Five Legendary Film Roles Madonna Nearly Took On

Madonna’s name is synonymous with pop music, but her attempts to conquer the big screen have always been a bit of a mixed bag. While she’s a global superstar in the music world, her acting career hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. There’s plenty of debate about whether she’s ever truly starred in a film that’s become a classic. Still, if things had played out differently, she might have had a few more memorable credits to her name.

It’s no small achievement to be labelled the worst actor in cinema history by scientific study, but that doesn’t mean every one of her performances has been a flop. In ‘Evita’, she managed to hold her own, stepping into a role originally meant for Meryl Streep and even nabbing a Golden Globe for her efforts. That’s easily her standout performance, though not everyone would agree—Patti LuPone, for one, was less than impressed. For the most part, though, the rest of her filmography is a bit of a train wreck, as shown by the stack of Razzie awards and nominations she’s collected over the years. It’s fair to say she was never going to be remembered as one of the greats when it comes to singers-turned-actors.

Missed Opportunities and Near Misses

That said, landing a big part in a well-loved or critically acclaimed film might have given her reputation a bit of a boost. Even a couple of hits could have helped her dodge the worst of the Razzies, at least for a while. The two most famous roles she missed out on are Catwoman in ‘Batman Returns’ and Trinity in ‘The Matrix’. Michelle Pfeiffer and Carrie-Anne Moss made those characters unforgettable, but Madonna has admitted she regrets turning down Catwoman, saying,

“I regret that I turned down”

the part. As for Trinity, she’s said she passed on

“one of the best movies ever made.”

There’s more. Back in June 1997, it was announced she’d be playing Velma Kelly in the film version of ‘Chicago’. Fast forward five years, and Catherine Zeta-Jones walked away with an Oscar for the same role. Years earlier, Madonna had plans to star in a biopic about Frida Kahlo, an artist she admired. But after more than a decade, Salma Hayek took on the project, producing and starring in ‘Frida’—and ended up on the shortlist for Best Actress at the Oscars.

Roles That Could Have Changed Everything

Rumour has it she was even considered for the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater in ‘Titanic’ while James Cameron was casting. That one’s a bit of a head-scratcher. In an interview, Madonna revealed,

“it was between me and Sharon Stone”

for the part of Ginger McKenna in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Casino’, another role that ended up with an Oscar nomination.

Would Madonna have outshone any of the actors who actually landed these parts? It’s pretty unlikely. Still, it’s fascinating to think about how different these films might have been if she’d said yes. That’s one Oscar-winning role, two Oscar-nominated characters, and a couple of pop culture icons she nearly played—plus ‘Titanic’, if you believe the whispers. In the end, the film world probably dodged a bullet, as it’s hard to imagine anyone topping the performances we got.

The List of Iconic Roles She Nearly Played

Here’s a quick rundown of the legendary characters Madonna almost brought to life:

• Catwoman (‘Batman Returns’)
• Trinity (‘The Matrix’)
• Velma Kelly (‘Chicago’)
• Frida Kahlo (‘Frida’)
• Ginger McKenna (‘Casino’)

Each of these roles became iconic in their own right, thanks to the actors who took them on. Madonna’s film career might have looked very different if she’d said yes to any of them.