Everybody has their fair share of regrets in life, with some bigger than others. In the case of the late Burt Reynolds, the regrets were in terms of the roles he had rejected, which went on to become some of the most epic and widely commended characters of all time, with some of them even able to spawn their own franchise.
However, what’s surprising is that there wasn’t one huge role that Reynolds turned down throughout his splendid career in the entertainment industry, but three whom he rejected, who could have easily reshaped his storied career: Han Solo, James Bond, and last but not least, Garrett Breedlove in the 1983 drama, Terms of Endearment.
Burt Reynolds’ Biggest Regret Was Turning Down Terms of Endearment (1983)
While the late Burt Reynolds didn’t leave any stone unturned in magnetizing his audience to his exceptionally captivating on-screen presence, he did make some bad decisions that could have seriously uplifted his career to a whole new level. The saddest and most regrettable decision for him among these was turning down the role of Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (1983).
During an interview with Business Insider back in 2016, the late star explained how much he regrets turning down that one particular role.
“I regret that one most of all because it was a real acting part,” Reynolds said. “I wish I would have done it, and thinking back now, it was really a stupid decision, but I made a lot of stupid decisions in that period. It must have been my stupid period.”
After Burt Reynolds’ rejection, the role went on to Jack Nicholson, who not only shined opposite Shirley MacLaine as the retired astronaut but also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor while Reynolds left this world with only a nomination for the same category.
Other Major Roles Burt Reynolds Regretted Turning Down
Though turning down Terms of Endearment was his biggest regret, that wasn’t his only regret in terms of cinema. As it turns out, Burt Reynolds was also offered the role of Han Solo in the first Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which later went to Harrison Ford, boosting his fame and spawning a huge franchise.
Continuing in the interview, Reynolds shared how he rejected the role since he wasn’t interested in the character at the time.
