There's nothin' like missing out on one of the highest-grossing box office hits (opens in new tab) to make you regret that role you didn't take (we're lookin' at you, Gwyneth Paltrow). Coulda, shoulda, woulda, are we right? Ahead, 50 celebs who skipped out on iconic TV and movie roles.
Marilyn Monroe
The role: Holly Golightly (opens in new tab) in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Who *actually* played it: Audrey Hepburn
Rooney Mara
The role: Maya (opens in new tab) in Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Who *actually* played it: Jessica Chastain
Ellen DeGeneres
The role: Phoebe (opens in new tab) in Friends (1994-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Lisa Kudrow
Ryan Gosling
The role: Christian Grey (opens in new tab) in Fifty Shades (2015)
Who *actually* played it: Jamie Dornan
Tea Leoni
The role: Rachel (opens in new tab) in Friends (1994-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Jennifer Aniston
Gillian Anderson
The role: Cersei Lannister (opens in new tab) in Game of Thrones (2011-present)
Who *actually* played it: Lena Headey
Brad Pitt
The role: Jim Lovell (opens in new tab) in Apollo 13 (1995)
Who *actually* played it: Tom Hanks
Denzel Washington
The role: Detective David Mills (opens in new tab) in Se7en (1995)
Who *actually* played it: Brad Pitt
Anne Hathaway
The role: Tiffany (opens in new tab) in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Who *actually* played it: Jennifer Lawrence
Hugh Jackman
The role: James Bond (opens in new tab) in Casino Royale (2006)
Who *actually* played it: Daniel Craig
Tom Cruise
The role: Ren McCormack (opens in new tab) in Footloose (1984)
Who *actually* played it: Kevin Bacon
Leonardo DiCaprio
The role: Dirk Diggler (opens in new tab) in Boogie Nights (1997)
Who *actually* played it: Mark Wahlberg
Will Smith
The role: Django (opens in new tab) in Django Unchained (2012)
Who *actually* played it: Jamie Foxx
Robert Pattinson
The role: Christian Grey (opens in new tab) in Fifty Shades (2015)
Who *actually* played it: Jamie Dornan
Sir Ian McKellen
The role: Dumbledore (opens in new tab) in Harry Potter (2001)
Who *actually* played it: Richard Harris
Tom Hanks
The role: Jerry Maguire (opens in new tab) in Jerry Maguire (1996)
Who *actually* played it: Tom Cruise
Angelina Jolie
The role: Alex Munday (opens in new tab) in Charlie’s Angels (2000)
Who *actually* played it: Lucy Liu
Dana Delany
The role: Carrie Bradshaw (opens in new tab) in Sex and the City (1998-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Sarah Jessica Parker
Bette Midler
The role: Sister Mary Clarence (opens in new tab) in Sister Act (1992)
Who *actually* played it: Whoopi Goldberg
Emma Stone
The role: One of the women (opens in new tab) in Ghostbusters (2016)
Who *actually* played it: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones
Christina Applegate
The role: Elle Woods (opens in new tab) in Legally Blonde (2001)
Who *actually* played it: Reese Witherspoon
Charlie Hunnam
The role: Christian Grey (opens in new tab) in Fifty Shades (2015)
Who *actually* played it: Jamie Dornan
Julia Roberts
The role: Leigh Anne Tuohy (opens in new tab) in The Blind Side (2009)
Who *actually* played it: Sandra Bullock
Reese Witherspoon
The role: Sidney Prescott (opens in new tab) in Scream (1996)
Who *actually* played it: Neve Campbell
Matthew Broderick
The role: Walter White (opens in new tab) in Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Who *actually* played it: Bryan Cranston
Helen Mirren
The role: Ms. Weiss (opens in new tab) in Precious (2009)
Who *actually* played it: Mariah Carey
Lucy Hale
The role: Anastasia Steele (opens in new tab) in Fifty Shades (2015)
Who *actually* played it: Dakota Johnson
Drew Barrymore
The role: Nomi Malone (opens in new tab) in Showgirls (1995)
Who *actually* played it: Elizabeth Berkley
Katie Holmes
The role: Piper (opens in new tab) in Orange Is the New Black (2013-present)
Who *actually* played it: Taylor Schilling
John Travolta
The role: Forrest Gump (opens in new tab) in Forrest Gump (1994)
Who *actually* played it: Tom Hanks
Miles Teller
The role: Sebastian (opens in new tab) in La La Land (2016)
Who *actually* played it: Ryan Gosling
Emma Watson
The role: Mia (opens in new tab) in La La Land (2016)
Who *actually* played it: Emma Stone
Nicolas Cage
The role: Aragorn (opens in new tab) in The Lord of the Rings (2001)
Who *actually* played it: Viggo Mortensen
Anne Hathaway
The role: Alison Scott (opens in new tab) in Knocked Up (2007)
Who *actually* played it: Katherine Heigl
Sandra Bullock
The role: Maggie (opens in new tab) in Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Who *actually* played it: Hilary Swank
Angela Bassett
The role: Leticia (opens in new tab) in Monster's Ball (2002)
Who *actually* played it: Halle Berry
Gwyneth Paltrow
The role: Rose (opens in new tab) in Titanic (1997)
Who *actually* played it: Kate Winslet
Julia Roberts
The role: Margaret Tate (opens in new tab) in The Proposal (2009)
Who *actually* played it: Sandra Bullock
Mark Wahlberg
The role: Ennis Del Mar (opens in new tab) in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Who *actually* played it: Heath Ledger (R.I.P.)
Sarah Michelle Gellar
The role: Cher Horowitz (opens in new tab) in Clueless (1995)
Who *actually* played it: Alicia Silverstone
Paul Giamatti
The role: Michael Scott (opens in new tab) in The Office (2005-2013)
Who *actually* played it: Steve Carell
Emily Blunt
The role: Black Widow (opens in new tab) in Iron Man 2 (2010)
Who *actually* played it: Scarlett Johansson
Johnny Depp
The role: Ferris Bueller (opens in new tab) in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Who *actually* played it: Matthew Broderick
Angelina Jolie
The role: Dr. Ryan Stone (opens in new tab) in Gravity (2013)
Who *actually* played it: Sandra Bullock
Frances Bean Cobain
The role: Bella (opens in new tab) in Twilight (2008)
Who *actually* played it: Kristen Stewart
Alec Baldwin
The role: Mr. Big (opens in new tab) in Sex and the City (1998-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Chris Noth
Molly Ringwald
The role: Vivian (opens in new tab) in Pretty Woman (1990)
Who *actually* played it: Julia Roberts
Katie Holmes
The role: Buffy (opens in new tab) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Who *actually* played it: Sarah Michelle Gellar
Michelle Pfeiffer
The role: Thelma (opens in new tab) in Thelma & Louise (1991)
Who *actually* played it: Geena Davis