Los Angeles, Nov. 10 -- Veteran actor Ellen Burstyn has revealed that she turned down the role of Ruth Popper in Peter Bogdanovich's 1971 film The Last Picture Show, despite being told that it was the Oscar-winning part, as she wanted to avoid portraying a troubled relationship while going through her own divorce, according to People.

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly published on November 8, Burstyn, 93, recalled that she was offered the opportunity to play three different characters during the film's pre-production. However, she had already set her sights on Lois Farrow, the mother of Jacy Farrow, played by Cybill Shepherd.

Burstyn was initially asked to audition for the role of Genevieve, the waitress eventually portrayed b...