Iconic Horror Roles Actors Regret Turning Down
Turning down a job can sometimes come back to haunt you, especially if you're an actor who passed up a role in an acclaimed horror movie and later regretted the decision. This scenario may be difficult to imagine. After all, who would pass up the chance to be in a movie or TV show, right? As fans, though, it can be easy to forget that the movie business — for all its glory, fanfare, legacy, and importance — is, at the end of the day, just that: a business. A person in any industry may decline a job that doesn't feel like good fit, doesn't align with their schedule, or maybe would have them working with a filmmaker or co-star they unsure of for one reason or another.
Casting is a crucial component to any project's pre-production. In fact, come 2026, "Best Casting" will be an Oscar category. With the exact same material, two different actors may perform a character completely different from one another. An actor's take on a character can change an entire production. With this in mind, it can be fun to imagine how a film or series may have played out if the following actors kept their name in the running for some memorable horror movies. Here are a few actors who regrettably turned down iconic horror roles.
Christopher Lee – Dr. Samuel Loomis in Halloween
Donald Pleasance portrays Dr. Samuel Loomis in 1978's "Halloween," the original John Carpenter-directed film that began the decades-spanning slasher franchise. Before Pleasance joined the cast, though, the role was offered to screen legend Christopher Lee (seen above in "The Wicker Man").
In the movie, Dr. Loomis is a psychiatrist on the hunt for escaped killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle/Tony Moran). Cinephiles and the general public at large often associate Meyers' iconic masked face as a synonymous visual with the "Halloween" movie series (or perhaps that of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie, Myers' frequent victim), but it's Pleasance as Loomis who receives top billing in the 1978 film's credits — a coveted spot that could have belonged to Lee. Years later, co-writer and producer Debra Hill ran into Lee at a party, where the actor said declining the role of Dr. Loomis was "the biggest mistake I ever made of my career" (via The Digital Fix).
Pleasance ultimately appeared in five "Halloween" movies as Dr. Loomis, meaning that Lee's career path most certainly would have looked different had he accepted the role and returned for sequels as Pleasance did. Then again, even by 1978, Lee had already gotten plenty of experience with recurring horror roles. Starting with 1958's "Horror of Dracula," Lee played Dracula in a total of nine films by the time "Halloween" graced theaters.
Michelle Pfeiffer – Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs
A drama requires somber performances. A comedy often necessitates big energy. A horror film demands a specifically dark niche of mental wherewithal, and for some actors, that's understandably a tall order. The slow-going process of filmmaking amplifies this notion even further. The actor must inhabit the dark space of the script's narrative for the extent of the shoot. These factors may have been on Michelle Pfeiffer's mind as she considered and ultimately turned down the role of Clarice Starling in 1991's "Silence of the Lambs."
"I was trepidatious. There was such evil in that film," Pfeiffer told The New Yorker in 2021. Pfeiffer explained how she was "uncomfortable" that "evil won in the end," though she later wished she had another opportunity to work with the late director Jonathan Demme. The two had previously worked together on 1988's "Married to the Mob." Instead, Jodie Foster portrayed Clarice and won an Oscar for the performance.
Despite the actor's hesitation to be place herself in unusual surroundings on "Silence with the Lambs," Pfeiffer nonetheless put a live bird in her mouth during her performance as Catwoman in 1992's "Batman Returns." Anything for Gotham, it seems.
Denzel Washington – Unknown Role in Se7en
It's difficult to imagine 10-time Academy Award nominee (and two-time winner) Denzel Washington getting anything wrong, but the actor laments not taking a few roles. In a 2012 interview with GQ, Washington named "Se7en" as a project he regrets turning down. The 1995 film directed by David Fincher (years before the filmmaker helmed "Fight Club," "The Social Network," and "Gone Girl") may not be all-out horror film like some of the other titles on our list, but its central focus of a serial killer lining up his murders with the seven deadly sins is nonetheless chilling.
