For one of his greatest masterworks, maestro Federico Fellinni seriously considered Olivier for the role of the film director suffering a creative crisis.

Olivier was offered the cameo role of Phineas Fogg's valet at the beginning of the film, but declined the invitation.

Offered the role of the powerful, elderly, ailing billionaire "Benjamin Rand" but turned it down because he objected to the sexual content.

Lord Laurence turned down the role of Julius Caesar when the mammoth production was restarted in Rome with a new director, Joseph L. Mankiwecz.

Laurence Olivier declined a British movie offer in 1948 to play the title role. It was made in America 2 years later.

The role of the great, troubled and insecure stage actor "Anthony John" in this George Cukor-director character study was written for Olivier who was unavailable when the film finally went into production.

Considered by the filmmakers to play "The Captain".

Producer David O. Selznick considered him for the role of the renegade monk.

Considered for the role of Vito Corleone.

Warner Bros. rejected director Alfred Hitchcock's idea of Olivier to play a Catholic priest who hears the confession of a murderer.

Originally cast as the defendant judge "Dr. Ernst Janning" in the shattering Stanley Kramer-directed drama about the court trial of Nazi war crimes.

Singing movie star said that Olivier was among MGM's top choices to star in the movie version of Cole Porter's hit musical.

Over the many years it took to launch a movie version, Olivier was one of the actors considered for the role of complex, heroic T. E. Lawrence.

Was wanted for the leading role by maestro Luchino Visconti but the producers insisted on a big box-office name.

Laurence Olivier refused the role of Humbert Humbert.

Olivier was going to direct and play the title role in a film of one of his greatest stage roles, but the project fell through after the death of the project's financier Michael Todd.

Executives at Columbia Studios wanted Olivier to play Sir Thomas More, but director Fred Zinnemann was adamant that Paul Scofield recreate his stage performance in the film.

Laurence Olivier was considered for the role of the phony preacher which eventually went to Robert Mitchum.

Director Alfred Hitchcock hoped to sign Olivier to the play the role of a London lawyer who disgraces himself by falling in love with his beautiful, murderous client.

Star Bette Davis wanted Olivier to play Lord Essex, insisting that Errol Flynn could not read blank verse well.

Garbo had requested that Laurence Olivier play opposite her, as Antonio, but he was replaced when it was realised in rehearsals that they had no chemistry.

Director John Frankenheimer wanted to cast Lord Laurence in the film, but Paramount turned him down in favor of Rock Hudson, claiming Olivier wasn't "box-office."

Olivier wanted to perform opposite his wife Vivien Leigh in the movie, but MGM head Louis B. Mayer insisted that an MGM contract player play the role.