Stars who were fired from major movie and TV roles
Some of Hollywood’s greatest personalities have had several career lows, including getting fired! There can sometimes be a few different reasons that lead up to the dramatic decision of letting an actor or actress go, but despite the on-set drama, lots of times these productions go on to achieve great success all the same. Click through this gallery to learn all about the juicy, behind-the-scene stories!
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Thandiwe Newton
Reports said Thandiwe Newton was allegedly axed from ‘Magic Mike’ sequel after 11 days of filming. UK outlet The Sun reported that she was fired after getting into a heated argument on set with Channing Tatum about Will Smith’s infamous Oscars assault on Chris Rock. The disagreement reportedly escalated to such “astonishing” and “unimaginably vicious” levels that Tatum stormed off the West London set of ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ and drove off in a car. Producers, which include Tatum, ultimately decided to recast Newton’s lead female role, which will now be played by Salma Hayek, according to Variety.
However, while the replacement and the huge cost by production delay remains true, both Warner Bros. studio and Newton denied reports that she was fired, and instead said she had to step away “to deal with family matters.” Representatives for Newton called reports that she had been fired “completely inaccurate,” The Guardian reports.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Frank Langella
Revered actor of stage and screen Frank Langella has been cut out of the upcoming Netflix series, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ The series is based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe and boasts other famous cast members such as George Hamill and Carla Gugino. The actor and four-time Tony winner was reportedly under investigation for misconduct on set. The investigation was concluded midway through production and Langella was fired from the project. His scenes won’t be used and his role is to be re-cast. Neither Netflix nor Langella have commented on the incident.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Ezra Miller
Ezra Miller has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months. Their erratic behavior culminated in their arrest at a Hawaiian karaoke bar in March for disorderly conduct and harassment. Miller allegedly became agitated while other patrons were performing and started shouting obscenities, attempting to grab the microphone from a woman who was singing. In the three weeks prior, Miller had been the subject of 10 different police calls in Hawaii for troubling behavior like arguing with people in public, filming customers at a gas station and refusing to leave, and verbally harassing a couple at a hostel. Miller is the star of the greatly anticipated movie ‘The Flash’ which is scheduled for release in 2023. However, their emotional instability was reportedly an issue during production and the recent incidents have put a question mark over their future with the franchise. Executives from Warner Bros. and DC called an emergency meeting to discuss the troubled young actor, and according to Rolling Stone, the conclusion was that they should “hit pause on any future projects involving Miller.”
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow has recently revealed that she experienced a low moment before getting her career defining role as Phoebe in ‘Friends.’ She had been cast in another beloved hit sitcom, ‘Frasier.’ Kudrow was playing Frasier’s friend and colleague Roz Doyle in the pilot, but she could tell that the chemistry wasn’t quite right. Director James Burrows let her go, and she assumed he didn’t like her acting. Shortly afterwards she auditioned for the role of Phoebe in ‘Friends.’ Who happened to be directing the show? James Burrows! After her audition he said “no notes.” She wasn’t sure if that meant she had nailed it, or if the whole thing was a write off. Well, you know the rest.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer has been dropped from at least three high-profile project in the wake of sexual assault allegations that have spread on social media since the beginning of 2021. He was fired from Amma Asante’s Cold War thriller film ‘Billion Dollar Spy’, from the Jennifer Lopez-led rom-com ‘Shotgun Wedding,’ and from Paramount’s ‘The Offer,’ a series about the making of ‘The Godfather.’
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Gina Carano
Lucasfilm dropped Gina Carano from their megahit ‘The Mandalorian,’ explaining that “her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.” The news came a day after the actress shared two controversial posts. In one she compared the “American political climate to Nazi Germany, with remarks likening conservative republicans to Jewish people,” reports ET. In another post, she mocked mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, she had also been accused of transphobia.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp’s legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard included a libel suit he brought against The Sun for labeling him a “wife-beater”—a suit which was ultimately thrown out with the judge noting that the newspaper’s assertion of his behavior was “substantially true.” The actor subsequently left his role in ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ but later explained on social media that he had been asked to leave.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Jason Mitchell
After unclear but very serious allegations of misconduct, Deadline reported that ‘Straight Outta Compton’ star Jason Mitchell had been dropped by his agency, management company, his lead role in the Netflix movie ‘Desperados,’ as well as the next season of the popular series ‘The Chi.’
