There have been multiple stories about an actor or actress losing a part that could have been a turning point in their career. Javier Bardem also went through something similar when he refused to star alongside his wife’s ex Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film Minority Report. The film follows John Anderton trying to prove himself innocent in a world where criminals are caught before the crime even happens.
The film did pretty well at the box office and also received positive reviews from critics. And before casting Colin Farrell as Danny Witwer in the 2002 film, Bardem was approached to portray the character. However, he denied the offer, allegedly because he did not want to follow around Cruise. And the actor seemingly shared the reason later in his interview.
Javier Bardem Had Trouble With His Accent
Javier Bardem made his way into Hollywood with the 2000 biographical drama Before Night Falls. His remarkable performance in the film landed him the nomination for Best Actor at the 73rd Academy Awards. Soon after which, he was offered the role of Danny Witwer in Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film Minority Report, which he turned down.
The Oscar-winning actor had just started working in foreign films and was still working on his accent. He shared during an interview that he was hesitant about a “foreign-language performance” due to his accent, saying that it’s much “better now.”
He also shared that he worked really hard on getting rid of his Spanish accent. “Well, for that, I worked really hard on trying to get rid of my Spanish accent as much as I could, which is not easy,” he shared while talking to Collider.
Unsatisfied with his accent, he denied the offer, but it did not stop him from pursuing his acting career, and had starred in multiple films throughout his decades-long career. With his outstanding performance in the 2007 film, No Country for Old Men, the Biutiful actor won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Matt Damon Also Denied Starring in Minority Report
Javier Bardem was not the only actor approached for the role of Danny Witwer in Minority Report. The makers were reportedly fixated on Jason Bourne star Matt Damon for the part. However, he withdrew his name following the lengthy rewrites of the film’s script.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the filming for Minority Report was set to begin in the fall of ’99. However, the constant changes in the film’s script delayed the production by two years, and the filming started in 2001. The production delay caused Damon to leave the project, and Colin Farrell later took over the character for the 2002 film.
Minority Report is available on Prime Video.
Source: Collider
