It is quite common for Hollywood stars to reject certain roles and take up certain roles as per their wishes. No one can tell which role will be beneficial for their career, so it’s kind of a gamble. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow once talked about a major role that she rejected.
The actress has played some complex characters in many blockbuster hits like The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Shallow Hal (2001), Proof (2005), and Duets (2000). She has been acknowledged for her work as she has bagged several nominations and even won many prestigious awards including an Academy Award. Apart from being a successful actress, Paltrow is also known for being an accomplished businesswoman.
Gwyneth Paltrow rejected a role in Titanic (1997)
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow was offered to play the iconic role of Rose DeWitt Bukater opposite actor Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic (1997). During an interview with Howard Stern in 2015, Paltrow talked about the opportunity. At first, she tried to avoid that topic but then said,
“My mother [Blythe Danner] will kill me that I’m talking about turning down movie roles. She says it’s not ladylike.” She then added,“I know that the story is that I turned it down. I think I was really in contention for it—I was one of the last two.”
As a result, Kate Winslet got the role and the movie was a commercial success. It is one of the highest-grossing films of all time, earning over $2.2 billion at the global box office.
Gwyneth Paltrow talked about the “universal lesson“
One must think that Paltrow regrets this decision as it would’ve benefitted her career in so many ways, however, the actress has no regrets. She said,
“I look back at the choices I’ve made and think, Why the hell did I say yes to that? And no to that? And you know, you look at the big picture and think: There’s a universal lesson here. What good is it to hold on to roles?”
The actress obviously couldn’t tell if the movie would be a big hit. Paltrow still managed to become a well-known actress even without starring in Titanic.
Gwyneth Paltrow also got a role that was meant for Kate Winslet
Gwyneth Paltrow got an Academy Award for her role as Viola in Shakespeare in Love (1998). That role was initially reserved for Kate Winslet, but after she turned it down, Paltrow seized the opportunity. The two stars are good friends so there’s no bad blood between them.
In the end, Winslet got worldwide fame while Paltrow bagged a prestigious award. In 2009, Winslet even thanked Paltrow in her Golden Globes acceptance speech for her role in The Reader (2008).
Source: The Howard Stern Show