Washington did not elaborate upon why he declined the role in "Se7en" or which character he would have portrayed. In the finished film, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt play the leads, and for what it's worth, Washington is closer in age to Pitt than Freeman, but either role would have worked for the versatile actor. Washington's 1995 filmography still ended up stacked with "Crimson Tide," "Virtuosity," and "Devil in a Blue Dress." Saying yes to "Se7en" may have meant saying no to any or all of those other productions.
In the same GQ interview, Washington also stated he regrets turning down "Michael Clayton," the 2007 drama directed by Tony Gilroy that ended up starring George Clooney.
Michael J. Fox – Unknown Role in Ghost
Great Scott! Michael J. Fox was offered a role in the classic paranormal drama "Ghost." Marty McFly himself — who had already been at the center of a casting conundrum for "Back to the Future" – turned down an opportunity to be in the macabre 1990 film filled with romance, murder, and the presence of the supernatural.
During a 2023 interview on "The View" (via Entertainment Weekly), Whoopi Goldberg asked Fox if he had any career regrets. Fox replied, "I had a chance to work with you that I missed. They talked to me about 'Ghost' early on." This seemed like new information to Goldberg, whose jaw dropped. Fox continued, "I said, 'Whoopi is great, but it'll never work,' and then it was great and huge. I'm a f-ing idiot." Fox and Goldberg then recalled that despite not acting together, the two have been friends for decades, going back to when they sat next to each other at the Oscars in the '80s.
Fox didn't specify which part he may have played in "Ghost," but based on his star power, it's not difficult to imagine him as Sam Wheat. The lead character, ultimately portrayed by Patrick Swayze, guides his girlfriend, Molly (Demi Moore) to uncover the mystery behind his death from the afterlife. Goldberg stars as Oda Mae, a psychic who serves as a liaison between Sam and Molly.
William Holden – Robert Thorn in The Omen
Horror films carry a distinct quality unique to its genre that may give some actors caution when considering joining a cast. Sometimes the dark subject matter is just too creepy. Actors and audience members alike seem to have their own level of comfort (or discomfort) with the horror genre, its unnerving themes occasionally seen as an immediate red flag. This can be for any number of reasons, from personal preference to religious convictions.
According to American Movie Classics (AMC), actor William Holden (seen above in "Network") didn't want to be in 1976's "The Omen" because of its occult themes and connections to the devil. Holden would have played the character of Robert Thorn, a role that ultimately went to Gregory Peck. Money talks, though, and "The Omen" earned over $60 million at the box office (or $325 million in 2024 dollars). For 1978's "Damien: Omen II" (pictured above), Holden put aside his qualms and played the lead, Richard Thorn (Robert's brother), indicating regret at his past decision (or at the very least, a willingness to overcome whatever the reason was for his previous lack of involvement).
Mia Farrow and Neil Patrick Harris – Unknown Roles in American Horror Story
"American Horror Story" ("AHS"), FX's horror anthology series, was a cultural touchstone of the 2010s television landscape. It's where actor Evan Peters rose to prominence, and Lady Gaga also displayed her dramatic acting talents on several seasons, years before her role in "A Star Is Born" was nominated for an Oscar. "AHS" co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy proved — at the dawn of streaming — that the flickering medium of cable television could still produce a relevant hit. They carved out a sub-genre of successful, horror-adjacent young adult television.
However, when putting together the show's first season (among the scariest seasons of "American Horror Story"), its crew faced the challenge of "AHS" being unknown territory. The series wasn't a guaranteed hit yet, and some actors were hesitant to come aboard.
Neil Patrick Harris turned down being in the inaugural season when offered. "Wouldn't ya know, it was a big success," Harris reflected in 2014 on a Sirius XM Town Hall. He was later part of the cast of "Freak Show," season 4, seen above.
Additionally, Murphy wrote a part for Mia Farrow in that first "Murder House" season that Farrow turned down. She apologized for doing so when she appeared with Murphy in 2022 publicity material for Netflix's "The Watcher" (via The Wrap). Despite Harris and Farrow not being part of "Murder House," the first season contains Murphy's favorite "AHS" episode all these years later.
