Major Roles Rejected by Famous Actors
Nicolas Cage – ‘The Wrestler’
We all love Nicolas Cage, mostly for the facial expressions that have given us endless memes, but Cage nearly had a shot at a comeback role in 2008’s The Wrestler.
Director Darren Aronofsky originally wanted Mickey Rourke to play the lead, but Rourke was considered “box office poison at the time,” as the BBC puts it. So, Fox Searchlight offered the role to Cage and he accepted! However, Cage began to research the role and knew the wrestler was a former steroid abuser and realized he’d never be able to achieve the physique needed unless he used steroids. Cage resigned and Rourke was offered the part anyway. Rourke received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for the role. Cage has gone on to star in such box office drivel as Bangkok Dangerous, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Drive Angry. Queue the Nic Cage meme.
