Russell Crowe, known for his roles in Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind and more, reportedly turned down the role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy after a less-than-fruitful call with director Peter Jackson.
This news came from The Howard Stern Show (via The Hollywood Reporter). When Stern asked Crowe if he turned down The Lord of the Rings, Crowe confirmed this. Stern then asked if it were true that New Line Cinema offered him 10% of the film’s profits, which Crowe also confirmed, explaining he turned down the film after a call with Jackson.
Source: IGN.com Russell Crowe Turned Down Aragorn Role After Call With Peter Jackson