# In 2002, Heath Ledger turned down a $155 million movie role. Two years later, it lost a fortune and was nominated for six Razzies

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-2002-heath-ledger-turned-down-a-155-million-movie-role-two-years-later-it-lost-a-fortune-and-was-nominated-for-six-razzies/
- Published: 2026-11-12T07:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T07:22:23+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/heath-ledger-turned-down-movie-role-lost-fortune-six-razzie-nominations/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Ledger turned down the lead role in *Alexander*.
- The $155 million film lost money and earned six Razzie nominations.
- Ledger later received major awards recognition for *Brokeback Mountain*.

## Summary

In 2002, Heath Ledger declined the lead in Oliver Stone’s historical epic *Alexander*, choosing to pace his career rather than take on a major blockbuster. The decision matters because the film later struggled commercially and critically, while Ledger went on to earn major recognition for *Brokeback Mountain*.

Ledger had become a sought-after actor after *10 Things I Hate About You*, *The Patriot* and *A Knight’s Tale*. Stone’s film, made with a reported budget of $155 million, cast Colin Farrell instead; it lost money and received six Razzie nominations, including Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Actor.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.