30 Movie Roles Actors Were FORCED to Take

Everyone

“Movie 43” (2013)

Considered one of the worst films to have ever graced projectors, and not in a quirky “The Room” way, 2013’s “Movie 43” was made of uncomfortable, often shocking skits. Yet its cast is incredible, featuring several Oscar winners. All it took was for the creators to secure Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman, who then used the duo to attract other big names. One thing that helped was that the actors didn’t know what other performers were doing with their sketches. Yet despite that, producer Peter Farrelly stated that some tried to get out of the project, but they wouldn’t let them. Justin Long’s involvement helped bring in long-time collaborator John Hodgman, who knew nothing about the project or that cameras were involved.

Natalie Wood

“The Searchers” (1956)

Many people make errors when they’re teenagers. Usually, it’s forgotten about until you need to sleep, and the brain replays the memory to torment you. Yet for Wood, her mistake seemingly took over her life for seven years. To appear in 1955’s “Rebel Without a Cause,” the then-16-year-old had to sign a long-term contract with Warner Bros. This meant Wood had no say in being cast in 1956’s “The Searchers,” despite her still being at school during production. Feeling as though she was miscast, Wood wasn’t keen on doing the part. Yet due to the contract she’d signed and pressure from her mother, she didn’t have a choice.

Sylvester Stallone

“Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot” (1992)

Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, while still friends, Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were rivals, often going up against each other for similar roles. As the script for “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot” was circulating, Stallone was told by his team that if he didn’t take the role, Schwarzenegger would. Well, he called his rival to see if he was interested, and Schwarzenegger stated he was and called it “brilliant.” However, that wasn’t true. The future Governor of California had read the script and hated it. With the rivalry on his mind, Stallone snapped up the part, which soon became known as one of his biggest career flops. However, both Stallone and Schwarzenegger have joked about the incident on talk shows in recent years.

Ryan Reynolds

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009)

Since as early as 2004, Reynolds had been tied to the Deadpool character after he was announced to play the starring role in a film helmed by his “Blade: Trinity” director David S. Goyer. However, it struggled for traction. When “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” was in the works, with Reynolds signed on for the part, he wasn’t pleased with Deadpool's portrayal in the script. However, the film’s executives gave the Canadian an ultimatum: either play Wade Wilson or they’ll get someone else. With no option, Reynolds, who later called it a “frustrating experience,” took the role as the film tarnished the comic book character by sewing his mouth shut, making the merc with a mouth into a more of a silent mutant. Thankfully, he got to do the character properly multiple times later on.

Djimon Hounsou

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)

One day, Hounsou, one of the most underrated actors around, was hanging out with his young son. When the topic of superheroes came up, his son stated that he wanted to be light-skinned like Spider-Man. This stuck with Hounsou as he realized there was a lack of diversity in comic book films. So, when 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” came to him, he snapped up the role of Korath to show his son that there are non-White characters in big-budget superhero flicks. This added to the wave of diversity in the MCU and beyond, as Hounsou would later switch to DC to play the Wizard in 2019’s “Shazam!” and its 2023 sequel.

Richard Harris

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone” (2001)

As any grandparent has experienced, all it takes is a grandchild issuing a request for them to do anything to grant it. Well, Harris experienced this, but this time, it involved his career. Executives really wanted the Irishman to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore in 2001’s “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.” However, due to health problems and having to sign up for multiple films, Harris rejected the offer three times. Yet when his granddaughter heard about this, she wasn’t pleased! She threatened to not speak to her grandfather again if he didn’t take the role. So, Harris, with his hands emotionally tied, took the offer and played the role across two films before sadly passing away in 2002.

Ben Affleck

“Justice League” (2017)

According to some reviewers for 2017’s "Justice League,” they knew Affleck didn’t want to be there. Well, later on, we’d discover just how true this was. After having a great time as Batman in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” Affleck was ready for 2017’s “Justice League.” However, with director Zack Snyder stepping down and his replacement Joss Weadon reportedly causing issues on set, followed by personal problems, the actor was struggling. Affleck described it as the worst experience he’d had in acting. So much so that he was contemplating quitting the industry as he began drinking again. While he did enjoy making “Zack Snyder's Justice League,” the 2017 edition was bad enough to put him off directing a DC film in the future.

