Disney's one of the biggest film studios on the planet, and it’s no secret that a role
in one of their family-friendly blockbusters can make an actor's career.
However, not everyone's eager to work with the Mouse House, and there are a number of
stars who have actually refused major roles in big Disney movies and shows.
Anne Hathaway
Although she did end up in the movie, Anne Hathaway actually had the opportunity to take
the lead role in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.
The actress turned it down because she felt she had already played a very similar "princess-in-a-dress"
type role in The Princess Diaries.
However, Hathaway told the studio she'd be willing to play the White Queen instead — and
that’s what she did.
It ended up being a good decision, as Hathaway took home some awards for her turn as The
White Queen and it opened up the door for newcomer Mia Wasikowska to take on the role
of Alice.
Warren Beatty
Gilbert Gottfried’s Iago provided the comic relief in Disney's Aladdin, always chiming
in with a squawk or a screech to lighten the mood during some of the film’s more intense
moments.
"Oh Jafar, you're too kind.
I'm embarrassed."
However, according to the actor, he almost didn't get the chance to play the iconic role.
Gottfried revealed in his memoir that in order to land the part he had to beat out Joe Pesci
and Danny DeVito.
Apparently the role was actually first offered to the star of the 2017 Oscars Best Picture
mix-up, Warren Beatty.
Beatty reportedly turned the role down because playing a parrot in the desert felt too similar
to his role from Ishtar.
Just imagine how different the film would have been without Gottfried’s iconic squawk.
"My wits end."
"Wit's end!"
Billy Crystal
Toy Story is one of the most iconic films of all time, with a 100 percent critical rating
on Rotten Tomatoes.
While Tim Allen's work as Buzz Lightyear is classic, it turns out that the character was
nearly brought to life by a different actor.
Billy Crystal, who would become famous with Disney-Pixar fans for voicing Mike Wazowski
in Monsters, Inc. was offered the part in the early planning stages of the film.
Apparently Pixar was so eager to get him to sign on that the studio actually animated
an early version of Buzz Lightyear with some dialogue from When Harry Met Sally.
The result is...interesting:
"Happy everyone is in love, and that's wonderful.
But you gotta know, that some day, believe it or not, you'll go 15 rounds over who's
going to get this coffee table."
As we all know now, Crystal turned it down, and Tim Allen got the part.
Interestingly, while Crystal has had a great career, he told ABC News in 2001 that passing
on Buzz is actually something he regrets.
Interestingly, the Pixar movie Crystal did appear in almost had a totally different costar,
too...
Bill Murray
In 2001, Monsters, Inc. became an instant classic for Disney and Pixar fans.
The film won an Oscar and earned further accolades for each of its two main leads, Billy Crystal
and John Goodman.
But Goodman, who famously voiced Sulley, almost didn't get the part.
Director Pete Docter's top choice for the part was actually legendary comedian Bill
Murray.
The actor screen-tested for the part and impressed Docter but when he called to offer him the
part, he couldn't get Murray to pick up the phone.
The director of another Murray movie, St. Vincent, explained just how difficult it is
to track the guy down, just to offer him work:
"The Job of Bill Murray is finding Bill Murray, which everyone knows.
One you find Bill Murray, then the job kinda goes downhill."
Murray is notoriously hard to reach so it’s still unclear if this was his way of saying
he wasn’t interested or if it was just a miscommunication.
Either way, you won’t hear any complaints about it from John Goodman.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Hocus Pocus may not have been the biggest Disney film of all time, but the movie has
a huge cult following and is still the subject of many a Halloween movie marathon.
The filmmakers were especially picky about searching for their star, and they eventually
narrowed it down to the then up-and-comer Leonardo DiCaprio to play Max.
Despite being offered some serious coin, DiCaprio decided to turn down the part because he wanted
to wait and see if he'd landed the role in What's Eating Gilbert Grape.
Though it was likely terrifying at the time, Dicaprio has said that this as the best — and
toughest — decision he has ever made.
It definitely worked out for him, as Leo earned his first Academy Award nomination for What’s
Eating Gilbert Grape and has been an A-lister ever since.
Omri Katz, who eventually took the role of Max in Hocus Pocus, stopped acting in 2002.
Lily Tomlin
While it's hard to imagine anything different in the Pixar classic, The Incredibles, one
of the film's signature characters was almost voiced by someone else.
Edna Mode, the superhero stylist who really, really hates capes, was voiced by director
Brad Bird in the final product.
"No capes!"
"Now, go on.."
However, that's not what he'd intended.
Apparently, when Bird recorded the voice for Edna, he was just filling in for actress Lily
Tomlin, who was set to play the part.
However, when she heard Bird's take on the character, she decided that it wasn't something
she could improve on.
You know you’ve made it in show business when you can pass on a Disney movie paycheck
and not bat an eye.
Michael Douglas
In 2013, Frozen became a commercial and critical success bringing in over $1.3 billion and
winning two Academy Awards.
The voice acting in the movie was great, but the casting might have turned out differently.
Michael Douglas told James Corden that he turned down a part in the film, but couldn’t
remember exactly which role.
"Frozen."
"No!
You were wont to play Elsa"
I don't remember."
Although we don’t know for sure, our best guess is that Douglas was offered either the
Duke of Weselton, Hans or Kristoff.
Although it would be funny, it's probably doubtful that Douglas was ever in line to
voice Olaf.
Selena Gomez
It’s no secret that for many years Selena Gomez was one of the queens of the Disney
channel network.
What's surprising, though, is that Gomez actually ended up turning down the lead role of Mitchie
in Camp Rock because she wanted to do more conventional and serious acting before ultimately
transitioning into a more music-focused career.
Gomez also reportedly turned down an undisclosed part in High School Musical 3: Senior Year
for similar reasons.
These days Selena is one of the most successful popstars around, but we have to wonder just
how much her serious acting role in Spring Breakers really helped her cause...
Jack Nicholson
Hercules is an animated Disney classic, and that’s in large parts thanks to James Woods'
smooth-talking Hades.
"Ladies.
Please."
"My fate is in your lovely hands."
"Owww."
However, the part was apparently written with Jack Nicholson specifically in mind, and the
studio tried their best to land him for the role.
While Jack liked the creative side of the deal, he and Disney were unable to agree on
the business end of things — so he ended up walking away from the role.
After testing actors like Robert Evans and John Lithgow, the filmmakers landed on Woods,
and the rest is history.
Could it be his great Hercules performance that prompted Seth Macfarlane’s strange
obsession with James Woods?
"Because…
James Woods… has you."
"And I have James Woods…"
"Too!"
Thanks for watching!
Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!