Stern Show Guests Share the Roles They Turned Down - Part 2

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Stern Show Guests Share the Roles They Turned Down - Part 2

Key Points

Jake Gyllenhaal was cast in City Slickers at age 11, but his parents made him turn down the Mighty Ducks role to focus on education
He dropped out of Columbia University to pursue acting after getting October Sky, despite initially seeking his parents' approval
Gyllenhaal has never watched The Mighty Ducks, the film he was prevented from doing as a child
He auditioned for Twilight but didn't know what it was at the time and wasn't particularly interested
The only audition rejection that truly devastated him was Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which went to Mia Wasikowska
He wasn't afraid Hunger Games would typecast him because he had a solid indie career and liked the balance of acting without extreme fame
Hugh Jackman received interest for James Bond but turned it down after consulting Russell Crowe, who advised him to understand the long-term direction
He regrets not taking the Chicago musical role, feeling he was too concerned about being too young for the part
Mick Jagger visits the set of his current project every couple of weeks, which is disconcerting while trying to act
Martin Scorsese cast him after he unsuccessfully auditioned for Wolf of Wall Street, showing how rejection can lead to other opportunities
He didn't want the Avatar role partly because it would require moving to New Zealand for potentially nine years
James Cameron's Avatar audition involved reading a script for 45 minutes then performing in a room full of acrobats and blue screens
Hugh Grant was considered for Two and a Half Men after Charlie Sheen's departure but declined due to lack of script and character details
He discovered TV actors like Simon Helberg from Big Bang Theory are much wealthier than film actors
Natasha Lyonne was offered both Dawson's Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer when WB started, but turned them down at age 16
Russell Crowe turned down Lord of the Rings, potentially losing $100 million, because he sensed Peter Jackson preferred Viggo Mortensen
He also passed on playing Wolverine, believing Hugh Jackman was better suited for the long-term commitment the role required
Crowe has never done a sequel, having grown up when sequels were typically inferior to the originals, though he'd be interested in revisiting some characters like Bud White from LA Confidential

Full Transcript

Language: en
why did you turn down roles on Dawson's
Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
weren't you in fact chosen to be Buffy
the Vampire Slayer before Sarah Michelle
a long time ago did you not know this
and early on your parents kept a lid on
you because you were a talented kid I
mean to get cast in City Slickers how
old are you 11 12. yeah I was 11 11
years old that's a pretty big deal and
that was a huge movie and a great movie
but um you had gotten uh an audition for
Mighty Ducks which was a big big movie
you pass the audition you got the role
your parents put the kill on it yeah
when you're a kid who knows at that age
you want to be an actor Will you again
are you just so [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] disappointed in
your parents for making you turn down
that role yeah man I mean it was like it
was that's I mean someone's telling you
to star in a movie it's crazy and then
they say you can't it's like they're
crazy do you throw a tantrum do you say
because I could have whined and cried my
way into that role I definitely remember
like crying on the kitchen counter right
you know what I mean being like what
like you guys are crazy and did your
sister even step in I mean because
Maggie was like
ah she's not a nice person but she was
like laughing at you taunting you I
don't even remember my sister in the
equation I don't even know where she was
she was like she really didn't care but
but like my parents were they were like
look you're about to enter Junior High
School you got to get your education
that's the most important thing I
promise you you hate us now but you know
you'll you'll you'll thank us later and
I was like and I do I thank them later
after City Slickers I mean your world's
gotta kind of turn upside down because
suddenly like you're in the acting world
but your parents keep you level-headed
you even go off to college right you you
finished high school you go off to
college but then you get into college
and it's been pretty [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] magical
because you go to Columbia and then you
drop out because you got October Sky
right well at that point I actually got
that movie when I was in my senior year
in high school they had gotten into
Columbia early right and they said all
right you can audition now and I would
go with my free periods when I when I
wasn't in class and I would go and
audition and for about like a year a
year and a half I was just I was
auditioning for things and then I got
this part that would shoot after I'd
gotten to college in the second semester
my senior and I shot it then so when you
decide to drop out you call your parents
to ask them their as permission which is
a weird thing to have to do because
you're at that age where you're like I
could be doing I could be working and
making my own living yeah but they're
