Robert Redford turned down the lead role in The China Syndrome (1979) because he felt the initial script was overtly antinuclear propaganda that would backfire rather than advance the cause. Despite being personally opposed to nuclear power, he believed the film was too preachy and rejected it on the spot, reasoning that effective political messages need to be disguised as entertainment. Michael Douglas accepted the role instead, playing reporter Richard Adams investigating a cover-up at a nuclear power plant.

The film proved enormously successful, recouping its budget tenfold at the box office and receiving four Oscar nominations. Remarkably, the Three Mile Island nuclear incident—a partial reactor meltdown representing the largest radioactive release in United States history—occurred just twelve days after the film's release on 16 March 1979, making it unexpectedly prescient. Redford's refusal demonstrated his commitment to balancing political conviction with artistic integrity, though in this case his caution proved unfounded.