In 1975, Clint Eastwood turned down one of the greatest movies ever made. Steve McQueen tried to change his mind

In 1975, Francis Ford Coppola offered Clint Eastwood the lead role later played by Martin Sheen in *Apocalypse Now*. Eastwood declined because he did not understand the project well and was unwilling to commit to a shoot expected to last 16 weeks, missing a role in what became a landmark American film.

Eastwood later recalled that Steve McQueen called to encourage him to accept, while saying he wanted the role of Colonel Kurtz, ultimately played by Marlon Brando. McQueen’s reasoning was that he would earn the same pay for only two weeks’ work. Neither actor appeared in the film, whose production eventually stretched to 16 months.