Actors who were forced to play roles against their will (2024)

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Natalie Portman- The actress'unwillingness toappear in some movies, including 'Thor' (2011) and 'Thor: The Dark World' (2013), isnot surprising. The superhero flicks don't have much in common withher previous Oscar-winning work in 'Black Swan' (2010).

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Natalie Portman- In addition to not identifying with the role and the franchise, the star also wanted to dedicate herself toher newborn son. But there was no way around it: she was forced toappear in bothmovies because of her contract.

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Channing Tatum- Unlike Portman, Channing Tatum has no problem starring in blockbusters. In fact, he has a bunch of them under his belt!Yetfrom the beginning, the actor suspected that 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' (2009) was going to be a failure.

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Channing Tatum- Althoughhe liked the storyline, the actor admitted that the script was weak and thathe would have preferred to play the murderous villaininstead of the hero. Tatumlaterconfessed that he hated this job and that he was forced to do it.

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Channing Tatum- Curiously, Tatum hasremained attached tothe movie about the mutant Gambit, even with the problems the production has faced, including the director quitting.

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Keanu Reeves- The actor was at the top of his career after the success of 'The Matrix' (1999). After the movie, however, Reeves dedicated himself to his band, Dogstar. But then director and (false) friend Joe Charbanic, who filmed the band's shows and wanted to join the movie industry, tricked him.

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Keanu Reeves- Charbanic faked the star's signature to make 'The Watcher' (2000). Reeves did not go to court for fear of failing to prove the fraud. But after it was released, the actor went public to tell the truth about the director, who eventually got burned in the industry.

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Emily Blunt- The actress had her first big break with the success of 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2006). Shortly afterwards, Marvel wanted her to play Black Widow in 'Iron Man 2' (2010), but her contract with Fox required her to star in another film.

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Emily Blunt- The British actress had towithstandthe failure that was 'Gulliver's Travels' (2010), andshe eventuallylost theMarvel roleto Scarlett Johansson.

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Whoopi Goldberg- The actress was forced todo 'Theodore Rex' (1995), amovie thatwas made followingthe success of '90s hit series 'Dinosaurs.'

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Whoopi Goldberg- At first,Goldberg agreed only verbally to starring in the film. After two years, the actressdid not want to do the movie any longer,but ended up starring init anyway. The film was so bad that it was only released on video, for fear of losing millions of dollars.

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Val Kilmer- 'Top Gun' (1986) was ahuge boost in his career, but the actor actually did not want to do it at all.

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Val Kilmer-

'Top Gun' was part of a contract with Paramount that Kilmer signed for three films. The actor later said that director Tony Scott ran after him begging him toappear in the movie.

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Jennifer Garner-

The actress had alreadyplayed the role of Elektra in 'Daredevil' (2003) and the experiencewas not the best. Butthat was just a supporting role.It got worse when they made a solo movie, 'Elektra' (2005).

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Jennifer Garner-

Tied upby a contract, the star had to play the sensual heroine once again.She did not speak openly about the job, but ex-boyfriend Michael Vartan later said she had founditawful.

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Edward Norton- His debut film 'Primal Fear' (1996) was so lauded that it earned him an Oscar nomination. But it also meant the actor got stuckin a contract with Paramount.

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Edward Norton- 'The Italian Job' (2003) with Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron wasone of the movies that Norton did against his will.

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Edward Norton- Rememberhim in 'The Incredible Hulk' in 2008? Well, the actor said that he did like playing the character, but also criticized the Marvel Universe films.

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Edward Norton- According to some sources, the Marvel team found Norton difficult to work with.The actor was later replaced by Mark Ruffalo.

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Ben Affleck- Affleckhas been in both successful and unsuccessful movies. Inthe latter category, one of the most notorious was the previously mentioned 'Daredevil' (2003).

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Ben Affleck- But after winning the Oscar for Best Picture for 'Argo' (2012), which he directed, Affleck seemed to be more selective with his roles. Then, however, came the responsibility of playing, once again, a superhero—Batman. Themovie 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' (2016)met mixed reviews.

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Ben Affleck- Affleck's contracttiedhim into appearing in new movies. In 'Justice League' (2017),he didn't seem to put much effort into his performance and also appeared disinterested in promoting the movie.

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Mike Myers- The actor had to do 'The Cat in the Hat' (2003) after he declined a movie he had agreed with Universal to, this because he didn't like the script.

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Mike Meyers- Because of this, Universal filed a millionaire lawsuit against the actor, but also presented him with 'The Cat in the Hat' as an alternative option. Myerssuccumbed to the pressure and made the movie, which wasa failureand received several nominations for the Golden Raspberry Awards, which elect the worst films.

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Marlon Brando- When he was forced to make the film 'Désirée' (1954), Marlon Brando showed that he was not at allhappyabout it.

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Marlon Brando- Forced by contract toplay Napoleon, the actor hated the script and began to sabotage the movie. Despite his boycott efforts (he was forgetting his lines on purpose,speaking with an accent, and causing chaos behind the scenes), the film was a success, earning two Oscar nominations.

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Cast of 'Movie 43' (2013)- This must be one of the worstmovies ever, and yet it stars several big actors. So, how did it ever get made? It started when influential producer Charles B. Wessler persuaded Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman to film a sketch.

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Cast of 'Movie 43' (2013)- Wessler managed to persuade other actors with this scene of Winslet and Jackman. After all, if they were willing to appearin the movie, the project could be interesting! But then everyone realized it was actually a fiasco.

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Cast of 'Movie 43' (2013)-

Colin Farrell and George Clooney did avoid it, but it was too late for others to pull out. Emma Stone, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Banks, Terrence Howard, and Uma Thurman were so traumatized that they didn'teven show up tothe premiere.

See also: Hollywood stars accused of being hypocrites

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Actors who were forced to play roles against their will (2024)

FAQs

What is it called when an actor tries for a role? ›

AUDITION. Process where the director or casting director of a production asks actors / performers to show them what they can do. Sometimes very nerve-wracking, but auditions can be a fairly painless process if handled properly.

Are actors forced to do movies? ›

Actors can be contractually forced to star in movies they dislike, often due to deals with major studios, leading to regret and dissatisfaction. The Hollywood studio system, known for its exploitative practices, gave studios ultimate power over casting and production until it was banned in 1948.

Can an actor refuse a role? ›

It is always okay to turn down a role. There is, however, a time when it is not okay to accept work and that is when you are already booked to do something else, no matter how trivial. Your word is your bond. Actors are freelancers, meaning they are free to do whatever they want.

Why do actors get trauma from roles? ›

Actors often use their life experiences to evoke emotions and give a compelling performance. Connecting with personal experiences for a role, however, can manifest traumatic experiences. Trauma in the acting process can trigger difficult memories and emotions, which affects the actor's well-being.

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