Actors may be prettier than us, richer than us, and more successful than us, but at least we can take solace in the fact that they make stupid decisions sometimes just like the rest of us. This is never more evident in the projects that they end up working on. In critiquing celebrities, we tend to focus on the roles they accept. But I can almost understand an actor taking part in a production that's really sort of beneath them. They've got bills to pay, after all. But I really struggle with the roles that some actors reject. Maybe they didn't realize that the part they passed on would become a cultural icon, but with some of these people it's like they turned their nose up at the material for seemingly arbitrary reasons. In most of these cases, I'm happier with the person that ended up in the role. But you have to wonder, what was going on in their heads to make them say no to this film?
10. Garth Brooks - Twister
Apparently back when Garth Brooks was at the height of his fame, he considered branching off into the acting world, only to be foiled by his own ego. He was considered for the role of the antagonist in Twister (the rival meteorologist played by Cary Elwes, if I'm remembering correctly) but turned it down. Why? Because he was concerned that the tornado would upstage him. I only wish I was joking. Other memorable moments from Garth Brooks' failed acting career include the time that he turned down a role in the critically-acclaimed Saving Private Ryan, because he didn't feel that he should have to play second fiddle to actors like Tom Hanks or Matt Damon. This is Garth Brooks, man. He's a big star. What business do actual, legitimate actors have getting billed above Garth? This sort of thing never would have happened to Chris Gaines.