THEY are some of Hollywood’s biggest, most bankable roles — Han Solo, Superman — and they were rejected by some of the movie industry’s biggest actors.

See who was up for these famous movie roles:

HAN SOLO

Al Pacino, known for playing mafia boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather films, was asked to take the lead role in the Star Wars movies.

But years later the actor admitted that he did not really understand the film.

“I remember not understanding (the script) when I read it,” he told MTV at the Toronto Film Festival.

“I was in The Godfather. They didn’t care if I was right or wrong for the role, if I could act or not act.”

Pacino said his decision back in 1975 was “another missed opportunity”. But Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Burt Reynolds and James Caan were all approached for the role as well before it went to Ford.

GANDALF

Sir Sean Connery turned down the chance to play Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While Warner Bros offered him a large salary and 15 per cent of the franchise’s box office takings, Connery said no because of his concerns over the script.

It later fell to Sir Ian McKellen.

Connery said: “I never understood it. I read the book. I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don’t understand it. Ian McKellen, I believe, is marvellous in it.”

JAMES BOND

Cary Grant was urged to take the role of Ian Fleming’s iconic 007 agent James Bond, by his close friend and Bond film producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Grant was the best man at his wedding. But Sean Connery eventually took his place as the first Hollywood Bond.

SUPERMAN

Several actors were courted for the role of Superman before Christopher Reeve was finally cast in it.

Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood and James Caan were all offered the movie’s title role.

All three turned it down. IMDB reports that Redford wanted too much money; Eastwood said he was too busy; Caan said, “There’s no way I’m getting into that silly suit.”

PRETTY WOMAN

Molly Ringwald starred in iconic ’80s films like The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink. In a Reddit’s Ask Me Anything forum, she revealed she was being considered for the lead role as Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman and looked at an early script.

Before Julia Roberts took on the role, a long list of leading female actors were considered including Sandra Bullock, Valeria Golino, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Connelly, Kim Basinger, Kathleen Turner, Debra Winger, Geena Davis, Carrie Fisher, Bo Derek, Kelly McGillis, Melanie Griffith, Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfeiffer, Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Thompson, Rosanna Arquette, Heather Locklear, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joan Cusack, Phoebe Cates, Elisabeth Shue, Tatum O’Neal, Bridget Fonda, Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane, Uma Thurman, Justine Bateman and Daryl Hannah.

It is understood some of them were scared off by the prostitute angle of the film.

FORREST GUMP

John Travolta admitted rejecting the role of Forrest Gump, saying it was a mistake. The lead role in the 1994 Oscar-winning film went to Tom Hanks, who won Best Actor at the Academy Awards, one of six the film won including Best Picture. Other actors who turned the role down included Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. IMDB states Hanks signed onto the film after an hour and a half of reading the script but agreed to take the role only on the condition that the film was historically accurate.

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Director Jonathan Demme admitted that he was reluctant to cast Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling — a role which she later won her second Oscar for.

He recalled telling the film’s producers: “You know, I don’t think Jodie Foster would be good in this part. She’s such a California person …”

Demme’s first choice was Michelle Pfeiffer, who was “concerned about the darkness of the piece”, followed by Meg Ryan, who Demme said was “slightly offended” when he offered her the part. He then wanted to cast Laura Dern, who was ruled out because she was “a relative unknown”.

As for the part of Dr Hannibal Lecter, Sir Anthony Hopkins didn’t get it straight away. John Hurt, Christopher Lloyd, Dustin Hoffman, Patrick Stewart, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Duvall, Jack Nicholson, and Robert De Niro were all considered for the role.

INDIANA JONES

Harrison Ford was up for the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s 1981 Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark — but it wasn’t easy for him to land the role.

Star Wars creator George Lucas co-wrote the first film, and didn’t want Ford to appear in another one of his films.

“I said, ‘Oh, Steven. He’s been in two of my movies. I don’t want him to be my Bobby De Niro,’” Lucas said.

Tom Selleck was picked for the part by Lucas and Spielberg. But Selleck had already filmed the pilot of his hit detective show Magnum P.I. and couldn’t get out of the contract.

Jeff Bridges was also offered the iconic role according to IMDB, before Ford was given the part.

TERMINATOR

It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the original Terminator other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. But he was’nt the first choice. Sylvester Stallone was originally offered the role. He turned it down, as did Mel Gibson, and the role eventually went to Schwarzenegger.

TWILIGHT

Twilight vampire series author Stephanie Meyer originally wanted Australian actor Emily Browning for the lead role in Twilight, but Browning passed on it before it went to kristen Stewart.

Browning doesn’t regret the her decision either. “If I had’ve auditioned and gotten that part and had the same experience that they did on the film, they got such a crazy amount of attention, I don’t think I would be acting anymore,” she told The Huffington Post. “I think I would have quit. I don’t think I would have been able to handle it.”