Top 10 Actors Who Were Legally Forced Into Roles

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.

This undeniably talented actor has gained somewhat of 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.

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.

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.

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 accept the role of Duke under fear of legal action.

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.

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.

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.

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.



Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions



Val Kilmer

“Top Gun” (1986)



Shia LaBeouf

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009)

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.