Several factors can influence an actor’s decision to take up a movie or series role. In the beginning, young and aspiring actors are ready to hop on any offer to grab an opportunity and begin somewhere. As time passes by, many factors such as money, good plot, production brand, etc., come into the picture. But the following reasons were quite uncommon and odd. Some stars starred in these movies because they were high or misinterpreted a director’s name. Find out the 10 times when actors took movie roles for a weird reason.
Bill Murray
Bill Murray had joyfully signed the offer to star in “Garfield” because he misheard the writer’s name. He thought that it was written by Joel Coen, one of the famous Coen brothers. Bill wasn’t so pleased when he learned that the script was written by Joel Cohen.
Will Smith
The international star, Will Smith started as a singer in the show business. One of his initial albums was a huge success and threw him into a pool of cash. Poor money management made Will spend all of his earnings without paying the IRS. There came a point when he was left with nothing after his following album tanked. So, when Will was offered “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, the former singer with zero acting experience had no option but to get on board.
Bruce Willis
Matthew Perry, popularly known as Chandler Bing from “Friends” had placed a bet with Bruce Willis that their film “The Whole Nine Yards “ would open at number 1. If Matthew won, Bruce would have to appear on “Friends” without charging any fee. Needless to say who won the bet as Bruce Willis did guest star on the sitcom. However, it can’t be counted as a loss because he got to date Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel Green on the screen.
Brad Pitt
Speaking Jennifer Aniston and “Friends”, cameo of an acclaimed star like Brad Pitt must be pretty expensive. Robert Downey Jr.’s fees for “Spider-Man: Homecoming” gives us a rough picture. During an interview, Ryan Reynolds revealed that Brad Pitt only asked the actor to bring him a cup of coffee instead of a fee for his cameo in “Deadpool 2”.
Vin Diesel
The studio approached Vin Diesel to make a cameo in “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” to set up his return in the following sequel. Instead of charging any fee, Diesel traded his appearance with rights to Riddick. The hunky actor is the only reason why the adventures of Riddick are still alive on the screen. Now, Diesel literally owns the character.
Zach Galifianakis
The popular “Hangover” actor now knows better than dealing with work while high. Zach Galifianakis was reportedly under the influence when he was offered to play a character in “G-Force”. He then accepted the role with a dreamy smile, only to regret it later.
Liam Neeson
Wonder why the third instalment of “Taken” adopted a different track from its theme? The title was enough to indicate that someone is ‘taken’ in the movie. It turns out that Liam Neeson agreed to sign up for “Taken 3” on the condition that no one was taken this time.
Richard Harris
The late actor who played Dumbledore in the first two parts of “Harry Potter” had turned down the role more than once. Richard Harris was not up for the film but he had to concede to his granddaughter’s request later. The 11-year old girl was a big Potter fan and wanted her grandpa to star in it. She refused to speak to him until he took the role.
Sylvester Stallone
Everyone knows that Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were one of the biggest rivals in the film industry during the ‘90s. When Sly heard that Arnold was interested in starring in “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot”, he didn’t waste a moment before taking up the role. But sources suggested that Arnold was never into the role and only tricked Sylvester to take it.
Bill Burr
The comedian, Bill Burr was never a fan of “Star Wars”. In fact, he had always poked fun at the franchise in public. Jon Favreau wasn’t surprised when the actor turned down his offer to appear in “The Mandalorian”. But then the director made a proposal that Burr just couldn’t refuse. He said that Burr’s famous history of hating “Star Wars” was exactly what would make his participation more fun and attractive.
