Famous film roles often come down to the actors who decided to take them or walk away. This quiz explores the stories behind major casting choices and the lengths some stars go to for a role.
You will find questions about physical transformations for big awards, actors who relied on cue cards to film their scenes, and instances where celebrities stepped away from massive blockbuster opportunities.
If you enjoy learning about what happens on set, check out our pages on troubled film productions, the evolution of method acting, and the history of Oscar winners.
Which legendary actor famously used cue cards taped to furniture or actors’ bodies to get through his lines in his later films?
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis
In the pursuit of an Academy Award for the film Dallas Buyers Club, which specific physical transformation did Matthew McConaughey undergo?
Significant weight gain
Significant weight gain
Increased muscle mass
Increased muscle mass
Significant weight loss
Significant weight loss
Complete head shaving
Complete head shaving
Which 1999 sci-fi blockbuster role did Will Smith turn down to star in Wild Wild West?
The Mummy
The Mummy
Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest
Star Wars: Episode I
Star Wars: Episode I
The Matrix
The Matrix
Joaquin Phoenix, known for his intense method acting, is a prominent activist for which cause?
Voting Rights
Voting Rights
Climate Change
Climate Change
Animal Rights
Animal Rights
Ocean Conservation
Ocean Conservation
Which actor allegedly clashed with director Kevin Smith during the filming of Cop Out due to difficulties with the production process?
George Clooney
George Clooney
Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Which actor is famous for his extreme weight fluctuating transformations, famously losing and gaining weight for roles in The Machinist and Batman Begins?
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy
Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Jared Leto
Jared Leto
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix
Which iconic movie role did Michelle Pfeiffer famously turn down because she found the script too violent?
Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct
The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs
Thelma & Louise
Thelma & Louise
Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman
Which actress became one of the most visible faces of the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1970s?
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Which legendary actor from the original Star Wars trilogy famously struggled with his lines, reportedly relying on cue cards?
Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Which actress famously gained approximately 30 pounds and wore prosthetics to portray serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster?
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway
Which actor famously turned down the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather?
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Which actor is well-known for his environmental activism, specifically focusing on climate change and the founding of an eponymous foundation?
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo
Which sketch comedy show is known for its tradition of using cue cards during live performances?
The Avengers
The Avengers
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones
Star Trek
Star Trek
Which actor underwent drastic weight loss to play the role of Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club?
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Jared Leto
Jared Leto
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal
Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling
Which actress played the iconic role of Vivian Ward in the film Pretty Woman?
Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
Which Hollywood actor founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization to provide humanitarian aid to Haiti?
Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo
George Clooney
George Clooney
Which actress was offered the lead role of Rose DeWitt Bukater in the film Titanic but turned it down?
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Which actor gained 63 pounds to play the role of Ed Hoffman in the film Body of Lies?
Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy
Which political drama series featured a U.S. President whose actor reportedly requested cue cards for his lines?
The West Wing
The West Wing
The Sopranos
The Sopranos
Mad Men
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
Which actress was arrested at the U.S. Capitol in 2019 while participating in climate change protests?
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Which actor turned down the role of Butch Coolidge in the film ‘Pulp Fiction’?
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Which actress was notably involved in supporting the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire through fundraising and community support?
Adele
Adele
Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh
You can do better
Not bad
Great!
When you finish this round, keep going with our other collections. Explore cult classics, look through our Hollywood legends list, or check our film scores.
