Some actors are so well suited playing certain characters that imagining the same film with someone else in it is out of the question.
But know that your favourite actor might not be the first choice for the makers of the film. They have a wide spectrum of actors to chose from and sometimes the alternative preferences become their ultimate pick!
Here are 12 actors who were cut down from the projects because they simply went out of budget.
1. Nawazuddin Siddiqui
He was supposedly promised a significant role in Akshay Kumar’s Jolly LLB 2, but the actor demanded Rs. 3.5 crores, which the creators of the low-budget film couldn’t afford.
2. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise was one of the top contenders for the part of Jack Dawson in Titanic. The actor’s price, on the other hand, assured that he would never be able to join a film that was already so expensive.
3. Harrison Ford
It’s difficult to picture anybody else in the character of Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Bob Hoskins was not the first pick for the part. In reality, Harrison Ford was the first choice. However, his background in big-budget blockbusters had made him too pricey to be a part of this movie.
4. Sonakshi Sinha
Sonakshi Sinha was the first option for Salman Khan’s Kick, but with the success of Son Of Sardar and with Dabangg 2 on the way, Sonakshi’s fees skyrocketed. Jacequeline Fernandez ended up leading in Kick.
5. Laurence Fishburne
According to Quentin Tarantino, Samuel Jackson was not meant to play Zeus in Die Hard with a Vengeance at first. In reality, Laurence Fishburne was the original choice for the role. Fishburne demanded $1 million since he knew the role was intended for him and the directors had few other alternatives. As a result, the producer picked Jackson over Laurence Fishburne.
6. Sridevi
Sridevi was the initial option to play Mahishmati queen Shivagami in Baahubali franchise, but the actress demanded a hefty amount of Rs. 6 crores, which was beyond the makers’ budget. Actress Ramya Krishna, on the other hand, took the part for barely Rs. 2.5 crores and completely aced it.
7. Marcus Chong
Almost everyone from the original Matrix film returned for the sequels, except for Marcus Chong’s Tank. As per the report, Warner offered him $400,000 for the film, but Chong demanded $1 million and he didn’t budge. Chong was arrested in 2000 for making threatening phone calls to Warner Bros. and the Wachowskis about being cut from the film.
8. Kareena Kapoor
Karan Johar offered Kareena Kapoor the blockbuster hit Kal Ho Na Ho. This happened on the night of the release of Kareena’s film Mujhse Dosti Karoge and she demanded the same amount for the film that Shah Rukh Khan was receiving, prompting Karan to withdraw his offer. Preity Zinta was then his choice.
9. R Madhavan
In Fanney Khan, which also stars Anil Kapoor, R Madhavan would have been seen romancing Aishwarya Rai. However, it was reported that, while the producers wanted to cast the actor, he demanded 1.5 crores for a 15-day shoot, which was considerably more than the stipulated budget. So the role was given to Rajkumar Rao instead.
10. Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard first played the War Machine in 2008’s Iron Man. For Iron Man 2, Downey’s salary was expected to rise to a reported $10 million. As a result, Howard’s compensation was cut significantly by Marvel Studios, to only $40,000 each film, as per the actor. Howard was offended by this.
11. Crispin Glover
Crispin Glover, who played Marty McFly’s father George in the first Back to the Future, was requested to reprise his role in the sequel, but there were disputes about his pay. “I wanted to be in the movie,” Glover recalled in 2013, “but the offer was less than half of what Lea Thompson and Tom Wilson who had similar sized roles – just wasn’t fair.”
12. Sean Connery
The original James Bond actor, Sean Connery, quit the franchise following You Only Live Twice. “The last straw was [Connery’s] salary of $750,000 with 25% of merchandise profits,” wrote The Express. “Connery announced he would only return for a sixth film if he was paid $1 million and some of the film’s profits.” He wasn’t, so he walked away.
Some actors just aren’t destined to inhabit certain roles and are simply replaced by someone else who later becomes the face of the film.