paying for my education right and you
want their approval at the same point
absolutely I think you're at an age
where you you're sort of balancing
between what's mine and what's theirs
and what have I been taught I don't
think you're I wasn't so sure at the
time so if your parents had said to you
in that phone conversation you don't
have our blessing we want you to stay in
college would you have done it no you
still would have loved it yeah I would
have left so you basically told them
look man this is it I've got the acting
I remember Mighty Ducks right [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] you
suspicious Payback
Mighty Ducks forget about
maybe like a professional hockey team
after that movie man I mean like when
your parents forbid you from doing
Mighty Ducks did you go see the film uh
when you were a kid I still have yet to
see the film Howard are you serious I
have I hold such uh you know right did
you go see the film as a kid I I think
yes I did killing us because you knew
the part who got your party Emilio
Estevez got my partner no I'm kidding no
I got your part um I don't know you know
no I don't you really don't know did it
kill you to go to the Moon did you say
to your parents let's go see this
[&nbsp;__&nbsp;] movie that I could have been
there we're all gonna go Mom and Dad
you auditioned for Twilight I did why
didn't you get that I would think you'd
be good for that I didn't really know
what it was when you audition when
you're like you know like a
run-of-the-mill act you know we're all
auditioning for all sorts of things you
just get like five pages yeah and and
then they're like act monkey when it
came out I was like hot damn right whoa
yeah were you jealous that um you
weren't in that movie because as an
actress no the only thing Emma Stone and
I actually had this conversation once
because we used to I'd always audition
for the same thing
um which now seems silly but
um she she got one thing that I was
dying for but the one thing that really
killed me like the only time I've ever
been truly devastated by losing an
audition because most of the time you're
like ah wasn't meant to be move on what
can you do was at Tim Burton's Alice in
Wonderland uh that one devastated me she
was perfect and amazing and I couldn't
have had a British accent and you know
oh wow that that's a tough thing yeah
when you got in Hunger Games and you
knew it was going to be big was that
like consciously like I need a Twilight
I want that level of hit movie no
because I was kind of I had such a solid
Indie career at that point that I was
like this is perfect I get to act and
I'm not go that famous like I can that
was what was nice about the the sitcom I
was just getting checks right acting
having fun no but were you afraid that
Hunger Games would uh Typecast you that
you wouldn't get yeah yeah I mean I knew
it was going to be a life changer I knew
um and then in the other fear was yeah
only being known for that character but
that's a testament to your acting
because you've been able to do Hunger
Games and then get these other roles no
well it's true
you turn down James Bond not really yes
no no no no I got it no I got a call
from my agent saying they're interested
in you for Bond and they want to know if
it's something you're interested in
and I took that as uh they're gonna ask
it's a bit like the Secret Service
they're not they don't want to offer it
to you and you say no right so no one
probably rejected there were canvassing
six or seven people and at the time I at
the time I was like well I've got I've
got X-Men and I know I'm going to an
X-Men 2 right I actually rang Russell
and got advice for him about I said man
what do you think I should do
and he said to me he goes you make sure
you know the direction it's going in man
because you're going to be if you say
yes to that and it works you've got
X-Men Bond X-Men Bond X-Men Bond so you
want to make sure you're doing something
that you really love and and I remember
going back and saying I I said okay
before I say yes or no like who's
directing it and where we add and I
thought it kind of needed a bit of a
change and and and they said oh no no
you just sign on I was like ah you know
it's not for me and in my head I
remember saying to my age and I said I
think it should I feel it's got to go
back to being a little more Sean Connery
there's a little tougher and maybe you
know anyway so I go to see Casino Royale
I was like oops
is that the worst feeling at this point
you don't give a [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] I mean because no
that was fine the worst feeling was
Chicago watching Chicago because I I'd
weirdly come I I never thought I would
do musicals that was a huge shock to me
that I got into musicals right yeah so I
I but now I've got offers in movies and
I can do musicals and I'm thinking well
hopefully I'll get to do a movie Musical
and that one came to me the and uh I
thought I was way too young well I was
too young I was 30 playing the part and
he's got a line uh the character he goes
I've seen it all kid yeah to Renee
zellweg and I was like I'm the same age
as well I'm a 30 year old I said I don't
think I can pull that off right and when
I went to watch the movie my Palms were
sweating because the moment it opened up
I I was going uh I really should have
just said let's put some makeup on let's
go old
and by the way Richard gave us uh so
perfect for it I actually kind of a bit
