Hollywood Rejections: These Stars Walked Away From Million-Dollar Paydays

Dan Stevens – Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey became a global phenomenon and made stars of its cast. Stevens was one of the main beneficiaries as he played the charismatic Matthew Crawley. However, his shocking exit in season three’s finale left fans reeling. They couldn’t believe what they witnessed as Stevens permanently left the show.

Stevens told The Guardian why he quit. He said: “There were definitely creative itches left unscratched, genres I hadn’t worked in. Three years were up, that’s what we’d initially signed up for, and the appetite to explore further was too great.” In the end, he went to Hollywood in pursuit of fresh challenges and million-dollar roles.