The Harry Potter actress was close to starring in a musical that grossed more than $400 million, but she turned it down to do a Disney movie.
Some actors and actresses seem to have been born to play certain roles. Watching the movies they appear in, it's hard to imagine someone else playing some of the characters. However, there are many cases in which well-known actors turned down roles in films that later turned out to be very successful.
For example, it's hard to imagine Forrest Gump being played by another actor than Tom Hanks, but the role was originally going to go to John Travolta. In Hollywood, it often happens that some actors reject certain roles and allow others to enhance their careers.
Actress Emma Watson, who rose to fame thanks to the Harry Potter saga, surely regrets turning down her lead in a musical that grossed more than $400 million and earned several Oscar nominations.
This is La La Landa, the musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Emma Watson had been offered the lead in the film, but she ended up turning it down because at the time she was working on the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast produced by Disney.
According to her, Watson preferred to play Belle because she grew up watching Disney movies and always dreamed of starring in a live-action version of the animated film. The actress had already refused to play Cinderella a few years earlier.
"When they offered me the role of Belle, I felt that the character was more suitable for me than that Cinderella. Belle is curious, compassionate, and empathetic. She is the kind of character I want to play," Watson said at the time.
The truth is that Watson today must regret having rejected the leading role in La La Land. The movie was a real hit and grossed over $447 million worldwide. Also, Emma Stone won her first Oscar for her performance in the film.
