Looking through IMDB I've compiled a list of actors who were either considered for, cast & then backed out, cast and then let go or sought a role that eventually won or was nominated for an oscar...

Here are the 1990's...soon to come will be the 40's...

PLEASE add or correct or discuss any information!!!

1990

Kathy Bates in MISERY
---Anjelica Huston (Offered, unavailable because of commitment on THE GRIFTERS.)
---Bette Midler (turned role down)

Kevin Costner in DANCES WITH WOLVES
---Viggo Mortensen (First cast, not sure of the circumstances.)

Robert DeNiro in AWAKENINGS
---Bill Murray (Penny Marshall's first choice, decided against it for fear audience would expect a comedy.)

Andy Garcia in THE GODFATHER, PART III
---Alec Baldwin (considered)
---Nicolas Cage (considered)
---Robert DeNiro (Sought role, Coppola said no b/c he would have had to age Pacino more.)
---Matt Dillon (considered)
---Val Kilmer (considered)
---Charlie Sheen (considered)
---Vincent Spano (considered)
---Billy Zane (considered)

Whoopi Goldberg in GHOST
---Patti LaBelle (auditioned)

Richard Harris in THE FIELD
---Marlon Brando (considered)

Anjelica Huston in THE GRIFTERS
---Cher (considered)
---Melanie Griffith (Turned role down to work on THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES & because of pregnancy.)
---Michelle Pfeiffer (considered)
---Sissy Spacek (auditioned)

Julia Roberts in PRETTY WOMAN
---Valeria Golino (turned role down)
---Jodie Foster (considered)
---Daryl Hannah (Turned role down, she felt it denigrated women.)
---Jennifer Jason Leigh (considered)
---Sarah Jessica Parker (considered)
---Michelle Pfeiffer (considered)
---Molly Ringwald (turned role down)
---Meg Ryan (Studio's choice)
---Brooke Shields (considered)

quote:

Andy Garcia in THE GODFATHER, PART III
---Alec Baldwin (considered)
---Nicolas Cage (considered)
---Robert DeNiro (Sought role, Coppola said no b/c he would have had to age Pacino more.)
---Matt Dillon (considered)
---Val Kilmer (considered)
---Charlie Sheen (considered)
---Vincent Spano (considered)
---Billy Zane (considered)

As far as DeNiro, it would seem very odd b/c of his participation as another character in part II!

1991

Warren Beatty in BUGSY
---Robert DeNiro (Jean-Luc Goddard considered making a film on Bugsy Siegel in the 70's with DeNiro & Diane Keaton.)

Geena Davis in THELMA & LOUISE (Also see teaming options below.)
---Cher (turned role down)
---Melanie Griffith (Turned role down to work on THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES & because of pregnancy)

Geena Davis & Susan Sarandon in THELMA & LOUISE (No clear indication as to which actress would have played which role.)
---Jodie Foster & Michelle Pfeiffer (1st choices)
---Goldie Hawn & Meryl Streep (Considered script before settling on DEATH BECOMES HER to work on together.)
---Holly Hunter & Frances McDormand (Writer Callie Khouri's choices.)

Jodie Foster in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
---Michelle Pfeiffer (Jonathan Demme's first choice. Turned down because of the violence.)

Anthony Hopkins in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
---Sean Connery (Demme's first choice, he turned the role down.)
---Robert DeNiro (considered)
---Robert Duvall (considered)
---Louis Gossett, Jr. (considered)
---Gene Hackman (Owned rights & was considering directing & playing either Lecter or Crawford. Decided after "Mississippi Burning" to stay away from violent films.)
---John Hurt (considered)
---Jeremy Irons (turned role down)
---John Lithgow (considered)
---Christopher Lloyd (considered)
---Jack Nicholson (considered)
---Patrick Stewart (considered)

Michael Lerner in BARTON FINK
---John Milius (turned role down)

Nick Nolte in THE PRINCE OF TIDES
---Kevin Costner (Offered role)
---Don Johnson (considered)

Robin Williams in THE FISHER KING
---Bruce Willis (Auditioned for a role, not sure if it was for this role or Jeff Bridges'.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JayDF,

1992

Judy Davis in HUSBANDS AND WIVES
---Mia Farrow (Woody Allen intended for Farrow to play Sally instead of playing Judy Roth. Farrow's decision.)

Robert Downey, Jr. in CHAPLIN
---Jim Carrey (considered)
---Anthony Sher (considered)

Susan Sarandon in LORENZO'S OIL
---Michelle Pfeiffer (1st cast, backed out to work on BATMAN RETURNS.)

Emma Thompson in HOWARDS END
---Phoebe Nicholls (considered)
---Joley Richardson (considered)
---Miranda Richardson (turned role down)
---Tilda Swinton (considered)

Marisa Tomei in MY COUSIN VINNY
---Lorraine Bracco (First choice, turned role down.)

Denzel Washington in MALCOLM X
---Eddie Murphy (An early draft interested Murphy. This was before Spike Lee became involved.)

