The Greatest American Muscle Cars Ever Made

Is there anything better than an American muscle car? Sure, they may guzzle a ton of fuel – but they sure do look (and sound) good doing it. If you’re a gearhead, then you may dream of filling your garage with a ton of American muscle cars… But which ones are the greatest? Let’s take a look.

The Greatest American Muscle Cars Ever Made

Ford Mustang

We wonder if Ford had any idea what kind of waves they would be making when the first Mustang rolled off the production belt in 1964… There is something so iconic about the pony logo that has most of us drooling at the sight of it now. The only problem is trying to pick which of the Ford Mustangs are your favorite – with so many impeccable models to choose from. We’re going to go with the Shelby GT500!

Chevrolet Camaro

Just two years after Ford released their Mustang, Chevy were hot on their heels with the Camaro. They’d seen the success of American muscle cars and they knew that they wanted a piece of that pie. The Chevy Camaro took performance to the next level, and they’re constantly bringing out bigger and better models. Let’s just pretend the fourth-gen ones don’t exist, though.

The Greatest American Muscle Cars Ever Made

Dodge Challenger

The start of the 1970s saw the arrival of the Dodge Challenger, and what a beautiful arrival it was. It was one of THE American muscle cars to have in the 1970s, before having its own kind of renaissance in 2008. The new Dodge Challengers are some of the most eye-catching (and quickest) muscle cars on the market today.

So, if you’re a gearheard then which one of these incredible muscle cars do you pick? Well, we’d have to go with… All of them! You can never have too much muscle, if you ask us.

40 Actors Who Quit Big Roles for Ridiculous Reasons

Katherine Heigl — Grey’s Anatomy

Getting a big role in a blockbuster movie is the dream of every new actor who comes to Hollywood. Struggling actors would do anything to land the lead role in the next big hit. However, things are a bit different for seasoned actors who have been in Hollywood for years. Leonardo DiCaprio, Winona Ryder, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Nina Dobrev,  Mischa Barton and Woody Harrelson are some of the actors who decided to pass up big opportunities for some truly ridiculous reasons… Check out what they missed.

Katherine Heigl — Grey’s Anatomy

Katherine Heigl is undoubtedly one of the most memorable faces of the popular medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Still, even though she built quite a big fanbase playing Izzie Stevens, Katherine decided to step back.

Katherine Heigl — Grey’s Anatomy

Her performance on the series was worthy of many awards but Katherine decided not to return for another season as she didn’t like the writing on the show. She claimed that she left the production to focus on her family, although it was a very odd choice given the popularity of the show.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas — Home Improvement

If you remember the hit comedy Home Improvement from back in the day, then there’s no doubt you’ll recognize Jonathan Taylor Thomas — the lead child star on the series. Jonathan was on the path to a very successful career.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas — Home Improvement

He also took part in the live-action remake of Pinocchio but soon decided to take a break from acting. When asked why he chose to retreat from the spotlight, Jonathan said he wanted to study at St. Andrews in Scotland and hang out with Prince William, who was studying there at the time.

Luke Grimes — True Blood

It was a shock for fans of True Blood when Luke Grimes decided to leave the show after six seasons. His character, James, was a fan favorite so they couldn’t just kill him off after Grimes decided to back out.

Luke Grimes — True Blood

Apparently, Grimes didn’t like the “creative direction” his character was taking and didn’t agree with his life choices, which seems like quite a ridiculous reason to give up such a good role. Whatever the reason behind his departure, one thing is for sure — fans weren’t happy and didn’t like the fact that Nathan Parsons replaced Grimes in season seven.

Janet Hubert — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

If you were a fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, you probably noticed the shameless actor swap in the middle of the show. Namely, Janet Hubert decided to back out of her role as Aunt Vivian so they were forced to bring in a different actress to replace her.

Janet Hubert — The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

While this swap was quite obvious to fans, they still didn’t really understand why Janet made such an unexpected move. She later explained that she had many disagreements with Will Smith, the main star of the show. Years later she even said that “he is still an egomaniac and has not grown up.”

Buddy Ebsen — Wizard of Oz

When you think of some of the best classics from back in the day, The Wizard of Oz undoubtedly comes to mind. The role of Tin Man was supposed to go to Buddy Ebsen but he had to give up the role because he got physically ill from wearing the costume.

Buddy Ebsen — Wizard of Oz

Ebsen had to wear aluminum dust on top of his makeup, as a result, he landed in the hospital due to the dust that had coated his lungs. Luckily, Ebsen pulled through and survived although the role of Tin Man was ultimately given to Jack Haley.

