10 actors who turned down a massive payday

Find out why these actors turned down big bucks…

1. Matt Damon – “Avatar”

Matt Damon was originally for the lead role of Jake Sully in “Avatar,” but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Looking back, the actor revealed that director James Cameron offered him 10% of the film’s profits if he accepted the role, which would have totaled more than $250 million.

“Jim Cameron suggested ‘Avatar’ to me. And when he offered it to me, he said, “Now listen. I do not need anyone. I don’t need a name for that, a named actor. If you don’t take this, I’ll find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn’t really need you. But if you take the role, I’ll give you ten percent of [the film’s profits].’ I realized that by saying no, I was probably missing the chance to work with him. So it sucks and it’s always brutal. But my children all eat. I’m fine,” Matt told GQ.

2. Sean Connery – ” The Lord of the Rings “

Before Ian McKellen joined the cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, the late Sean Connery was asked to play Gandalf. Sean was reportedly offered $30 million along with 15% of box office earnings – which would have totaled over $400 million. Despite the huge salary, Sean still turned down director Peter Jackson, who says the actor just didn’t understand the script.

“We made Connery an offer, but he said no. We didn’t get a response until years later, but apparently he read the document and just didn’t understand it,” Peter told the Independent.

3. Will Ferrell – “Elf 2”

After the massive success of “Elf”, a sequel was written which again starred Will Ferrell. He was offered $29 million to reprise the role of Buddy the Elf, but he turned it down because he thought the plot was just rehashing the first film.

“I should have promoted the movie from an honest place, which would have been, ‘Oh no, that’s not good. I just couldn’t refuse so much money.’ And I thought, “Can I really say those words?” I don’t think I can do it, so I guess I can’t do the movie,’” Will told THR.

4. Josh Hartnet – ” The black Knight “

Josh Hartnett was originally for the role of Batman in the ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy but turned it down because he was exhausted. While it’s unclear exactly how much it was offered, the role ended up going to Christian Bale, which earned $45 million.

“I definitely said no to some of the wrong people. I said no because I was tired and wanted to spend more time with my friends and family. It’s frowned upon in this industry. People don’t like being told no. I learned my lesson when Christopher Nolan and I talked about “Batman.” I decided it wasn’t for me. So he didn’t want to put me in ‘Le Prestige’. They didn’t just hire their Batman for this, they also hired my girlfriend [Scarlett Johansson] at the time,” Josh told the Guardian.

5. Keanu Reeves – “Speed ​​2: Cruise control”

When “Speed” became a huge box office hit, star Keanu Reeves was immediately asked to return for the sequel. The actor was even offered $11 million for the role, but ended up turning it down because he wasn’t a fan of the script.

“I couldn’t be in there. Well, I decided not to be in there. I read the script and I was like, ‘Ugggghhh’. It was about a cruise ship and I was thinking, ‘A cruise ship is even slower than a bus’ and I was like, ‘I love you guys, but I just can’t do it “, Keanu said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live. »

6. Michael Keaton – “Batman Forever”

Michael Keaton had already portrayed Batman in two previous films when he was asked to return for “Batman Forever.” Unfortunately, Michael wasn’t as interested in the film after director Tim Burton left and ended up turning down a $15 million salary.

“The simple answer was that it was not good. I was nice. I told them, ‘He’s a really interesting character with a split personality. I tried to make them understand. But when someone says to you, “Does it have to be that dark?

seven. Matthew McConaughey – Unknown

Matthew McConaughey became the king of romantic comedies in the early 2000s, but there came a time when he wanted to pivot his career in a new direction. At the time, he was only getting offers for the same kinds of movies, and he decided he had to start turning them down if he wanted to move on to different kinds of roles. This included turning down a movie that offered him $14.5 million.

“I declined the offer. If I couldn’t do what I wanted, I wasn’t going to do what I wouldn’t do, no matter the cost,” Matthew wrote in his memoir “Greenlights.”

8. jerry seinfeld – “Seinfield”

After nearly a decade on the air, Jerry Seinfeld just wasn’t interested in another season of “Seinfeld.” Amid the show’s massive success, the network wanted Jerry to return for one more season, but he refused. The actor was reportedly offered $110 million for the season, which would have totaled $5 million per episode, but he says he doesn’t regret turning it down.

“It was the perfect moment… The most important word in art is ‘proportion’. How long will this joke last? How many words? How many minutes ? And being successful is what makes it art or what makes it mediocre,” Jerry told The New York Times Magazine.

9. Russell Crowe – ” The Lord of the Rings “

Russell Crowe was offered the role of Aragorn in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, but turned down what would have been a huge salary because he felt he wasn’t director Peter Jackson’s first choice. Reflecting on the situation, Russell says he was offered 10% of the trilogy’s revenue, which could have amounted to over $100 million.

“I didn’t think Peter Jackson really wanted me in this movie, because I think he was forced to talk to me, because there was a point where everyone wanted me everywhere…I’m talking to him on the phone, and it’s like, I don’t think he even knows what I did. I just knew my instinct was that he had someone else in mind, which turned out to be Viggo [Mortensen]and he should be allowed to hire any actor he wants,” Russell said on “The Howard Stern Show.”

ten. Jim Parson

After 12 seasons on the air, Jim Parsons was ready to say goodbye to “The Big Bang Theory,” even though he was making a lot of money. Before the show ended, Jim was making almost $1 million per episode, and CBS wanted him to sign on for two more seasons. If he had stayed, Jim would have won over $50 million – but he still refused.

Jim later explained that leading up to the show’s final season, he had “an intense summer” of work and personal events that wore him down and claimed he was making the right choice to walk away .