1993

Angela Bassett in WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
---Halle Berry (considered)
---Whitney Houston (considered)
---Jennifer Lewis (Auditioned, ended up playing Tina Turner's mother.)

Stockard Channing in SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
---Meryl Streep (Interested in script and working with director Fred Schepsi again. I'm guessing they wanted to keep the stage creator.)

Daniel Day-Lewis in IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER
---Gabriel Byrne (Byrne, who was also a producer, was originally attached to play this role.)

Ralph Fiennes in SCHINDLER'S LIST
---Tim Roth (considered)

Laurence Fishburne in WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
---Charles Q. Murphy (auditioned)

Tom Hanks in PHILADELPHIA
---Daniel Day-Lewis (Demme's first choice, turned role down to work on IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER.)
---Andy Garcia (turned role down)
---Michael Keaton (turned role down)

Anthony Hopkins in THE REMAINS OF THE DAY
---Jeremy Irons (considered)

Holly Hunter in THE PIANO
---Juliette Binoche (considered)
---Isabelle Huppert (considered)
---Anjelica Huston (considered)
---Jennifer Jason Leigh (considered)
---Sigourney Weaver (Agent turned role down without sending her the script!!!)

Tommy Lee Jones in THE FUGITIVE
---Gene Hackman (turned role down)
---Jon Voight (turned role down)

John Malkovich in IN THE LINE OF FIRE
---Robert DeNiro (First choice - offered, but unavailable.)
---Robert Duvall (considered)
---Jack Nicholson (considered)

Liam Neeson in SCHINDLER'S LIST
---Kevin Costner (Sought role, but Spielberg felt the same Ford did after he declined.)
---Harrison Ford (Turned role down, thinking people would consider the film less important if he was in it.)
---Bruno Ganz (turned role down)
---Mel Gibson (Sought role, but Spielberg felt the same Ford did after he declined.)
---Stellan Skarsgard (considered)

Emma Thompson in THE REMAINS OF THE DAY
---Anjelica Huston (considered)
---Meryl Streep (Considered & sought role.)

Debra Winger in SHADOWLANDS
---Barbra Streisand (Originally asked to play this role & direct, turned down to develop THE NORMAL HEART, which never happened!)

1994

Tom Hanks in FORREST GUMP
---Chevy Chase (turned role down)
---Bill Murray (considered)
---John Travolta (turned role down)

Samuel L. Jackson in PULP FICTION
---Paul Calderon (Role written w/ Jackson in mind. Calderon almost got it because of a great audition. Jackson heard this & auditioned again & secured role. Calderon eventually played a small role.)

Uma Thurman in PULP FICTION
---Rosanna Arquette (Auditioned, played Judy instead.)
---Joan Cusack (interviewed)
---Daryl Hannah (interviewed)
---Michelle Pfeiffer (Interviewed & preferred by Tarantino after Thurman.)
---Isabella Rossellini (interviewed)
---Meg Ryan (interviewed)

John Travolta in PULP FICTION
---Daniel Day-Lewis (Sought role after Madsen turned it down, by that point Tarantino already had Travolta in mind.)
---Michael Madsen (Cast, but had a scheduling conflict.)

1995

Joan Allen in NIXON
---Meryl Streep (considered)

Anthony Hopkins in NIXON
---Warren Beatty (Considered - one of Stone's two first choices w/ Nicholson.)
---Tom Hanks (turned role down)
---Jack Nicholson (Turned role down - one of Stone's two first choices w/ Beatty.)

Sharon Stone in CASINO
---Melanie Griffith (Strongly considered)
---Nicole Kidman (considered)
---Madonna (considered)
---Michelle Pfeiffer (considered)

Meryl Streep in THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
---Cher (considered)
---Catherine Deneuve (auditioned)
---Barbara Hershey (Considered for earlier proposed prod w/ Sydney Pollack directing.)
---Anjelica Huston (Considered for proposed Pollack production.)
---Jessica Lange (Considered for proposed Pollack production.)
---Isabella Rossellini (considered)
---Susan Sarandon (Considered for proposed Pollack production.)

Emma Thompson in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
---Natasha Richardson (Writer Emma Thompson had the Richardson sisters in mind to play Elinor & Marianne.)

Kate Winslet in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
---Amanda Root (Originally cast, because of delays in production she proved unavailable.)
---Joely Richardson (Thompson had the Richardson sisters in mind to play Marianne & Elinor.)

1996

Tom Cruise in JERRY MAGUIRE
---Tom Hanks (Character written w/ him in mind.)
---John Travolta (considered)

Cuba Gooding, Jr. in JERRY MAGUIRE
---Jamie Foxx (auditioned)

Woody Harrelson in THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT
---Michael Douglas (Larry Flynt's choice.)
---Tom Hanks (considered)
---Bill Murray (Producer's choice. According to Milos Forman, Murray or his agent never returned any calls.)

Barbara Hershey in THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
---Susan Sarandon (First cast, had to back out due to film's delays & the start of her daughter's school year.)

