Major Roles Rejected by Famous Actors
Michelle Pfeiffer – ‘The Silence of the Lambs’
Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the biggest leading ladies in Hollywood in the early ’90s and was highly coveted for several roles. Pfeiffer was offered the female lead in the film adaptation for The Silence of the Lambs, but reportedly turned it down after feeling the subject matter of the film too gruesome. (What, a guy who tortures women and cuts off part of their skin!?) Since Silence of the Lambs went on to become just one of three films to win the “Big 5” Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay), we can’t think of any good reason why we’d like to see Pfeiffer in the role. But this wasn’t the only huge role Pfeiffer turned down, as the next year she eschewed the female lead in Basic Instinct, not wanting to reveal so much skin.
