV Roles

15. Michael Richards Was Almost Adrian Monk - Monk

An instant hit for critics and audiences alike during its eight year run, many find it strange to think that someone other than Tony Shalhoub could ever have portrayed Adrian Monk. But at one stage, Kramer was almost the lead. The former homicide detective with obsessive compulsive disorder and other phobias became a fan favourite while Michael Richards, best known for his role as Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, began his own detective show, The Michael Richards show. Less than two months and just seven aired episodes later, NBC cut its losses and canceled the program due to poor ratings. In Richards' defence, it is understandable that he skipped out on Monk since its premise changed a bit between its initial development with ABC and its eventual haul to the USA Network. This role, however, could have taken the former Seinfeld actor from a supporting man to an A-list star. Picture how much of a difference Richards' career could be today had he followed up Kramer with Adrian Monk just a few years later. As Richards was taking small roles on projects like 2007's underwhelming Bee Movie and not much else, Shalhoub went on to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series eight years in a row by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences winning three Emmys along the way as well as a Golden Globe. The show is still earning big bucks today with reruns airing in more than 60 countries and 17 spin-off novels, the most recent of which, Mr. Monk Goes On Board was released earlier this year. Although Richards has landed on his feet again as a regular on TV Land's new sitcom Kirstie, everybody knows it's a jungle out there.