Natalie Portman

“Thor: The Dark World” (2013)

After 2011’s “Thor” was a success and the MCU was beginning to form, Marvel announced that Patty Jenkins was going to direct the sequel. However, two months after stating this, Jenkins departed the project due to “creative differences.” And, according to reports, Portman was livid. She’d been a key supporter of giving Jenkins the role, which would’ve made her the first woman to direct an MCU project. While Portman played the role of Jane Foster, she made it clear it was under duress of a contract, as she reportedly refused to do reshoots, requiring others to step in. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t return for 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok.” But seemingly, time can heal some wounds as Portman reprised her role in 2022’s “Thor: Love and Thunder.”

Matt Damon

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007)

Beyond Damon being the face of the franchise, another constant in the “Bourne” universe was Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote the first and second films. However, when he was involved in 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum,” that’s where problems arose for Damon. He stated in an interview with GQ that Gilroy made a deal with Universal to write one draft, with no notes or rewrites, and get a hefty paycheque. Damon described the script as “unreadable” and said that it would’ve ended Gilroy’s career if it'd been leaked publicly. However, contractually obliged, Damon had to do the film. The draft was reworked by several people, as Damon claimed Gilroy tried to get sole credit, which was rejected.

Raul Julia

“Street Fighter” (1994)

In 1994, “Street Fighter,” the film adaptation of the popular video game, dropped. And while panned critically, there was one highlight that the majority agrees on: Julia’s portrayal as General M. Bison was incredible. Yet what makes it even more impressive is that he did the role of the imposing villain as he was battling cancer. When the role was pitched to him, Julia mentioned it to his kids, whose eyes lit up as they were big fans of the game. With that in mind, he felt it was something he had to do and signed up for the role. Sadly, Julia wouldn’t get to see the film out to the general public as he passed away a month before its release.

Bruce Willis

“Armageddon” (1998)

Do you remember the 1997 sports rom-com “Broadway Brawler” starring Bruce Willis and Maura Tierney? No? Well, you know why you don’t? Because the movie never got made. Besides starring in the film, Willis was also a producer - and just three weeks into shooting, he demanded much of the crew be fired (including the director). This led The Walt Disney Company to shut it all down. While they could’ve sued Willis, they instead agreed to a deal in which he would make three movies for the company at a reduced rate. The first of which was “Armageddon.” Willis was paid just $3 million for the movie - as opposed to his going rate at the time, which was $20 million.

Pierce Brosnan

“Remington Steele” (1982-87)

Pierce Brosnan became a star thanks to the 80s television show “Remington Steele.” It’s probably thanks to that show that he was cast as James Bond. However, it was also because of that show that he didn’t become Bond sooner. You see, the action TV series premiered in 1982 and was canceled in 1986 - at which point Brosnan was offered the role of Bond in the upcoming film, “The Living Daylights.” However, NBC then reversed their cancellation decision and Brosnan was contractually obligated to return to the series. Not wanting the character associated with a currently airing television series the film’s producers rescinded their offer and gave the role to Timothy Dalton. It would be eight years before Brosnan finally became Bond, James Bond.

Winona Ryder

“Boys” (1996)

The film “Boys” starring Winona Ryder and Lukas Haas was both a critical and commercial failure back in 1996. And this probably didn’t come as much of a shock to those who made it. Director Stacy Cochran has stated that she and the studio had a falling out and there was “an extensive involuntary editing process” that ruined the movie. As for Ryder: in his biography of the actress, Nigel Goodall makes it clear that last-minute changes to the script had her regretting what she’d gotten herself into. But the contract was signed and she wasn’t getting out of it even though she would’ve liked to.

Alec Baldwin

“Rock of Ages” (2012)

At first, everything was great. Alec Baldwin signed on to be in “Rock of Ages” - excited to work with director Adam Shankman and some of the other stars, like Tom Cruise. But the honeymoon ended early. As Baldwin admitted in an interview back in 2013, “A week in you go, ‘Oh God, what have I done?’”. What he did was try and get out of it. While reporting at the time mentioned medical issues for Baldwin’s desire to leave the production, it would appear that the truth is he just thought the film was going to suck. Needless to say, the studio didn’t let him out of his deal.

Stanley Tucci

“The Lovely Bones” (2009)

Stanley Tucci didn’t try and get out of his contract to star in “The Lovely Bones” because he hated the film. It was because he hated his character. Tucci plays George Harvey - a serial killer who targets youths - in the 2009 Peter Jackson movie. As he told Entertainment Weekly, it was a tough experience playing such a horrible person. He even questioned Jackson as to why he was cast and actively tried to get out of it before they began filming. Not only did he not get out of his contract, but he ended up getting an Oscar nomination for his performance.

