John Travolta is an actor with a decades-long career filled with exciting, recognizable roles. Whether you know him as Danny Zuko from “Grease,” Edna Turnblad from “Hairspray,” or another of his famous characters, it’s safe to say that Travolta has made a name for himself in the industry thanks to his on-screen talent. But how different would Travolta’s career have been had he not turned down a role in a 1999 film based on a Stephen King novel?
Over the years, Travolta has spoken a few times about roles he turned down that went to other actors, notably Tom Hanks and Richard Gere. Thanks to plenty of articles saying so, many fans believe that Travolta turned down the role of “Forrest Gump”, but this has not been confirmed. Instead, Travolta was almost cast in the drama film “The Green Mile” in the role of Paul Edgecomb, which eventually went to Hanks. In a 2008 interview with Reutershe mentioned a few projects he turned down and what he then thought. Travolta said, “‘Green Mile’ I probably should have said yes, and ‘An Officer and a Gentleman,'” referring to the 1982 film starring Gere. “The Green Mile” starred Hanks alongside Michael Clarke Duncan, Sam Rockwell and Bonnie Hunt, among others, and it ended up being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Fortunately, Travolta had a positive perspective on it all. He declared, “But I gave Richard Gere and Tom Hanks a career! What you turn down might be a gift to someone else. There’s enough to go around.” By 1999, Travolta had already starred in some of his biggest roles, so he was certainly not at a loss for interesting opportunities. Still, it would have been cool to see the actor in a role like “The Green Mile.”
John Travolta’s connection to Forrest Gump appears to be a well-spread myth
It is widely believed that John Travolta was the first choice for the lead role in “Forrest Gump”. But after some digging, that doesn’t seem to be true. Or at least, we don’t have any solid evidence to back it up. In fact, “Forrest Gump” producer Wendy Finerman addressed the casting rumors in a 2019 interview with USA today. The publication called the reports of Travolta’s possible involvement “a persistent Internet rumor, reported by BBC,” with Finerman saying she doesn’t recall ever talking to the actor about the role. But she admitted, “Maybe he read a script.” This certainly doesn’t go along with reports that he was who they wanted initially.
But it’s a common occurrence in Hollywood too actors to turn down major rolesand it’s true that there were quite a few parts in iconic films that Travolta turned down over the years leading up to Hanks. When “The Green Mile” came along, the two actors basically switched roles. Hanks took “The Green Mile,” while Travolta took what was originally Hanks’ role in “Primary Colors,” as a charming but quirky governor running for president. The film had a stacked cast that also included Kathy Bates, Emma Thompson and “Landman” star Billy Bob Thornton. Commenting on the role change Time in 2007, Travolta said simply, “I’m glad I did it.”
But “The Green Mile” wasn’t the only Hanks role that Travolta initially turned down. No, it still wasn’t “Forrest Gump,” but it was just as iconic. According to Travolta, he turned down the male lead in “Splash,” the 1984 cult classic in which Hanks co-starred John F. Kennedy Jr.’s ex Daryl Hannah. We could certainly imagine Travolta as a man without a love life who suddenly falls in love with a mermaid.