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore was fired from Oscar-nominated film ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ because she wanted to wear a fat suit and a false nose, according to actor Richard E Grant.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Edward Norton
The actor played the roles of Hulk/Bruce Banner in the movie ‘The Incredible Hulk’ however, he was not called back to star in ‘The Avengers.’ According to Den of Geek, Marvel Studios wanted an actor who embodied the same creativity and collaborative spirit as the rest of the crew and cast mates.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Ryan Gosling
Gosling was originally cast as the father in ‘The Lovely Bones.’ He put on 60 lbs (27 kg) for the role, but that didn’t sit well with Director Peter Jackson, who didn’t see the vision. “We had a different idea of how the character should look,” Gosling told The Hollywood Reporter.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Holly Hunter
The main character in the animated film ‘Chicken Little’ was actually meant to be female. Hunter took months to voice the character. According to the Screen Rant, the production team later decided that the character should be male and Hunter’s work was replaced by Zach Braff.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Lisa Bonet
From 1984 to 1991, the actress played the role of Denise Huxtable in the series ‘The Cosby Show.’ According to The Richest, after the seventh season of the series the director decided to let the actress go due to creative differences.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Colin Firth
After finishing recording the voice of the lively character Paddington, producers thought Firth’s voice was too mature and hired Ben Whishaw to take his place instead, according to Screen Rant.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Anne Hathaway
Initially it was going to be Hathaway who would take on the role of one of the protagonists in ‘Knocked Up.’ In the film, the director wanted to shoot a very realistic delivery scene. In an interview with Allure, Hathaway revealed that she was not comfortable with the scene since, at the time, she hadn’t experienced childbirth before. The role was given to Katherine Heigl.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Sylvester Stallone
According to CinemaBlend, after receiving the script for ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ Stallone tried to rewrite the role he would play. The studios did not like the idea and Eddie Murphy was hired to replace him.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Chloë Grace Moretz
When she was 11, the actress was hired to voice the character Penny in the animated film ‘Bolt.’ Even after she finished recording all the lines for the character, Disney still ended up hiring Miley Cyrus in place of Moretz, according to the Screen Rant.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Charlie Sheen
The producers of ‘Two and a Half Men’ chose to fire the actor after he made nasty comments and failed to attend a drug rehabilitation program, according to People.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Christian Bale
The actor had been chosen as the lead character in ‘American Psycho’ however, after learning that DiCaprio was available, they temporarily cast him instead. When DiCaprio became unavailable in favor of a different movie, the producers went back to their original choice. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Bale revealed that he had always believed he would end up getting the part… and he did!
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Megan Fox
After making some unpleasant comments about the director of ‘Transformers 3,’ the actress was fired from the cast and they cast Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for her role instead. According to Wonderland, Fox revealed that director Michael Bay was like a dictator during filming.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Stana Katic
In April 2016, it was announced that the actress would not be returning to the newest season of ‘Castle,’ and a month later the series was canceled. Before being canceled, the producers were all set for the next season and implied that Katic would not be necessary for the new season, Us Weekly reveals.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Terrence Howard
Howard had signed a contract to be in the three ‘Iron Man’ films. When it came time to shoot ‘Iron Man 2,’ Howard was told he would be receiving less money than had initially been agreed upon, because the film did not require his participation to be a success, according to Screen Rant. The actor did not accept and was eventually replaced by Don Cheadle.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Selma Blair
The actress played the role of Charlie Sheen’s girlfriend in ‘Anger Management.’ She was fired in 2013 and filed suit against Sheen and the production team demanding the money she would have received had she not been fired, the Daily Mail reports. Blair was fired after complaining that during filming the rest of the team had to wait for Sheen to memorize his lines.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Shannen Doherty
Tori Spelling revealed to Us Weekly that after some incidents involving Doherty on the set of ‘Beverly Hills 90210,’ she phoned her father Aaron Spelling, creator and producer for the series, asking him to fire Doherty… and so she was axed.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Taylor Momsen
After starring in four seasons of ‘Gossip Girl,’ her character’s story line finally came to an end. According to Elle, during the fourth season of the series, the actress was not very present and the directors also thought she could have been giving more in her performances.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Suzanne Somers
The actress was one of the protagonists of the comedy show ‘Three’s Company.’ According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sommers was fired after having asked for a salary increase.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Jean-Claude Van Damme
There are several theories about the decision of doing away with the actor on the set of ‘Predator.’ According to GeekTyrant, Van Damme, who played Predator, did too many kickboxing movies, which was going against what the director wanted. He was subsequently let go.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Isaiah Washington
After making homophobic remarks about fellow cast member T.R. Knight, Washington was immediately dismissed from the cast of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ as reported by Marie Claire.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Eric Stoltz
The actor was the first choice for the role of Marty McFly in the movie ‘Back to the Future.’ In the first weeks of filming, the production team realized that Stoltz was the wrong choice and hired Michael J. Fox instead, Vulture reports.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Samantha Morton
It was during the post-production phase of the movie ‘Her’ that Spike Jonze realized that Morton was not the right person for the role. Scarlett Johansson was then hired instead, Vulture says.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Thomas Gibson
Since the premiere of ‘Criminal Minds’ in 2005, the actor was part of the cast; however, in 2016, after an argument on set over a line in the script, the actor was eventually fired from the series, Variety reveals.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Kal Penn
During the period in which he was working on the series ‘Dr. House,’ Penn was invited to join the Obama administration. Even though he made the decision to commit to his role until the end, the production team killed him off the series by having his character kill himself, as revealed by CNN.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Leah Remini
The actress worked as an executive producer on ‘The Talk’ before she was fired in 2012. According to People, Remini later went on to state that her dismissal was “absolutely” the right choice, as she believes her bosses on the show would have wanted her to stay quiet and do what she’s told–and that just wouldn’t fly with the actress’ outspoken personality.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Stuart Townsend
Just a day before the first official day of shooting for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,’ Townsend was fired. The actor would supposed to portray Aragorn, according to The Telegraph.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Judy Garland
During the shooting of the movie ‘Valley of the Dolls,’ the iconic actress did not make a good impression and ended up being fired, says Mental Floss.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
James Remar
After only a week of filming, Remar was fired from the cast of ‘Aliens’. According to Screen Rant, this was due to problems related to the actor’s drug use.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Erinn Hayes
Hayes was completely caught off-guard when she learned that her character on ‘Kevin Can Wait’ would be killed off after the first season, reveals Fox News. Leah Remini was then cast for season two.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