Melanie Lynskey – Willow Rosenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Prior to the 1997 debut of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," series creator Joss Whedon talked to "Yellowjackets" star Melanie Lynskey about playing the role of Willow Rosenberg. Lynskey recalled the process to Shut Up Evan in 2023 (via Digital Spy). The actor said she "was not sure about doing television at that time." Lynskey added, "Certainly now things have really changed, but I just wasn't super into it at the time."
Lynskey couldn't remember if Whedon offered her the role or invited her to audition, but in any case, Lynskey passed on the opportunity. After seeing the pilot, loving it, and learning Willow (portrayed in the pilot by Riff Regan) would be recast for the series order, Lynskey was interested. At that point, though, Lysnskey recalled, "It was a whole process." Following an audition, Lynskey didn't get the part. In the end, Alyson Hannigan played Willow for 144 episodes of "Buffy." Lynskey said Hannigan "was absolutely wonderful and all was as it should have been."
The he-said/she-said grapevine of Hollywood casting decisions is easily conflated, Lynskey noted. Not all casting replacements equate eternal hostility among the actors involved, despite what writers may insinuate in headlines. "There's also a laziness that really bugs me where people are not reading the actual piece," Lynskey said. "They're just reading a headline; could you be any lazier?" In that spirit, we'd encourage you to dig deeper and read Lynskey's full interview.
Matthew Modine – Dr. Martin Brenner in Stranger Things
Millie Bobbie Brown and Matthew Modine possess dramatic chemistry in their scenes together as Eleven and Dr. Brenner, respectively, in "Stranger Things." Their nuanced relationship — Brenner torturing Eleven while seeming to hang to a manipulated fantasy of being her "Papa" — may have come across differently if someone else had been in either role, as was nearly the case.
Series co-creators the Duffer brothers offered Modine the role early on, but the actor declined it. "I didn't want to do it," Modine told The Guardian in 2022. "I passed, but they kept ringing me up and made it really difficult for me to say no. I responded to their passion and he became a really interesting, complex character."
Modine requested Brenner's wardrobe change (trading a flannel shirt and boots for a suit and white hair) and that the character not be responsible for speaking large bits of story exposition. These changes "made his stillness and his quietness that much more compelling," Modine reflected.
However, Brenner died at the end of "Stranger Things" season 4. But as the cast and crew begin production on "Stranger Things" season 5, could we see Modine as Brenner return in some way? After all, the show uses flashbacks frequently, and it has a precedence of utilizing deceased characters beyond their deaths. Stranger things have happened.
No regrets
While a handful of actors turned down horror roles they later regretted not accepting, others have no regrets. Again, this is somewhat specific to the horror genre; some actors and viewers alike don't want anything to do with it, and understandably so.
Director Jordan Peele asked Tiffany Haddish to audition for a role in 2017's "Get Out." Haddish and Peele had worked together in "Keanu" (which Peele also co-wrote and produced) and "The Last O.G." (which Haddish starred in and Peele co-created and executive produced). Haddish swiftly and definitively declined. "I'm cool on that," she said with a laugh on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in 2018 (via People). "I'll watch it, in the daytime. I'm not gonna be in it." While Haddish may have had hesitations being in a film so viscerally of the horror genre, she seems to be open to supernatural-adjacent roles to some degree, having starred in 2023's "Haunted Mansion" as a psychic named Harriet.
In another decision that didn't garner any remorse, Bette Midler passed on portraying Annie Wilkes in 1990's "Misery," directed by Rob Reiner. "I just couldn't. It was too violent," Midler told Variety in 2023. "The character was so not funny, so without any qualities of redemption. She cut off his foot. Come on. Who does that?" Kathy Bates ultimately played Annie in the film, and it remains one of her best performances.
Haddish, Midler, and others may have been wise to know their boundaries and not cross them, avoiding the pitfalls of actors who were changed forever by horror roles. But we'll always wonder what some of these movies would have been like with these alternate cast members.