In 1969, Robert Redford refused to star in a “piece of shit” movie. It was then nominated for 7 Oscars and made $175million

Robert Redford turned down the lead role in the romantic drama *Love Story*, dismissing its script as “a jerky piece of shit”. The film became a major success, illustrating how a role he rejected went on to earn wide recognition and substantial box-office receipts.

Arthur Hiller’s 1969 offer was for Redford to play Oliver Barrett, a Harvard student who defies his wealthy father to marry a woman from a less privileged background. Ryan O’Neal took the part and received a Best Actor Oscar nomination; the film earned seven nominations overall, won Best Original Score, and grossed almost $175 million worldwide, equivalent to more than $1.5 billion today.