Standard Errors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald's star was shining brightly in the 1980s. Starring roles in "The Breakfast Club" (1985), Sixteen Candles" (1984) and "Pretty in Pink" (1986) had her in great demand. She was offered the lead in "Pretty Woman" (1990), but politely declined. She has no regrets and, in her eyes, the script was "not great" and that it was "Julia Roberts that made that role her own and allowed herself to shine".

Ringwald fell off the radar not long after and moved to France where she took on roles in local movies. In 1994 she would return to play Frannie Goldsmith in the TV adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand" and, in 2013, she showcased her diverse talents by releasing the jazz album "Except Sometimes".

Answer: Sandra Bullock

"The Blind Side" (2009) follows the story of Michael Oher, adopted by Sean and Anne Tuohy, who becomes the first round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in the American National Football League. The film grossed in excess of $300 million and took the Academy by surprise in 2010 by earning a Best Picture nomination and seeing Sandra Bullock win her first Oscar as Best Actress.

The opportunity was there for Julia Roberts to take the role but, reportedly, she wasn't inspired by the script. This wasn't the first time that Bullock profited from a missed opportunity by Roberts, gaining the role of Margaret Tate in the surprise hit "The Proposal" (2009).

Answer: Tom Cruise

"Risky Business" (1983) got Tom Cruise the attention he desired. After all, who could forget that sock sliding, underpants modelling sing-a-long to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll"? While Tom's star-maker, "Top Gun" was still three years away, he kept himself in cruise control (sorry, nah, not really) by signing on for the aptly titled "All the Right Moves" (1983).

Not long afterwards, Paramount Pictures came knocking on his door with the script for "Footloose" (1984); with the ink dry on his existing contract, however, it was a case of "casting impossible".

Answer: Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman was putting together his claws as Wolverine in the "X-Men 2" (2003) film when he was approached to play the tuxedo-clad super spy. Whilst the offer was tempting, Jackman was concerned that (a) the (Bond) scripts were becoming too unrealistic (b) he would have no input at all into the future direction of James Bond and (c) that if he shared his time between Wolverine and Bond his ability to take on other projects would be severely restricted.

History shows that the role went to Daniel Craig who, ironically, revealed a far grittier and more realistic Bond in "Casino Royale" (2006).

Answer: John Travolta

Travolta admitted that he regrets turning down the role of the slow-witted ping pong champion who gets shot in the buttocks and then meets various presidents who also get shot. One can't help thinking, however, that the acceptance of this part would have been a little bittersweet for the man who had previously thrilled us with his dance moves in "Saturday Night Fever" (1977).

His performance as the coolly indifferent hit man (who also cuts a few moves on the dance floor) is devastatingly good and revived a career for Travolta that needed a boost at the time.

Answer: Michael Clayton (Michael Clayton)

Denzel Washington's career has been dotted with so much success and so many memorable characters that it is difficult seeing him have any regrets about the ones he'd left behind. The above, however, is one of two. The other is saying "pass" to the role of Detective David Mills in the 1995 film "Se7en", which eventually went to Brad Pitt. Of the above film, "Michael Clayton", Washington advised that the script represented some of the best material he'd read in some time.

The issue he had was with the director, Tony Gilroy.

This would be Gilroy's first film at the helm, which made Washington somewhat nervous.

Answer: Sean Connery

One of the most remembered and often quoted phrases in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) is uttered by Gandalf as he blocks the path of the Balrog demon; "You shall not pass". Sadly, for Sean Connery, who was seen for many years as one of the most beloved "James Bonds" on the silver screen, he let the role of Gandalf pass. He freely admits that he didn't understand the role; "I read the books and had no idea. I read the script and saw the movie and I still don't understand it".

Connery was also offered the role of Morpheus in "The Matrix" (1999). He turned that down as well because he couldn't understand it. Then, when he was offered the role of Allan Quartermain in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (2003) he said "I couldn't understand that either, but I wasn't going to let it pass".

Answer: Mark Wahlberg

Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger made this role of two lovestruck cowboys both memorable and engaging, however, they were not the initial choices for the roles. Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix were amongst the first. In an interview with the newspaper, "SFGate", Wahlberg revealed that he'd read about fifteen pages of the script in a meeting with Ang Lee, the director, and was a little "creeped out" by the graphic nature of the content.

He advised Lee "I like you, you're a talented guy, if you want to talk about it more..." Ang Lee didn't.

Answer: Christian Bale

Now this may sound a little oxymoronic but there is a certain joy in the intensity that Christian Bale is able to infuse into Patrick Bateman's slide into despicability that it makes it difficult to see anyone else in this role. In short, Bale owns it.

The studio chose DiCaprio but he chose to film "The Beach" (2000) (ouch). The offer was then extended to Depp, who said "no" and then, fresh from "The Fight Club" (1999), Brad Pitt and Ed Norton, who also turned it down. Ewen McGregor was set to take the part but then, in a moment of British unity, he stood aside at the request of his friend Bale.

Answer: Jack Nicholson

Nicholson didn't refuse the role of Michael Corleone in the seminal epic that would become "The Godfather" in 1972, he simply didn't get that offer that he couldn't refuse. The studio, Warner Brothers, was desperate for an established star to take on the role of the Don's heir apparent and Jack was at the top of their list. The film's director, Francis Ford Coppola, however, had other ideas. He'd spotted this "young kid" called Al Pacino in the play "Does the Tiger Wear a Necktie?" (for which he would win a Tony Award) and felt that he was perfect for the part of Michael. Accordingly, he said "No" to Nicholson. He also vetoed Robert Redford, Warren Beatty and a young man named Robert De Niro. It had to be Pacino.

There is no cause to fault Pacino's performance in this film, he was startling. He was so good that he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar but, after seeing the calm menace he instilled into Frank Costello in "The Departed", one has to wonder what Nicholson may have brought to Michael Corleone.