Diane Keaton in MARVIN'S ROOM
---Anjelica Huston (considered)
---Kathleen Turner (considered)
---Sigourney Weaver (considered)

Edward Norton in PRIMAL FEAR
---Matt Damon (auditioned)
---Leonardo DiCaprio (turned role down)
---Will Wheaton (Turned role down to attend acting school!!! This was all against his manager's advice.)

Kristin Scott-Thomas in THE ENGLISH PATIENT
---Demi Moore (Strongly sought role, was never considered.)

Emily Watson in BREAKING THE WAVES
---Helena Bonham Carter (Turned role down due to sexual content.)
---Barbara Sukowa (Attached to project at some point.)

1997

Kim Basinger in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
---Jennifer Jason Leigh (Turned role down because she had already played several prostitutes.)
---Michelle Pfeiffer (considered)
---Izabella Scorupco (turned role down)

Robert Forster in JACKIE BROWN
---Robert DeNiro (Sought this role, Tarantino gave him Louis instead.)
---Gene Hackman (Along with Forster, was on Tarantino's short wish list.)
---Paul Newman (Along with Forster, was on Tarantino's short wish list.)
---John Saxon (Along with Forster, was on Tarantino's short wish list.)

Anthony Hopkins in AMISTAD
---Sean Connery (turned role down)

Helen Hunt in AS GOOD AS IT GETS
---Melanie Griffith (Unable because of pregnancy.)
---Holly Hunter (First choice, demanded too much money upfront.)

Greg Kinnear in AS GOOD AS IT GETS
---John Cusack (Cast, then pulled out because of commitments to GROSSE POINT BLANK.)
---Paul Gross (Auditioned, James L. Brooks said he was too fine featured for the part.)

Jack Nicholson in AS GOOD AS IT GETS
---Kevin Kline (Attached to star at some point in development.)
---John Travolta (turned role down)

Burt Reynolds in BOOGIE NIGHTS
---Warren Beatty (turned role down)
---Sydney Pollock (Turned role down, later regretted it.)

Gloria Stuart in TITANIC
---Ann Rutherford (turned role down)
---Fay Wray (Turned role down, she thought it would be torture.)

Kate Winslet in TITANIC
---Gwyneth Paltrow (considered)

1998

Cate Blanchett in ELIZABETH
---Meryl Streep (sought role)

Tom Hanks in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
---Harrison Ford (considered)
---Mel Gibson (considered)

Ed Harris in THE TRUMAN SHOW
---Dennis Hopper (Cast, backed out after one day of shooting. Not sure why.)

Gwyneth Paltrow in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
---Jodie Foster (considered)
---Julia Roberts (Cast in proposed prod in 1993. Also considered for final prod.)
---Meg Ryan (considered)
---Winona Ryder (considered)
---Kate Winslet (Turned role down to do HOLY SMOKE instead.)

Geoffrey Rush in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
---Simon Callow (Cast, after some delays part went to Rush w/ Callow ending up playing Tilney.)

1999

Russell Crowe in THE INSIDER
---Val Kilmer (Kilmer was director Michael Mann's choice, Crowe was a producer's choice.)

Richard Farnsworth in THE STRAIGHT STORY
---John Hurt (turned role down)
---Gregory Peck (turned role down)

Angelina Jolie in GIRL, INTERUPTED
---Claire Danes (auditioned)
---Rose McGowan (auditioned)

Julianne Moore in THE END OF THE AFFAIR
---Miranda Richardson (considered)
---Kristin Scott-Thomas (considered)

Haley Joel Osment in THE SIXTH SENSE
---Liam Aiken (Turned role down or his parents and/or agent did.)

Kevin Spacey in AMERICAN BEAUTY
---Chevy Chase (turned role down)
---Jeff Daniels (considered)
---Tom Hanks (turned role down)

Meryl Streep in MUSIC OF THE HEART
---Madonna (Cast, had to drop out two weeks before filming.)

Hillary Swank in BOYS DON'T CRY
---Drew Barrymore (An earlier proposed production had Diane Keaton directing Barrymore.)
---Alison Folland (Auditioned, cast as Kate.)
---Alicia Goranson (Auditioned, cast as Candace.)
---Katherine Moennig (auditioned)
---Chloe Sevigny (Auditioned, cast as Lana.)

What interests me about this thread is seeing how certain actors (Michelle Phiffer, Cher for example) turned down multiple roles that went onto Oscar...

Here's an addition for 1997:

Julianne Moore in BOOGIE NIGHTS
---Jennifer Jason Leigh (turned role down)

how could chevy chase turn down forrest gump AND american beauty, two oscar winning roles in historically great best picture winners

...and just think what those movies might have been with HIM!!!

lol...no doubt they would have been a different affair! I can sorta see him being considered for GUMP, but BEAUTY what were they thinkin'? Not that I'm much of a fan of Hanks, Spacey or either of these films...I think these films were the better for Chase turnign them down.