No, Not Forrest Gump: John Travolta Turned Down One Of Tom Hanks' Most Memorable Movies

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 talent on screen. But how different would Travolta's career have looked if he hadn't turned down a role in a 1999 film based on a Stephen King novel? 

Over the years, Travolta has talked a few times about roles he declined that went to other actors, particularly Tom Hanks and Richard Gere. Thanks to plenty of articles saying so, many fans believe that Travolta said no to starring in "Forrest Gump," but this isn't 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 Reuters, he mentioned a few projects he said no to and what he thought then. Travolta said, "'Green Mile' I probably should have said yes to, 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 getting nominated for best picture at the Oscars. 

Thankfully, Travolta had a positive perspective on the whole thing. He declared, "But I gave Richard Gere and Tom Hanks a career! What you turn down can be a gift to someone else. There is enough to go around." By 1999, Travolta had already starred in some of his biggest roles, so he definitely wasn't hurting for interesting opportunities. Still, it would've been cool to see the actor in a role like "The Green Mile." 

It's a widely held belief that John Travolta was the first choice for the lead role in "Forrest Gump." But after some digging, this 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 "one persistent Internet rumor, reported by the BBC," with Finerman saying that she doesn't remember ever talking with the actor about the role. But she did concede, "Maybe he read a script." This certainly doesn't track with reports that he was the one they wanted at first. 

But it's a common occurrence in Hollywood for actors to refuse big roles, and it is true that there were quite a few parts in iconic films that Travolta turned down over the years that went to Hanks. When "The Green Mile" came around, the two actors basically swapped roles. Hanks took "The Green Mile," while Travolta took what was originally Hanks' role in "Primary Colors," playing a charming yet unique 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 swap to Time in 2007, Travolta simply said, "I'm glad I did."

But "The Green Mile" wasn't the only Hanks role Travolta first declined. No, it still wasn't "Forrest Gump," but it was equally iconic. According to Travolta, he turned down the male lead role in "Splash," the cult classic 1984 movie Hanks starred in with John F. Kennedy Jr.'s ex Daryl Hannah. We could definitely imagine Travolta as the down-on-his-luck man with no love life who suddenly falls in love with a mermaid.