The hit movies Brad Pitt will always regret turning down: “I’ve passed on some major hits”
Brad Pitt has starred in more cinematic gems than most actors can even dream of.
Over the course of his stellar career, Pitt appeared in numerous modern masterpieces, but he still has some regrets about turning down projects that went on to become truly iconic. It is to be expected, for sure, but the level of regret Pitt must feel is surely one of Hollywood’s grandest scales.
Losing out on a role must be devastating. To set yourself up to play a character in a movie and not get the part is perhaps one of the more painful experiences an actor can go through. To then see that part go to someone else and then reach new levels of success must feel like untold misery. But there is something that is worse.
Rejecting a role, either because of schedule issues or simply not seeing the value of the role, might be par for the course for a star as big as Brad Pitt, but the level of roles he has turned down is gigantic. They have been Oscar-winning critical darlings, box office smashes and culture-defining gems.
During a conversation with OK! Magazine, Pitt opened up about the incredible opportunities that had slipped through his fingers and cited the iconic sci-fi hit The Matrix. Pitt said: “If we were doing a show on the great movies I’ve passed on, we’d need two nights… I did pass on The Matrix. I took the red pill!”
Although most fans cannot think of The Matrix without associating Keanu Reeves with the movie, there was a time when Pitt was considered for Neo’s immortal role. However, the actor had to pass on the project because of commitments to other productions such as Being John Malkovich and Seven Years in Tibet.
Earlier this year, Pitt revealed that he is planning on retiring as an actor soon to focus on becoming a film producer. Due to the gravity of the announcement, many journalists have asked Pitt to reflect on the highs and lows of his career in recent interviews.
During the promotional campaign of his latest film Bullet Train, Pitt talked about his attitude toward new projects with BBC Radio 1:” ‘No’, it’s the strongest word we have, it’s more important to what we say no to than what we say yes to. We have to say no 10, 20, 30 times before we find a yes.” Unfortunately for Pitt, he said no to films such as The Shawshank Redemption and The Departed.
While talking about the acclaimed films he has passed on, Pitt credited the brilliance of the actors who replaced him: “I’ve passed on some major hits. No, because whatever actor ended up doing it, it’s theirs.” Although Pitt announced his potential retirement, he hasn’t yet turned down every single role and there is a chance that he could just be waiting for the right one.
The hit movies Brad Pitt regrets turning down:
- The Matrix (Wachowski sisters, 1999)
- Apollo 13 (Ron Howard, 1995)
- The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002)
- The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994)
- Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe, 2000)
- The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006)
