Tales of roles actors passed up or didn’t get selected for, characters they could’ve played that became iconic in someone else’s hands, always make for good fodder (for example, Tom Selleck could’ve been Indiana Jones!). And so it was with particular relish that reports surfaced last month saying that Miles Teller balked at a $4 million offer to reunite with this “Whiplash” director Damien Chazelle for “La La Land.” In an alternate universe, Teller would’ve starred with Emma Watson in the musical. Instead it became the gorgeous Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone vehicle that’s already an early Oscar season favorite. However, Teller has no regrets, and even more, says that those rumors he turned down big money simply aren’t true.
“The whole ‘me turning down the movie after I was offered $4 million dollars’ is complete bullshit,” Teller told Empire. “These publications print things so people read their article and then they say an ‘unnamed source said this.’ All that’s bullshit.”
“I’m happy for them,” the actor added about Chazelle and co. “You just want to be part of quality movies and we have that with ‘Bleed For This‘ and they have that with ‘La La Land.’ ”
Indeed, Teller is riding into the awards season — albeit with less buzz — with his boxing drama, which certainly gives him a role where he can flex his talents. So, water under the bridge? It sure seems like it.
“Bleed For This” opens on November 18th.