Leonardo DiCaprio — Berserker

Let’s be real — there’s always some kind of controversy surrounding Mel Gibson. This time, Gibson’s remarks made one of the world’s best actors back out of a role just because he couldn’t stand the thought of working with Gibson.

Leonardo DiCaprio — Berserker

That’s right, people. Leonardo DiCaprio actually gave his role up in Berserker because he simply couldn’t get along with Gibson. Then again, who can blame him? Gibson definitely doesn’t necessarily sound like he’s a piece of cake to deal with.

Winona Ryder — The Godfather

Winona Ryder was one of the most highly sought after actresses between the 1980s and the 1990s. She even got an invitation to take part in the legendary crime drama The Godfather, which remains one of the most popular movies even to this day.

Winona Ryder — The Godfather

However, Ryder had to say no to the production house because she had already taken part in three big-name movies that year. She was just too busy and exhausted to star as Al Pacino’s daughter in the third part of The Godfather. After turning down the gig, Sophia Coppola landed the part.

Suzanne Somers — Three’s Company

Suzanne Somers, now 73 years old, became one of the most famous actresses when she first entered the industry during the ’60s. Her role as Chrissy Snow on the popular sitcom, Three’s Company truly skyrocketed her career and ultimately helped her become a household name.

Suzanne Somers — Three’s Company

With her bubbly personality and striking appearance, it’s no surprise that Somers grew in popularity…and demand! That’s why she decided to ask for a raise for her role on the show and even requested that she get paid the same amount as male co-stars but unfortunately, she didn’t get what she wanted. The blonde bombshell continued to fight against the discrimination — and even refused to continue the role if she didn’t get equal pay — but in the end, production decided to let her go.

Rip Torn — Easy Rider

Rip Torn took part in many classics back in the day and he was also invited to star in Easy Rider alongside Dennis Hopper. However, the role he was supposed to take later went to Jack Nicholson because of something that happened on set.

Rip Torn — Easy Rider

Namely, it was said that Torn threatened Hopper on the set with a weapon. Since Hopper happened to also be the director of the movie, Torn didn’t even have a fighting chance and was released from the production. Torn later claimed, however, that he was framed and that he only left because of his own volition.

Ewan McGregor — American Psycho

If you’ve seen American Psycho, you know that the lead role went to Christian Bale. What you may have not known, though, is that many actors were considered for this role including Ewan McGregor. While everyone who auditioned for the film tried their best to land the role, McGregor actually decided to give it up.

Ewan McGregor — American Psycho

At first, people couldn’t understand why Ewan McGregor would pass up on such a great opportunity. Later on, he admitted that Bale had called everyone on the phone telling them to back away because the role was his. Apparently, McGregor got scared after the phone call and quit the role.

Nina Dobrev — The Vampire Diaries

One of the most heartbreaking moments for the fans of The Vampire Diaries was when Nina Dobrev decided to leave the show. As one of the biggest stars on the set, Nina became a fan favorite quite quickly.

Nina Dobrev — The Vampire Diaries

However, she claimed that she had been thinking of leaving the show for quite a while, explaining that she wanted to “focus on other opportunities.” The truth is that she just really couldn’t stand spending time with her co-star and ex-partner, Ian Somerhalder.

Claire Holt — The Originals

If you were an actor looking for big roles to boost your career, you probably wouldn’t mind moving across the country to take part in a big production. However, Claire Holt seemed to care more about the location of the set than any fame and money that this specific role could bring her.

Claire Holt — The Originals

Namely, Holt quit the role of Rebekah Mikaelson on the supernatural drama, The Originals because the show was being filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. It turns out that this actress preferred the sunny beaches of Los Angeles over the mountainous regions of Georgia. Oh well, her loss…

Charlie Sheen — Two and a Half Men

The fans of Two and a Half Men were quite devastated to see Charlie Sheen’s character get killed off the show, although most didn’t mind Ashton Kutcher taking his place. The question is why exactly would Charlie Sheen leave the hit series if he was making $2 million per episode?

Charlie Sheen — Two and a Half Men

Apparently, Charlie left the show because he could no longer stand the showrunner, Chuck Lorre. He even made some quite dramatic public comments calling him a “contaminated little maggot,” and wishing him “nothing but pain in his silly travels.” No wonder why his character was run over by a train…

James Remar — Alien

Here’s one of the most ridiculous reasons to leave the production of a big movie — the actor just couldn’t stay focused. James Remar had built quite a successful career for himself after starring in several films including the ’70s crime mystery The Warriors.

