Woody Harrelson says turning down the lead role in this blockbuster film is one of his biggest career regrets

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Woody Harrelson has garnered acclaim for his many Hollywood roles over the years, but there's one film he now wishes he hadn't turned down.

In a wide-ranging interview with Esquire, the Emmy-winning actor, 58, briefly spoke about his biggest career regrets, which included rejecting a role in the film "Jerry Maguire."

"I was offered—what’s the 'Show me the money' movie? 'Jerry Maguire'? I was offered 'Jerry Maguire,' and I said to Jim [James L. Brooks, one of the film’s producers], 'Nobody is going to give a s--t about an agent.'," Harrelson told the magazine.

Woody Harrelson attends the premiere of 'The Highwaymen' at the Paramount Theatre during the 2019 SXSW Conference And Festival on March 10, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic)

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The film's lead role eventually went to Tom Cruise, and although the former "Cheers" star clearly had reservations at the time, "Jerry Maguire" went on to become a massive commercial success.

It earned five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Cruise, and Best Supporting Actor for Cuba Gooding Jr.

The film, which raked in more than $273 million worldwide, was also successful at the Golden Globes, where Cruise won the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

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Elsewhere in the interview, Harrelson discussed his role in the upcoming sequel "Zombieland: Double Tap," and how he also nearly turned down his fan-favorite role in the 2009 original film.

"My agent sent me the script, and I said, ‘Zombies, dude? Really? Has it come to this?’ And he said, ‘Will you please just read it?’ Finally, I did, and I’m like, ‘Damn. That’s good writing," the actor said.

If he had turned down "Zombieland," it would have meant another huge "what-if" for Harrelson. The post-apocalyptic comedy was beloved by critics and moviegoers, and held the title of the highest-grossing zombie film in the United States, before being overtaken by Brad Pitt's "World War Z" in 2013.

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"Zombieland: Double Tap" crawls into theaters on October 18, with Harrelson co-starring alongside returning stars Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin.