The production of a film or TV series requires many players in both the cast and crew. Considering all the hoops that people need to jump through, production never seems to run smoothly with all its challenging obstacles. One of the biggest hurdles is finding the ideal actor for certain roles, especially the lead.
While the casting team may seem to have struck gold with a specific celebrity for a particular role, the actor may prove them wrong by either not embodying the role well enough once the cameras start rolling or getting into frequent arguments with the crew. Not everyone gets along on-set, but these actors were let go from projects mid-production for various reasons, including creative differences.
10 Eric Stoltz Was Let Go From Back To The Future
Eric Stoltz was the Marty McFly that could have been. The firing of Stoltz is one of the more well-known film terminations, which occurred just six weeks after the production of the first Back To The Future film began. Stoltz was fired because writers Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis thought that he no longer fit their vision.
Luckily, they found Michael J. Fox and immediately replaced Stoltz. Stoltz later starred in John Hughes' Some Kind Of Wonderful after he was let go from Back To The Future. It's hard to imagine anyone other than Fox as one of the most iconic film characters of the 1980s.
9 Beverly Hills Cop Was Almost Not Funny
Beverly Hills Cop is an iconic 1984 buddy cop film, which later became a popular franchise. Beverly Hills Cop starred Eddie Murphy in his breakthrough role as Axel Foley, a Detroit-based cop who traveled to Beverly Hills to investigate his best friend's murder.
However, Murphy wasn't the first choice for the role. Instead, the prominent action star Sylvester Stallone was originally planned to star. Sylvestor Stallone skyrocketed to fame for the Rocky and Rambo film franchises, and he was let go from Beverly Hills Cop after attempting to turn the comedic film into an action-based one.
8 Colin Firth Was Going To Be Paddington
The 2014 film Paddington combines elements of live-action and animation into the film adaptation of the Paddington Bear stories. The story of the orange marmalade-loving anthropomorphic bear received positive reviews among critics and was even ordered for a 2017 sequel.
Colin Firth was almost cast as the voice of Paddington but withdrew from the production after recording some lines. Firth realized he couldn't achieve Paddington's voice, and the role went to Ben Whishaw instead.
7 Ryan Gosling Gained 60 Pounds For The Lovely Bones
Directed by Peter Jackson, The Lovely Bones is a 2009 drama that featured supernatural elements. The Lovely Bones follows the kidnapping and murder of a young girl who's left to decide whether to deliver justice for her killer or to allow her family members to heal from her death.
Mark Wahlberg starred as the girl's father, but the lead role was originally meant for Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling gained 60 pounds for the role but Jackson disagreed with the unexpected weight gain and fired Gosling from the film. "We had a different idea of how the character should look," revealed Gosling in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
6 Lori Petty Couldn't Get Along With Sylvestor Stallone In Demolition Man
Demolition Man is a 1993 sci-fi film with Marco Brambilla in his directorial debut. Demolition Man stars Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock as two police officers who face off against Wesley Snipes' character, Simon Phoenix. Simon Phoenix is the sinister crime boss who escapes into an altered dystopian society in 2032.
While many thought Bullock's performance was her breakthrough film role, another actor almost played her character. Lori Petty was let go from the production due to creative differences. However, Petty blamed it on the lack of chemistry between her and Stallone.
5 Harvey Keitel Couldn't Bear The Jungle In Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 psychological war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Apocalypse Now is considered one of the greatest films ever made. Martin Sheen notoriously played Captain Benjamin Willard alongside dominant names in the film industry, including classic film star Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall.
However, another actor almost played the memorable role but was let go after a week of production. Coppola cast Harvey Keitel but noticed he didn't fit the director's vision, so he convinced Sheen to join the cast. Also, Keitel was uncomfortable with the jungle conditions, which occurred for most of the film.
4 James Remar Opened Up As To Why He Was Let Go From Aliens
1986's Aliens is the sequel to James Cameron's 1979 sci-fi film, Alien. Aliens follows Sigourney Weaver in one of her most recognized roles as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley, who somehow survives a deadly alien attack. Another notable figure is Michael Biehn's character, Dwayne Hicks, who is a corporal in the Colonial Marines.
James Remar was originally planned for the role but was fired from the production. While his termination was initially labeled as creative differences, the actor opened up in Netflix's The Movies That Made Us about his drug problem, which led to his firing.
3 All The Money In The World's Kevin Spacey Scenes Were Reshot In Eight Days
All The Money In The World is a 2017 crime film directed by Ridley Scott and based on John Pearson's novel Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes And Misfortunes Of The Heirs Of J. Paul Getty. All The Money In The World followed Paul Getty III's kidnapping in 1973. Paul Getty III was the grandson of the wealthy oil tycoon, J. Paul Getty.
The crew filmed Kevin Spacey as J. Paul Getty. Two months before the scheduled release, Spacey's sexual misconduct allegations came to light, which led to his termination. Scott hired Christopher Plummer instead and reshot 22 scenes in merely eight days. Despite his unexpected hiring, Plummer even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
2 Megan Fox's Comments May Have Prevented Her Involvement In Transformers
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon is the third installment in the Transformers film series directed by Michael Bay. The first film was tremendously successful and starred Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox as the lead roles and love interests for the franchise. However, the Transformers series went through some changes after the second installment.
Fox didn't return for Dark Of The Moon and it's still debated whether it was her or Bay's decision. However, Fox made some astounding comments in a 2009 interview with Wonderland when she compared Bay to Hitler. "He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is," admitted Fox. That comparison would make any director not want to work with an actor.
1 Stuart Townsend Was Fired A Day Before Filming Lord Of The Rings
Many actors have revealed their almost involvement in Peter Jackson's popular Lord Of The Rings trilogy. While Viggo Mortenson became recognized for his performance as Aragorn in the acclaimed trilogy, the role initially went to Stuart Townsend, a relatively unknown actor at the time. However, Townsend was fired a day before filming began because he looked too young for the part.
In a 2005 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Townsend revealed that, after he rehearsed for two months, he was reportedly not paid for his time because he was "in breach of contract due to not having worked long enough."