James Remar — Alien

He was then cast for the sequel of the space horror Alien, which was supposed to take his career to the next level. However, Remar found himself struggling to focus on set and just couldn’t agree with the director in regard to some of the most basic things. He ended quitting his role as Hicks, with actor Michel Biehn replacing him.

Woody Harrelson — Benny and Joon

Considering the duration of some productions, it doesn’t come as a surprise that many actors form long-lasting bonds while shooting. This was the case for Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern who were cast together in the comedy Benny and Joon back in 1993.

Woody Harrelson — Benny and Joon

When Laura decided to leave the production, Harrelson went with her because he couldn’t stand the thought of filming without her. As a result, the actor ended up getting sued by the production company. Still, he didn’t really seem to care about it. What an odd reason to let go of a good role and a massive amount of money…

Kel O’Neill — There Will be Blood

Now retired, Daniel Day-Lewis is considered one of the greatest actors in cinematic history. His reputation, though, makes total sense considering the former star practiced method acting throughout his career. With method acting, one remains in character for the duration of filming, which means that the actor stays in character even when the cameras are off.

Kel O’Neill — There Will be Blood

It takes patience to work around method actors, which Kel O’Neill evidently didn’t have. The two were supposed to appear together in the historical drama titled There Will Be Blood. Unfortunately, O’Neill quit the film because he couldn’t stand working with Day-Lewis or any other method actor, for that matter.

James Purefoy — V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta was one of the biggest crime mysteries of the 2000s. This 2005 hit was supposed to take James Purefoy’s career to a whole new level but he decided to leave the role all due to the mask his character had to wear.

James Purefoy — V for Vendetta

Apparently, he claimed he could not act properly under a mask and it was not something he was willing to compromise on. Later on, Hugo Weaving took over the role of V and became known for this appearance alongside Natalie Portman.

Harvey Keitel — Eyes Wide Shut

Harvey Keitel took pride in his professionalism and the desire to raise his career above the standards. He has been in the business for quite a long time to be able to recognize a professional from a non-professional.

Harvey Keitel — Eyes Wide Shut

When he was cast in Eyes Wide Shut, he did not expect the director Stanley Kubrick to be so unorganized. Apparently, the set dates kept getting delayed and Keitel just couldn’t stand the unprofessionalism anymore so he decided to quit.

Will Smith — Django Unchained

Will Smith is one of those blockbuster movie actors who accepts nothing but parts that meet his standards. He was invited to participate in a western thriller directed by the one and only Quentin Tarantino.

Will Smith — Django Unchained

When he received the script for Django Unchained, however, he didn’t quite understand what was going on in the movie. He was offered the main character but he claimed that Christoph Waltz’s character seemed to be the protagonist of the story and he just couldn’t stand being the second guy.

Mia Farrow — The Detective

When Frank Sinatra married Mia Farrow, he was certain that he’d always be the more successful partner. However, things switched up after Mia Farrow’s career quickly overshadowed that of Sinatra’s.

Mia Farrow Overshadowed Her Husband

Farrow was starring along with Sinatra in the crime drama The Detective whilst simultaneously filming Rosemary’s Baby. This was supposed to be her breakout role and the movie became a bigger hit than The Detective, which is why ‘Ol Blue Eyes ended their relationship right there on set. Talk about a sore loser…

Faye Dunaway — Chinatown

Everyone knew that casting Faye Dunaway was a risk for any production due to her reputation of being a difficult person to work with. One of the most ridiculous incidents involving this actress happened on the set of the film Chinatown.

Faye Dunaway — Chinatown

Apparently, the director noticed a single strand of Faye’s hair fall out of place and catch the light from the reflector, so he went ahead and plucked it. Dunaway allegedly got so upset that she just got up and stormed away.

Steve Burns — Blue’s Clues

Steve Burns was the host of Blue’s Clues — one of the most popular children’s TV shows back in the day — until he decided to quit for a ridiculous reason.

Steve Burns — Blue’s Clues

At the time Steve decided to call it quits, there was a rumor going around that he was dealing with some personal issues. Months later, though, Burns revealed that the real reason he left the show was that he was losing his hair and didn’t want to be seen bald on TV.

Eminem — Elysium

Everyone recognizes the name, Eminem. After all, he’s one of the most famous rappers of all time. Aside from that, Marshall Mathers has also had his fair share of acting gigs, although he never planned to pursue this as a career. Eminem took part in two small cameos and the big-time hit 8 Mile.