Val Kilmer

“Top Gun” (1986)

That’s right. It might sound crazy, but Val Kilmer basically had to be forced to play “Iceman” in “Top Gun.” Kilmer had already given Paramount two films in their three-movie deal and he - as the math would indicate - owed them one more. Well, it was because of that deal that Kilmer even went to meet with the director of the film, Tony Scott. While he still didn’t want to do it - finding the script “silly” - Scott (and his contractual obligations) convinced Kilmer to be in the film. He didn’t need any convincing to reprise his role in the 2022 sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.” Kilmer even openly campaigned for it.

Brad Pitt

“Troy” (2004)

This 2004 sword and sandal epic was the 8th highest-grossing film of the year and Brad Pitt did get some positive critical comments regarding his performance. However, it wasn’t a film that Pitt initially wanted to be in. But the studio sure did want him. In this case, the studio had the upper hand. You see, Pitt had pulled out of another film prior to that, and as a result, he owed the studio a movie. So, as he told The New York Times in 2019, “I was put in Troy.” We guess you could say that they found his Achilles’ heel.

Shia LaBeouf

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011)

It’s hard to believe, but Michael Bay actually made one decent “Transformers” movie. The first one, released in 2007, has a not great - but not terrible - Rotten Tomatoes score of 57%. It also grossed over $700 million. While the second one, “Revenge of the Fallen,” made even more money, it was critically panned - even by its star, Shia LaBeouf, who said, “I wasn't impressed with what we did.” Not wanting to be a part of a declining franchise (at least quality-wise) LaBeouf made a real effort to get out before the third movie. But there was the little thing of his signature on a contract for three films. So, he was stuck. He definitely wasn’t coming back for number four, though.

Bill Murray

“Garfield: The Movie” (2004)

What actor wouldn’t want to work with Joel Coen? As one-half of the Coen brothers, Joel is one of the great writers/directors of his generation. According to Bill Murray, when he saw that Joel had written “Garfield: The Movie,” he jumped at the chance to voice the titular cat. The only problem is that “Garfield: The Movie” was co-written by Joel Cohen (with an “h”) not Joel Coen of the Coen brothers. By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late to back out. We should point out that the other co-writer of the film, Alec Sokolow has called bull poo on Murray’s story about the Coen mixup. Who do you believe?

Daniel Craig

Multiple James Bond Movies

While some actors would surely jump at the chance to be James Bond - Daniel Craig was not such an actor. When he was offered the role as the next 007 back in 2005, it took him a little while, and some convincing, to accept the offer. While he garnered much praise, money, and stardom for his portrayal of the master spy - he only did five Bond films because he was contractually obligated to do so. His desire to get out of the franchise definitely escalated after the disaster that was “Quantum of Solace.” However, according to Craig, it had started even earlier than that. “I’ve been trying to get out of this from the very moment I got into it.”

Jennifer Garner

“Elektra” (2005)

After the critical failure that was “Daredevil,” Ben Affleck lucked out: no sequel for Matt Murdock. Sadly, Jennifer Garner found herself contractually locked into what was, quite frankly, a spin-off movie that nobody wanted – “Elektra.” For Ben, it meant a simple cameo, which never even made it into the final cut. For Garner, it was a starring role in an arguably even worse film than the one that preceded it. The spin-off earned a paltry $56.7 million at the worldwide box office, and, paired with “Daredevil,” is widely thought to have permanently damaged Garner’s marketability as a star, which at the time, had been on the rise.

Edward Norton

“The Italian Job” (2003)

This undeniably talented actor has gained somewhat of a reputation for being difficult to work with. As it turns out, that problem extends beyond his relationship with directors, editors and co-stars to studio heads as well. Like so many of our entries today, it would seem that a younger Edward Norton signed a multi-picture deal that, in hindsight, he wasn’t so keen to honor. It was a contractual dispute that lasted a whopping five years, and one which fostered a lot of anger between the two parties who seemingly could not agree on a picture. In the end, Norton was forced to star in “The Italian Job” or go to court.

