“Always listen to your mother,” is a saying that has been ingrained in most people, and in the case of Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, the adage proved to be crucial for her career. The actress recently chatted with press at the Toronto International Film Festival, where she admitted that she almost turned down the part of the fearless film heroine Katniss Everdeen — a role that has since skyrocketed her career. Up until this year’s Hunger Games, Lawrence was puting her focus on independent films, such as Like Crazy and Winter’s Bone. The prospect of a Hollywood blockbuster was a bit intimidating for the young star.

“Just saying yes to this one thing could completely change my life, and I don’t know if it’s going to be for the better,” she told USA Today. Lawrence’s mother stepped in to support her daughter and give her the patented mom wake-up call. “She was like, ‘You’re being a hypocrite, because you always say you don’t care about the size of the movies.’ Because when I was doing indies, everybody was always like, ‘Why don’t you ever do a studio?’ I’d say, ‘Because I don’t care about the size of the movie. I care about the story,’” Lawrence said. “And my mom was like, ‘Now you have a story you like, and you’re not going to do it because of the size.’” So, thanks mama Lawrence for convincing the soon-to-be Catching Fire star to lead the kick-ass role with gusto.

Lawrence’s story reminded us of the many major movie roles that actors almost said no to. It’s hard to imagine film classics like The Godfather or Back to the Future without the cast members that captivated audiences with their memorable performances. Find out what stars almost turned down iconic film roles past the break, and feel free to partake in a collective sigh of relief in the comments below. … Read More