Eminem — Elysium

8 Mile was actually based on his life and if we’re being honest — it was a pretty good performance on Eminem’s part. The director later called him for a role in a dystopian space saga called Elysium but Eminem didn’t accept the role due to the fact that it wasn’t going to be shot in Detroit. He just couldn’t leave his hometown.

Brad Pitt — About a Boy

About a Boy follows a rich, child-free guy from London who invents an imaginary son in hopes that he’ll find an available woman — a role that was portrayed by the legendary Hugh Grant. Believe it or not, though, the director actually had a different guy in mind when he was initially casting the film.

Brad Pitt — About a Boy

His thoughts were set on none other than Brad Pitt who ultimately rejected the offer because he found himself to be “too attractive” for that specific role.

Mark Wahlberg — Donnie Darko

The dark psychological thriller titled Donnie Darko may not have been a big success upon its release but people grew to like it over the years. The role of Donnie was played by Jake Gyllenhaal who was only 19 years old when he starred in the film.

Mark Wahlberg — Donnie Darko

Believe it or not, though, the role was initially supposed to go to Mark Wahlberg who had a rather odd request for his character. It turns out that Wahlberg wanted to do the role with a lisp, which the director Richard Kelly found stupid and unnecessary. Apparently, this was a deal-breaker for Mark.

Sean Connery — Lord of the Rings

We’ve seen many actors miss out on opportunities in Hollywood for ridiculous reasons but not understanding the script might be the funniest one. This happened to Sean Connery who was invited to take part in the legendary Lord of the Rings.

Sean Connery — Lord of the Rings

The director offered Connery $6 million to take part in the movie, along with 15% of the royalties. Believe it or not, Connery refused such an enormous offer because he claimed he didn’t understand the script. He even confirmed that he still didn’t understand the movie even after it came out. What a way to miss out on nearly half a billion dollars!

John Travolta — The Double

John Travolta is another one of those A-list stars who got in some serious trouble over certain acting roles. Rewrites are a common thing in Hollywood although Travolta isn’t totally a big fan of them. He ended up quitting Roman Polanski’s comedy, The Double, just days before cameras were due to start rolling.

John Travolta — The Double

Travolta and Polanski just couldn’t get past some of their creative disagreements. When Travolta found out that some script rewrites were done without him, he quit the movie and declined the massive $17 million deal. In the end, he got sued by the studio although they managed to solve the issue out of court.

Charlie Hunnam — Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey may have been heavily criticized after its release but the movie didn’t make as much money as expected. Jamie Dornan, who played the lead role of Christian Grey, was not the first choice for this rather controversial character.

Charlie Hunnam — Fifty Shades of Grey

In fact, the director first chose Charlie Hunnam for this role but the actor turned the role down after promising a favor to a friend. That’s right — the actor refused a massive role because he had promised his friend, Guillermo Del Toro, that he would star in his upcoming movie Crimson Park. Perhaps it’s not the best idea to base career decisions on personal promises…

Julia Roberts  — Shakespeare in Love

Julia Roberts was the first actress the director had in mind for the role of Viola in the film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night — called Shakespeare in Love. However, the Pretty Woman star insisted that they bring in Daniel Day-Lewis as her co-star for the project.

Julia Roberts — Shakespeare in Love

Since Lewis didn’t want to take part in the movie, Roberts decided to quit. This might have been a mistake on both their parts since the movie ultimately earned seven Oscars and several other awards including Best Picture and Best Actress for Gwyneth Paltrow.

Tim Roth — Harry Potter

Believe it or not but the role of Severus Snape in Harry Potter was only given to Alan Rickman after actor Tim Roth turned the offer down. It turns out that Roth decided to pass up on the opportunity of a lifetime for the most ridiculous reason.

Tim Roth — Harry Potter

When asked why he didn’t want to take part in the movie, he revealed that he “wasn’t ready to be on a lunch box.” Even though he claimed that it would’ve been nice to have a steady paycheck, he just wasn’t ready to live under such a big spotlight.

Christina Applegate — Legally Blonde

Let’s be real, people — the rom-com hit Legally Blonde was easily one of the most successful films of the early 2000s. It was thanks to her performance as Elle Woods that actress Reese Witherspoon ended up becoming a household name. It turns out, though, that the role was first offered to Christina Applegate who decided to refuse for no apparent reason.

Christina Applegate — Legally Blonde

The Married… With Children star later claimed that she turned down the role because she had just finished playing the role of a different ditzy blonde — Kelly Bundy.

