Actors Who Turned Down Roles That Could Have Changed Their Careers

Nicholas Cage, The Wrestler

When director Darren Aronofsky was casting Randy “The Ram” Robinson in 2008’s The Wrestler, he initially had his eye on Mickey Rourke. However, the film’s backers expressed doubts, and the role was offered to Nicolas Cage in lieu of Rourke. Cage didn’t last for long. Soon after he accepted, he had second thoughts and took it upon himself to back out. “I resigned from the movie because I didn’t think I had enough time to achieve the look of the wrestler who was on steroids, which I would never do,” he said in a 2009 interview.