disappointed myself I tell you that
story but I've told it before but
otherwise I wouldn't because I always
think it's a little
you know Richard Gere said I'm going
really dude like you're telling the
world like I you know you were offered a
first like thanks pal but I think that
there's such a passage of time and the
guy was so successful with it yeah
you're not I don't think you're hurting
him by saying Daniel Craig doesn't give
a [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] either you know what I mean no he
doesn't we're good mates and and by the
way he would have got the same call I
got I have since heard a bunch of people
uh got that call
now does Mick Jagger show up on the set
yes oh he does you've had meetings with
him it's really disconcerting that he's
there and that I still have to act and
I'm like freaking out you mean he'll
show up how often though he came like I
don't know every couple weeks no kidding
and does Scorsese show up as well yeah
he already directed the first episode
and he's around and he he really keeps a
close eye on it are you nervous around a
guy like Marty scorsay you can't be
because he's like the nicest person in
the world but just acting in front but I
guess when you've been doing it long
enough you don't get nervous once he
hired me I was like okay he hired me for
a reason I'm gonna just do my best and
he's awesome I mean everyone says the
same thing did you have to audition for
that show
I did not because I had auditioned
unsuccessfully for Wolf of Wall Street
ah so he had seen your work before
that's the one I was too old for is it
oh no really yeah but I watched it and I
was like oh she's perfect right I
thought she kicked so much ass in that
movie but don't you sort of as an
actress that's a that's a plum role and
you just kind of go oh [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] what could I
have done differently I have some
ability to cut off emotionally the
second I don't get a role it's like dead
to me but Martin Scorsese it shows you
though he must have really liked your
audition because he put you in this
other thing yeah it was cool it shows
that like if you don't get something job
interview whatever you do for a living
like it might lead to something else
what happened when you uh auditioned for
Avatar like that's a big movie you
wanted the role I take it in no not
really no I wouldn't you're crazy it's
so great what do you mean I'm crazy no
it's great no I think it's funny that
you audition for something you really
don't even want you didn't even well
here's what here's one here's what it is
here's what I have so I get this I got
this agent at the time uh
John Burnham he's an old style guy and
he's like you know he's excited they get
excited so look Jim wants to meet with
you and I'm like all right why not and
but in the back of my head I'm like do
am I going to do this I mean you know
what what is this thing he's shooting
four movies at once I didn't and even
there's no script but it's like in
general I mean go down there meet him so
I drive all the way to Long Beach and
where I live in Glendale Long Beach is
like you got a pack of tent you got a
plan for the night so I go so I drive to
Long Beach and he he's like he's got
like a an airport hanger he's like he's
got a building that's the size of Long
Beach and I go in there and I meet him
and you know it's it's kind of
impressive it's it he's showing me
around it's like Cirque du Soleil down
there he's got actors there they're
they're they're on trapezius they're
jumping around they're flying through
the air the only you know they're
they're working out stunts and [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] and
he meets me and I don't know what's
going to happen and we're talking and he
says this is the deal you know this is
the the part is this and and if you if
you get it you're probably gonna have to
to move to New Zealand for like nine
years because it's going to take us like
nine years
you don't want to live in New Zealand
yeah dude I barely want to go out on the
road because I worry about my stupid
cats so right so there's no script but
he says here read this is the part you
know sit down with it read it and then
we're going to do an audition and I'm
like what so I I get the script and I
sit there for like 45 minutes and I read
it and before this he takes he's got
like a museum of himself down there you
can go look at the the Titanic and that
was kind of interesting not not open to
the public and then like he says are you
ready or you know and then he brings me
into a room with a bunch of other people
the acrobats and other people that were
working there I have no sense of what
things look like there's you know blue
screens around but I'm just floating
with this with these lines uh the guy's
like a scientist or and he's got a
drinking problem not sure what the guy
from uh Flight of the Concords got the
part so I'm just scrambling to do this
thing and then I left and I was like
thank God I don't think that's gonna
happen I don't have to move to New
Zealand I don't I didn't even want to be
presented with the choice Howard I
didn't even I that's the worst thing is
that you don't want to do something but
then your agent says they want you to do
it and then you're like oh [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] so now I
got to sit here and think about how am I