Tom Cruise — The Shawshank Redemption

A-list actors often make unusual demands on movie sets but Tom Cruise might have gone a bit overboard. He was invited to take part in The Shawshank Redemption, which happened to be Frank Darabont’s debut film as a director.

Tom Cruise — The Shawshank Redemption

However, Tom Cruise didn’t accept the role of Andy Dufresne because he wanted to work with a more experienced director. Darabont refused to give up his position so he gave the part away to Tim Robbins instead. The movie ended up receiving many positive reviews including a total of seven Academy Awards.

Mischa Barton — The O.C.

You might recognize Mischa Barton from the show The O.C. in which she starred as Marissa Cooper. After three seasons, fans of the show were surprised to see Barton’s character get killed off the show, and many had no idea why it happened so suddenly. Apparently, Mischa believed that there were better opportunities out there waiting for her.

Mischa Barton — The O.C.

That’s right — the actress quit the show and gave up her steady paycheck in order to pursue what she thought were better opportunities. Unfortunately, it was a missed shot and things started to go downhill for her since she never got another significant role after that.

Emily Blunt — Iron Man 2

Here’s another actress who made a poor decision and missed out on an enormous opportunity in her career. Emily Blunt refused to take the role of Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because she had her eyes set on another movie.

Emily Blunt — Iron Man 2

No — we’re not lying. The English actress refused to take part in Iron Man 2 because of a movie called Gulliver’s Travels. The film, which is based on a novel of the same name, did make some money but wasn’t nearly as successful as Marvel’s hit. Scarlett Johansson took Emily’s role instead…

Angus T. Jones — Two and a Half Men

You probably remember Angus T. Jones from his days of portraying Jake on Two and a Half Men. This was a pretty big role for a child star that undoubtedly set Jones on the path to success.

Angus T. Jones — Two and a Half Men

Audiences literally watched Jones grow up onscreen since he portrayed this character for 10 years! In 2012, however, Angus got baptized and later claimed that the show was against his new beliefs. Not only did he leave the sitcom but he also persuaded fans to boycott it, too.

Christopher Abbott — Girls

The HBO series Girls was undeniably one of the biggest hits during its run from 2012 to 2017. Lena Dunham and Christopher Abbott — who played Marnie’s boyfriend — were two fan favorites, which is why everyone was pretty shocked to see Abbott leave the show so suddenly without any explanation.

Christopher Abbott — Girls

He later claimed that the reason behind it all was that he couldn’t really relate to his character on a personal level.

Naya Rivera — Glee

As one of the main characters in Glee, Nara Rivera had built quite a name for herself. However, there were some issues going on behind the scenes that brought big changes to the production of the series.

Naya Rivera — Glee

Namely, Naya Rivera was having a hard time dealing with Lea Michele, as she was reportedly jealous of her screen time. Even though Rivera wanted to quit the show, she was fired before she could leave on her own. Either way, we never thought an actor would pass up on a big role because of sheer jealousy!

Leah Remini — The Talk

Leah Remini is one of those stars who also somehow finds the time to work as a talk show host. She has worked on hundreds of projects, one of them being The Talk in which she got to work alongside Sharon Osbourne and Holly Robinson Pete.

Leah Remini — The Talk

However, this collaboration didn’t go well because Leah couldn’t get along with her co-workers. Unfortunately, that particular group of women just couldn’t agree on anything. This didn’t make for a very fun atmosphere on set, as it was constantly tense and unpleasant. With that being said, there was no other option for Leah but to leave it all behind.

Kirk Cameron — Growing Pains

As a young child star, Kirk Cameron had yet to experience all the challenges of Hollywood. When he got the opportunity to work alongside Julie McCullough on Growing Pains, Kirk found himself in a rather unpleasant situation.

Kirk Cameron — Growing Pains

Apparently, he couldn’t deal with Julie’s past and specifically didn’t approve of some of her personal and business decisions. Even though his co-worker’s past had nothing to do with him, Cameron just couldn’t accept it. However, it was Julie who decided to leave — not Kirk.

Stana Katic — Castle

If you watched Castle, you probably never knew that Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion — a.k.a. Richard and Beckett — didn’t get along in real life. In fact, they got on each other’s nerves so much that it’s a miracle they lasted for eight whole seasons.

Stana Katic — Castle

Some sources revealed that Stana would even cry in between filming because of all the frustration Nathan caused her. She called him a bully and, after season eight, decided to quit. There’s no doubt that this was some very disappointing news for the fans of this big-time TV hit.