John Leguizamo reveals Hollywood blockbuster he regrets turning down because he 'felt dissed'
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity
Ben Thompson
Featured Image Credit: Jerod Harris/Variety via Getty Images / Twentieth Century Fox
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity
When you work in Hollywood as an actor, there are bound to be some roles you regret turning down.
And John Leguizamo is no exception.
Best known for roles in blockbuster hits like Die Hard 2, Ice Age, and more recently Super Mario Bros, the Colombian-American actor certainly has an impressive résumé.
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But even some of the most accomplished actors have their regrets.
In a recent interview with Business Insider, the 63-year-old actor opened up about some of the films he turned down.
Among them was roles such as Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada, who would be played by Stanley Tucci. He also gave a cold shoulder to a part in Happy Feet, which would end up going to Robin Williams.
But the most noteworthy snub of all has to be a lead role in Mr and Mrs Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Explaining his reasons, Leguizamo said: "For Mr & Mrs Smith it was because they were paying them $20 million and they were going to pay me scale. I felt dissed, and they probably weren’t dissing me, but I felt dissed.
"Sometimes when you’re a person of color, you’re so used to being dissed that you think you’re being dissed, and sometimes you’re not being dissed. So that’s what happens, and you have to go to a lot of therapy to fix that."
Vince Vaughn ended up taking the role in the 2005 action flick.
It was also later reported that only Pitt was the one who got the eye-watering $20 million paycheck, while Jolie was paid $10 million.
As for the other roles that he turned away, he didn't want to do Happy Feet as he was already linked to the Ice Age films.
"I don't want to be doing all these ice movies. Such a stupid reason," he said. "But it seemed logical to me at the moment, and then I lost out on millions."
Well, you know what they say about money... You can always make more of it.
Last year, Leguizamo spoke out about being negotiated to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He told ComicBook.com that he was going to play Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Ultimately, Michael Keaton played the role.
Leguizamo said: "I was supposed to be the Vulture. We had negotiated and I was about to play him, and they said that Michael Keaton wanted it back and they asked me if I would give it up.
"I said, ‘Well, okay I guess.’ They said, ‘No, we’ll work with you again, we’re gonna…’ That’s what happened there."
Asked if he would go back to the Marvel Universe, he said: "I would if I was offered The Riddler or some part like that. I would go back to other franchises.
"I mean, if you make it up to me. But then they offered me some tiny scientist in the movie. I was like, ‘No thank you. Thank you, but no.'"