going to live in New Zealand for two
years what's that going to do to me you
you got to clear up something else for
me I had Jon Cryer in here from Two and
a Half Men and his whole he wrote a book
and he said that you grant after uh
Charlie Sheen had his meltdown Hugh
Grant was gonna be the guy on American
television to take over and I remember
this and I was kind of like wow that's a
pretty big get they got you grant to
take over the Charlie Sheen role you
were considering it though right Two and
a Half Men they talked to me about it
but the problem was they didn't have uh
a script or a new character they just
said trust us we'll create one it's all
to do with a very tight time schedule
that American television seems to work
on yeah they have to start in September
or whatever it is and they have their
upfronts and all that and I said well
it's very difficult for me to consider
this without a script they said trust us
trust us yeah I said well you're
obviously brilliantly talented because I
like that show and uh yes they make
brilliant TV shows really but I said I'm
too scared to sign up without a script
that would have been interesting would
you did you watch it out of curiosity
when they brought in uh you know Ashton
Kutcher did you did you want to see what
the heck they had done with this I did
yes yeah were you did you have any
regrets about not trusting them on that
well it was still a very good show but
what they created fashion was clearly
something completely different from what
they would have created for me so it's
hard to judge the money would have been
tremendous yeah it was it was
stratospheric absolutely I had no idea
how much TV was worth here yeah this guy
um Simon Helberg who's in Florence
Foster Jenkins yes uh when he came over
to work on the film I might have been
vaguely patreon rising to him because he
hadn't done films before yeah gradually
you realize not only is the guy a much
bigger star than me he's maybe the
richest man I've ever met
why did you turn down roles on Dyson's
Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
weren't you in fact chosen to be Buffy
the Vampire Slayer before Sarah Michelle
a long time ago did you not know this
Allison did you know that yeah
you were the first person to get offered
Buffy the Vampire well when the WB first
started I was um I was uh yeah they
asked me to do any of the shows so
Dawson's Creek and and Buffy I don't
think Allison Hannigan is freaking out
oh they were offered no but I'm not
that's it's nice Allison so Natasha's
lying is what you're saying yes I'm not
I'm not I mean I was I was 16 and I told
him the only thing I would want to do
was like some sort of Carol Burnett
sketcho um for the WB but then I decided
that I did not want to be committed when
I was 16 years old
I'm talking about two movies that I
thought of that you turned down uh and
one of them would have been a monster
was it Lord of the Rings you turned down
yeah and they offered you ten percent
yeah this is the business now 10 of the
gross of the movie I I did the math for
you to eat your heart out
why did you turn down Lord of the Rings
number one I didn't think Peter Jackson
actually wanted me on the film
because I think he was forced into
talking to me because there was a moment
in time when any everybody wanted me and
everything and he's a fellow New
Zealander right you know and so I can
hear his voice and I'm talking to him on
the phone and it's like I don't think he
even knows what I've done you know and I
just knew that
my instinct was that he had somebody
else in mind which turned out to be Vega
right you know Vigo were more important
yeah and you and he should be allowed to
hire the actor that he wants you caught
a vibe that the studio was maybe forcing
him to say hey we got to get Russell
Crowe for this WOW because I did the
math I don't mean to upset you but I
think he would have gotten a hundred
million dollars do you think about that
ever do you ever say Jesus Christ I
could have had a hundred million dollars
if I had I forget who cares about being
more on this one never thought about it
really only in situations like
interviews where people are polite and
kind enough to add [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] up for me yeah
yeah yeah and then they can eat your
heart but it I mean it would be nice to
have an extra 100 million dollars would
it man how would it would not go astray
it would not you would know what to do
with it and and and the other role
famously Wolverine which uh you Jackman
of course has has done a brilliant job
with right we agree and there's no way I
would have ever done that why even if
I'd done the film I wouldn't have
carried it through with the grace and
the the direction that Hugh gave it you
would only do it once possibly right
have you ever done a sequel not yet wow
you got something against sequels
um well I grew up in a time when there
were always [&nbsp;__&nbsp;] right there are always
a crappier version of the first one
that's right so bad because I forgot
there's many many except for golfer yeah
there's many many characters that I've
played that I would love to see where
they are now I'd love to see where Bud
white is from LA Confidential yes you
um you know and it would be interesting
in many of those uh iterations you know
to see have a second one a film I'd love
to do a number two is
the nice guys

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