# The legendary 1982 movie Martin Sheen always regretted turning down: “I watched scenes from it”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-legendary-1982-movie-martin-sheen-always-regretted-turning-down-i-watched-scenes-from-it/
- Published: 2026-11-07T21:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T22:39:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/legendary-1982-movie-martin-sheen-always-regretted-turning-down/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Sheen turned down the lead in *Blade Runner*.
- Harrison Ford went on to play Rick Deckard.
- Sheen later said he regretted missing the film.

## Summary

Martin Sheen has said he regretted turning down the lead role in Ridley Scott’s *Blade Runner*, later admitting he watched scenes from the film but never saw the complete picture. The missed opportunity stands out because the 1982 science-fiction film became a classic, while Sheen is best remembered for *Apocalypse Now* and a long career across film and television.

Sheen was offered the role of Rick Deckard three years after *Apocalypse Now* but declined; Harrison Ford was cast instead. The article says *Blade Runner* initially received less attention because it arrived between several *Star Wars* films and *Raiders of the Lost Ark*. Sheen has described much of his own career as “basically trash”, while naming *Badlands*, *Apocalypse Now*, *Wall Street*, *The American President*, *The War at Home* and *Gandhi* among his enduring films.

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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.