Top 5 stars who were offered huge fees for role, but refused

Keanu Reeves

The movie Speed became a cult action movie, but its sequel Speed 2: Cruise Control received a much less warm reception. Sandra Bullock returned to her role, but Keanu Reeves refused, although he was offered $ 12 million for his participation.

Keanu Reeves (still from the movie John Wick 4)

The actor explained his decision by saying that he was not impressed by the script and had other plans to participate in a theatrical production of Hamlet in Canada, to film The Devil's Advocate with Al Pacino, and to tour with the rock band Dogstar.

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis played the role of Agent Church in the first two installments of The Expendables and was supposed to return for the third movie. He was offered $3 million for four days of filming, but the actor demanded $4 million, effectively increasing his fee to a million per day of work. The producers refused this demand, and Willis was replaced by another star.

Bruce Willis (photo: Wikipedia)

Jim Carrey

The year 1994 was a turning point for Jim Carrey. He turned from a little-known actor into a real superstar, releasing three hit films: The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Dumb and Dumber.

The Mask was particularly successful, grossing $350 million with a budget of only $23 million. Apparently, New Line wanted a sequel and offered Carrey 10 million to return to the role, but he unexpectedly refused.

Jim Carrey (photo: Wikipedia)

The actor explained his decision by saying he didn't enjoy working on Ace Ventura 2, as acting in sequels is not as interesting as working on new projects. The studio was forced to abandon the idea of a sequel because it made no sense without Carrey. However, later they decided to take a chance, and as a result, the world saw the failed film Son of the Mask.

Jodie Foster

While Anthony Hopkins became the iconic Hannibal Lecter, Jodie Foster also played an important role in the film's legacy. Her victory in the Best Actress nomination helped The Silence of the Lambs win Oscars in all major categories. The studio was well aware of the significance of her character, so it offered Foster and Hopkins $15 million each for their participation in the sequel, Hannibal.

Jodie Foster (photo: Wikipedia)

At first, the actress agreed, but later refused, considering the sequel too violent. She was also busy with her own project, Flora Plum, which was never realized. Eventually, her role in the 2001 movie was played by Julianne Moore.

Matt Damon

The actor could have become even richer if he hadn't turned down a lucrative offer from James Cameron. In 2019, Damon told the British GQ that he was personally offered the lead role in Avatar with non-standard conditions: instead of a fixed fee, he received 10% of the box office. However, he refused because he did not want to complicate the situation with The Bourne Ultimatum.

Matt Damon (photo: Wikipedia)

In the end, Avatar grossed $2.79 billion, and if Damon had accepted, his earnings would have been about $280 million. Now the actor admits that he only regrets not working with Cameron, but emphasizes that his family is not left without a livelihood.