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Casting stories tend to get tidier with time. A famous performance feels inevitable once it’s on screen, and it’s easy to forget that someone else was usually asked first.
Some parts were declined by one actress. Others went through several hands before anyone said yes. Here are four roles that were passed on more than once, along with the reasons that have been reported.
Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman
Few parts have such a crowded list of people who said no. Meg Ryan reportedly turned down Vivian during the film’s early casting phase. Sarah Jessica Parker is also said to have passed before it reached Julia Roberts, feeling the character wasn’t the right direction for her career at that point.
The objections weren’t all the same. Daryl Hannah was reportedly offered the role and declined because she found it demeaning to women. Roberts took the part and became a major star as a result. Reasons in these accounts come from reports and later interviews, so they’re worth treating as the commonly told version rather than a final record.
Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct
The thriller’s lead was a difficult sell. Kim Basinger was reportedly recommended for Catherine Tramell and declined, as did Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Geena Davis and Ellen Barkin. That’s a long list of established names to pass on a single film.