{"id":1129784,"date":"2026-08-04T12:05:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T12:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1129784\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T12:05:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T12:05:22","slug":"the-2004-role-woody-harrelson-turned-down-because-he-couldnt-beat-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1129784\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2004 role Woody Harrelson turned down because he couldn’t beat it"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Woody<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ YouTube Still<\/p>\n

Tue 4 August 2026 7:00, UK <\/p>\n

Thanks to the age of remakes and reboots, the chances of an actor inheriting a role are higher than ever, but there are some parts they know they can\u2019t beat, which is why Woody Harrelson<\/a> turned one of them down.<\/p>\n

No stranger to the endless barrage of repurposed properties himself, having starred in a Star Wars prequel and a Planet of the Apes sequel, the actor was at the top of the list to put his own spin on a small-screen favourite who\u2019d become the latest big-name British character scooped up by the American airwaves.<\/p>\n

On one hand, as iconic as the role was to audiences in the United Kingdom, they were largely an unknown quantity to viewers in the States, which levelled the playing field somewhat. On the other hand, reheated nachos are never as good as they are the first time around, so you can understand Harrelson\u2019s trepidation.<\/p>\n

That, and the fact he wasn\u2019t really doing TV at the time, either. Apart from a seven-episode stint on Will & Grace, he was completely absent from television in a recurring capacity between Cheers ending in 1993 and True Detective debuting in 2014<\/a>, so it would have taken an enticing offer, and presumably a lot of money, for the star to change his mind and head back to his roots.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019ll never know what the monetary incentive was, and it would have been a pretty penny at least, William H Macy nonetheless confirmed that he found out he wasn\u2019t the number one contender to play Frank Gallagher in the American version of Shameless when the guy who was told him he\u2019d knocked it back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran into Woody,\u201d Macy explained. \u201cHe said, \u2018Whatcha doing at the moment?\u2019 And I said, \u2018Shameless\u2018. And he said, \u2018Oh, yeah, I talked to them about that\u2019. I thought, \u2018Great, so I\u2019m at least second choice.\u2019 He said, \u2018I watched the British version, and I just thought it was really good. I didn\u2019t think I could do it better than that\u2019. There was a little bit of a pause, and I just went, \u2018I can.’\u201d<\/p>\n

David Threlfall\u2019s Frank was one of the only mainstays of the original Shameless between 2004 and 2013, and in his hands, the character became a 21st-century standout. He may not have been showered with accolades throughout the show\u2019s 11-season run, but ask anyone who\u2019s watched a bit of British telly in the last quarter of a century, and they won\u2019t hesitate to tell you that the Gallagher family patriarch provided big shoes to fill.<\/p>\n

Further reading: Cutting Room Floor<\/strong><\/p>\n

That was enough to have Harrelson walk away, but Macy completely embraced it<\/a>, with both he and Threlfall playing Frank for 11 seasons apiece, and it even created some weird synergy between 2011 and 2013 where both UK and US iterations of the series were on the airwaves at the same time.<\/p>\n

The latter notched six Primetime Emmy nominations for \u2018Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series\u2019 for his efforts, as well as two Golden Globe nods in the corresponding categories, and while you can debate whether or not he was better than Threlfall in the role, Harrelson\u2019s loss was inarguably Macy\u2019s gain.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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