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Back in the 1990s, Kevin Costner had become a household name due to the unparalleled fame the actor had achieved. With several notable and iconic movies likeThe Bodyguard, The Untouchables,and,Field of Dreamsto his name, Costner had become the epitome of a moral compass and righteousness.
This came at a heavy cost to the actor since the “near-perfect” film that went on to win several Oscars had asked Kevin Costner to star in it. As per the reports, Costner was too busy finishing his own movie and had to regrettably pass up on the role of Andy inThe Shawshank Redemption.
Kevin Costner Rejected A Pivotal Role InThe Shawshank Redemption!
Back in 1994, Hollywood changed when Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins releasedThe Shawshank Redemption.Being one of the highest-rated movies on IMDB, the film talked about the philosophy of hope and forgiveness amidst times of turmoil.
Also read:“I came within a whisper of dying”: 2 Time Oscar Winner Kevin Costner’s Music Career Led to 75 People Nearly Dying in Freak Accident
With such an interesting story to take on, the role of Andy Dufresne was initially offered to Hollywood legend Kevin Costner. Having the image of being a self-righteous man, Costner was the perfect choice for the character. The actor’s personal project, however, was the one thing that held Costner back from starring in the movie. From a report, it was revealed that theYellowstoneactor had already working for 2 years on his personal project titledWaterworld.
Being a movie about a mutated mariner saving a woman and a child,Waterworlddid not receive the critical acclaim that Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins received forThe Shawshank Redemption.Kevin Costnerused to work 12 hours a day and 6 days a week to turn his passion project into a reality. When Costner rejected the role, the character of Andy Dufresne was passed on to another legendary actor known for his action movies.
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Tom Cruise Also Rejected The Role of Andy Dufresne
Related:“I will earn substantially less in 2023 than I did in 2022”: ‘Yellowstone’ Likely Ditching Kevin Costner After Ugly Divorce Reveals The Network Has Stopped Paying Him
After Kevin Costner rejected the role, the character was passed on to Tom Cruise. TheTop Gunactor was heavily invested in the role and also attended several table readings for the same. Director Frank Darabont was attached to the project and apparently…he and Cruise did not get along.
Tom Cruisewalked out of the movie due to his conflicts with director Frank Darabont led him to reject the role of Andy Dufresne. The role then finally went to Tim Robbins.The Shawshank Redemptionwent on to receive a high rating of 9.3/10 on IMDB and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. The 1994 film is available to stream on Prime Video across the U.S.
Source:Far Out Magazine
Visarg Acharya
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3262
Visarg Acharya is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 3000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past three years and a copywriter at a corporation. Visarg usually covers news and theories on the MCU and the DCU, with an emphasis on Avengers and Superman; Game of Thrones, and more.A Tarantino fan, Visarg, spends his time critiquing various directors’ filmographies and watching them with curiosity. Medieval fantasy like The Lord of the Rings or sci-fi movies like Interstellar, watching the latest horror movies, and listening to Hans Zimmer become his comfort zone. When idle, he can be found reading fantasy novels with a terrible cup of coffee in hand.
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Kevin Costner
