Wasting the Opportunity Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tom Selleck

Eventually, the producers chose a known actor in Harrison Ford for the role of Indiana Jones in the 1981 movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1981 and Harrison Ford played the role of Indiana Jones for three more movies. Tom Selleck did star in movies such as the the 1984 film "Lassiter", 1987 movie "Three Men and a Baby" and the 1992 film "Mr. Baseball".

Answer: Julia Roberts

Actresses Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Steenburgen, Valeria Golino, Molly Ringwald, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Karen Allen and Daryl Hannah all turned down the role of Vivian Ward in the 1990 film "Pretty Woman". Julia Roberts accepted the role of Vivian Ward which earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Julia Roberts appeared in such films as the 1989 film "Steel Magnolias", the 2000 film and the 2013 film "August: Osage County".

Answer: Sarah Michelle Gellar

Alicia Silverstone landed the role of Cher Horowitz in the 1995 movie "Clueless". Sarah Michelle Gellar was originally offered the role of Cher Horowitz, but turned it down due to her commitment to playing the role Kendall Hart in the daytime television soap opera "All My Children", for which she won the 1995 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. Sarah Michelle Gellar has appeared in films such as the 1997 film "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and the 1999 film "Cruel Intentions".

Answer: Jodie Foster

Many actresses turned down the role of Clarice Starling in the 1991 film "Silence of the Lambs" including Michelle Pfeiffer, Geena Davis, Meg Ryan, Linda Hamilton and Melanie Griffith. The role was accepted by Jodi Foster. The movie won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Jodie Foster won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role of Clarice Starling. Jodie Foster starred in the 1976 movies "Taxi Driver" and "Bugsy Malone" and the 1988 film "The Accused".

Answer: Sean Connery

Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy from 2001 through 2003. Ian McKellen accepted this role. Connery cost himself millions of dollars by turning this role as he was offered fifteen percent of the trilogy's profits. Sean Connery was considered for this role after his stellar acting career starring in movies such as the 1987 film "The Untouchables" and the 1990 film "The Hunt for Red October".

Answer: Keanu Reeves

The character Neo in the 1999 film "The Matrix" was turned down by established actors such as Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Will Smith, Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp. Keanu Reeves accepted the role of Neo. The film won four Academy Awards and spawned two sequels. Keanu Reeves starred in such films as the 1989 "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and the 1994 film "Speed".

Answer: Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow turned down the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater in the 1997 film "Titanic". The part went to Kate Winslet. The 1997 film "Titanic" won eleven Academy Awards and Kate Winslet was nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award for her role as Rose DeWitt Bukater.

Gwyneth Paltrow was offered the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater in the 1997 film "Titanic", but Paltrow was busy filming her role as Viola de Lesseps in the the 1998 movie "Shakespeare in Love". Paltrow won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Viola de Lesseps. In 1998, Gwyneth Paltrow also starred in the movies "Sliding Doors" and "A Perfect Murder".

Answer: Richard Dreyfuss

Roy Neary was played by Richard Dreyfuss in the movie 1977 "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Actors Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman and Jack Nicholson all had the opportunity top play the character Roy Neary but turned it down. In 1978, the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" earned many nominations at the Academy Awards, the British Academy Film Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Richard Dreyfuss also starred in other movies such as the 1975 film "Jaws", the 1977 film "The Goodbye Girl" and the 1995 film "Mr. Holland's Opus".

Answer: John Travolta

John Travolta starred in movies such as the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever", the 1978 film "Grease" and the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy". John Travolta was the original choice to play the title character in the 1994 film "Forrest Gump". Travolta turned down the role because he was committed to play Vincent Vega in the 1994 film "Pulp Fiction". Eventually Tom Hanks was cast for the role. Tom Hanks won the Academy Awards for Best Actor for this role.

Answer: Bette Midler

Whoopi Goldberg played Sister Mary Clarence in the 1992 film "Sister Act" and the 1993 sequel "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit". The movie inspired a "Sister Act" theater production which ran in Pasadena, California, in New York City, New York and in London, England.

The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler was originally offered the part of Sister Mary Clarence in the "Sister Act" movie series. Bette Midler turned down the role fearing that her fans would not want to see her play the role of a nun. Bette Midler starred in movies such as the 1979 film "The Rose" and the 1988 films "Big Business" and "Beaches".