Keanu Reeves

“The Watcher” (2000)

Imagine being told that you were legally obligated to do a film that, as far as you can remember, you never committed to. Though there were reports during filming that Reeves was dissatisfied, the whole story didn’t come out until 12 months after the film’s release, when Reeves’ contractually-obligated silence finally came to end. Able to say his piece, he claimed that his signature was forged but that he couldn’t prove it. Coming immediately on the tail of mega-hit “The Matrix,” you can understand why being the villain in a film whose script Keanu allegedly didn’t find interesting didn’t work for the actor. However, seeking to avoid a legal battle, he reluctantly acquiesced.

Roy Scheider

“Jaws 2” (1978)

After the first flick birthed the concept of a summer blockbuster, you’d think that every cast member who survived the original “Jaws” would be desperate to jump back in. Not star Roy Scheider, who only returned as penance for bailing out on another film. Let’s just say… he made the wrong choice. “Jaws 2” was a nightmare from pre-production through to its completion, with frequent rewrites, production delays and struggles to find a suitable director. Roy Scheider was reportedly very unhappy throughout, but it meant his contract with Universal would be complete and so he stuck it out. The Universal movie he had quit? The critically-acclaimed “Deer Hunter”... and in the starring role no less.

Channing Tatum

“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009)

For young, up-and-coming stars, it can be tempting to sign multiple picture deals. Guaranteed work? Why not?! But a few years down the line, and you could find yourself forced to play roles you hate in films that make you cringe. It’s a lesson that Channing Tatum learned the hard way after signing a three film deal with Paramount. “G.I. Joe” might’ve helped increase his public profile, but after the fact, he has been vocal about hating it and very clear that he only accepted the role of Duke under fear of legal action.

Emily Blunt

"Gulliver's Travels" (2010)

Talk about missed opportunities. In hindsight, Emily Blunt has claimed that she’s happy that she didn’t wind up in the role of Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, given that women in superhero films tend to take the backseat to the male leads. Fair criticism. But to think that “Gulliver’s Travels” was the reason she didn’t get the part? Well, that’s just painful. As Variety reported in 2009, a contract signed with 20th Century Fox back when Blunt played a role in the “The Devil Wears Prada” gave them enough leverage to force her participation. And so… Emily Blunt missed out on the MCU and instead got to play the pint-sized Princess Mary.

Mike Myers

“The Cat in the Hat” (2003)

For those who grew up loving the Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss’ other colorful stories, this movie felt like a slap in the face. And though Mike Myers has made some rather questionable movie choices over the years, it seems that his participation in this particular travesty was not of his own volition. When a script bringing his SNL character Dieter to life proved subpar, Myers reportedly backed out of the film, and Universal sued. It was ultimately settled out of court, and the details are murky, but the consensus is… “The Cat in the Hat” was the compromise. According to co-star Amy Hill, Myers’ disdain was rather palpable on-set.

Geena Davis

“Cutthroat Island” (1995)

This action adventure rom-com is widely recognized as one of the biggest box office flops in cinematic history and the film that took pirate films off the map until Disney took on the genre years later. “Cutthroat Island” would not have involved Geena Davis if she’d had her way. When co-star Michael Douglas dropped out of the film, Davis saw the winds changing and tried to jump ship as well. Unfortunately for her, unlike Michael Douglas, her participation had already been made legally binding. In addition to sinking production company Carolco Pictures, it is also remembered as the film that irreparably damaged Geena Davis’ career.

Marlon Brando

“Désirée” (1954)

Unlike so many other films on our list today, this 1954 picture by 20th Century Fox was reasonably well-received by critics, earning two Academy Award nominations for Costume Design and Art Direction. The film is far from a masterpiece and, as far as Brando’s filmography is concerned, is little more than a forgettable footnote. Had Brando gotten his way though, it wouldn’t have had a place on his resume whatsoever. However, after signing on to play in “The Egyptian” for 20th Century Fox, he walked away due to problems with the script. Fox sued, and “Désirée” served as the forgettable compromise between the actor and the studio.

Whoopi Goldberg

“Theodore Rex” (1995)

Kids these days aren’t very familiar with Whoopi Goldberg, but the EGOT winner was once a truly marketable star. Though she continued to land some solid roles after this farce of a film, it’s hard not to draw a correlation between the overall dip in quality roles and her involvement with one “Theodore Rex.” Goldberg verbally agreed to do the film in 1992 and then tried to back out, only to be hit with a $20 million lawsuit. In the end, Goldberg begrudgingly played the part, but continues to insist that it’s one of her biggest regrets. After terrible test screenings, the film was sent straight-to-video.

If any of these actors mentioned in the video didn’t have to do the part they were forced to perform, who would you select to replace them? Let us know below!