14 Iconic Roles Actors Feared Would Destroy Their Careers

14 Iconic Roles Actors Feared Would Destroy Their Careers

Have you ever watched a movie so bad you never wanted to see the lead actor again? Plenty of actors are warned — by industry peers or their own instincts — against taking certain roles, but sometimes they take the risk. Here are 14 roles actors feared would ruin their careers, and how they defied the odds.

1. Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street

Margot Robbie feared her breakout role as Naomi Lapaglia would cast a shadow over her career. She told TIME, "I was worried that people would be expecting too much of me now, like, 'If [Martin] Scorsese cast her in a film, she must be brilliant!' Instead of having the chance to surprise people, I was worried that I'd disappoint them." However, she went on to even greater success with roles like Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, and Barbie.

2. Gina Gershon in Bound

In the '90s, Gina Gershon's agents warned her not to "play a lesbian" in Bound. She told the podcast It Happened In Hollywood, "It was a great script, and I could tell [the Wachowskis] were incredible directors, but my agents were like, 'We will not let you do this movie. You are ruining your career...' I just said, 'Oh, well, I guess if you can't represent me, I'll go somewhere else.'" She continued, "It's so shortsighted to say, 'Oh, this is a lesbian movie.'... It's really a movie about trust... Plus, when does the girl get to play the hero?" Contrary to her agents' fears, she worked steadily after, appearing in three movies the following year.

3. Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity

After a string of flops, Matt Damon feared The Bourne Identity would be another. He told the Telegraph, "I hadn't had a job offer in six months... The third movie in the line was The Bourne Identity, and it had all the hallmarks of a failure... It finally got released, and everybody discovered it." The movie revitalized his career, putting him "on a short list of people who could get movies made."

4. Amanda Seyfried in Lovelace

Amanda Seyfried was concerned about playing porn star Linda Lovelace. She told the Sunday Times, "This is the riskiest thing that's happening in Hollywood right now. The first thing you think about is that it could ruin my career." Despite mixed reviews, her career thrived, earning Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominations and wins in subsequent years.

5. Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Ian McKellen warned Patrick Stewart against taking the role of Captain Picard. In his memoir, Patrick wrote, "When I told him I was going to sign the contract, he almost bodily prevented me from doing so... 'You can't throw that away to do TV.'" Stewart, however, trusted his gut, and the role became iconic. McKellen later admitted he was wrong.

6. Winona Ryder in Heathers

Against her agent's wishes, Winona Ryder fought for the role of Veronica Sawyer. She told Harper's Bazaar, "My agent... literally got down on her knees. She's like, 'Please, you're gonna destroy any chance of a career.'" The film initially flopped but became a cult classic, cementing her legacy.

7. Natalie Portman in Star Wars: Episode I

Natalie Portman's role as Padmé Amidala was critically panned. She told the New Yorker, "Everyone thought I was a horrible actress. I was in the biggest-grossing movie of the decade, and no director wanted to work with me." Director Mike Nichols vouched for her, leading to roles in Cold Mountain and V for Vendetta, reviving her career.

8. Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber

Jeff Daniels' agents tried to stop him from doing Dumb and Dumber, fearing it would disrupt his serious acting career. He told HuffPost, "I had three agents on the phone... two of which were saying, 'We're not going to let you do this... This will completely disrupt your career.'" He did it anyway, and the movie was a hit, opening up new doors.

9. Seth Rogen in The Interview

Seth Rogen thought The Interview would end his career after the controversy. He told The Hollywood Reporter, "I legitimately thought I had eliminated myself as someone who was viable to work with." But it didn't, and the experience inspired his Apple TV+ series The Studio.

10. Will Ferrell in Elf

While filming Elf, Will Ferrell worried the role would be a career-ender. He told Good Hang with Amy Poehler, "I'm sitting in my trailer in my Elf tights, looking in the mirror, going, 'What have you done?'... This could be it. This could be like, 'That guy was so funny... and then he made this movie where he played a giant elf.'" The movie became a Christmas classic.

11. Laura Dern on Ellen

Laura Dern was advised against playing a lesbian on Ellen. She told Vulture, "A couple of advisers in Hollywood... [told me] to not do it. A lot of people in my life really worried." The episode caused a bomb threat and a year-long "dry spell" in her career, but she doesn't regret it.

12. Gene Hackman in Superman

Gene Hackman was scared by the role of Lex Luthor. He told the New York Times, "I looked at him and thought I had really done the ultimate act and committed suicide... I was tired." He took a four-year break from acting, but later returned and won an Oscar for Unforgiven.

13. Keanu Reeves in The Day the Earth Stood Still

Keanu Reeves called the film "The Day My Career Stood Still." He told Esquire, "I kind of went to Studio Movie Jail... You're always fighting for a career." Six years later, John Wick revitalized his career.

14. Amanda Seyfried Turning Down Guardians of the Galaxy

Amanda Seyfried turned down the role of Gamora, fearing it would be a flop. She said, "I thought that because this was about a talking tree and a talking raccoon that it would be Marvel's first bomb, and me and Chris Pratt would never work again. I was wrong!" The role went to Zoe Saldaña, but Amanda's career continued to thrive.

These stories remind us that taking risks can lead to the most rewarding outcomes, even when the fear of failure looms large.