James Purefoy was originally cast as V in V for Vendetta, but left early in production due to creative differences about how to play the character. He was ultimately replaced by Hugo Weaving, who went on to complete the masked role. | © 20th Century Studios
Colin Firth was originally the voice of Paddington Bear, but the filmmakers felt his tone sounded too grown-up for the character. Firth agreed it wasn’t the right fit, and Ben Whishaw was brought in to re-record the role. | © Focus Features
Robert Downey Jr. was set to appear in America’s Sweethearts, but was fired in 2000 after another drug-related arrest raised concerns he might end up back in prison. The role went to Hank Azaria instead, and Downey’s big comeback would have to wait until years later. | © Orion Pictures
Kevin Spacey had already filmed All the Money in the World, when misconduct allegations against him surfaced in 2017. Director Ridley Scott cut him from the film entirely, replacing him with Christopher Plummer and reshooting all of Getty’s scenes in under two weeks. | © Sony Pictures Releasing
Ryan Gosling was cast in The Lovely Bones, but showed up 60 pounds heavier after gaining weight for the role, which clashed with director Peter Jackson’s vision. The filmmakers decided he wasn’t right for the part, and Mark Wahlberg was brought in as his replacement. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Dennis Hopper was first cast as Christof in The Truman Show, but was fired after just one day on set when the filmmakers weren’t happy with his performance. He was quickly replaced by Ed Harris, who went on to earn an Oscar nomination for the role. | © Road Movies
Kel O’Neill was originally cast in There Will Be Blood but left early in production, with director Paul Thomas Anderson saying he “wasn’t the right fit.” Paul Dano stepped in to replace him, taking on both brothers’ roles after the script was rewritten to make them twins. | © Lantern Entertainment
Julianne Moore was set to star in Can You Ever Forgive Me? but was fired just days before filming after clashing with director Nicole Holofcener over the character. Melissa McCarthy eventually took over the role, leading the film to critical acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations. | © Netflix
James Remar was originally cast as Corporal Hicks in Aliens, but he was fired just a few weeks into filming. The actor later admitted he was struggling with drug issues at the time, and Michael Biehn stepped in to take over the role. | © Summit Entertainment
Megan Fox was dropped from Transformers: Dark of the Moon after she compared director Michael Bay to Hitler in an interview. Bay later said Steven Spielberg pushed for her firing, and she was replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in the next film. | © Paramount Pictures
Jean-Claude Van Damme was first cast as the Predator but clashed with the bulky costume, even passing out from heat and dehydration on set. The filmmakers ultimately redesigned the creature and replaced him with Kevin Peter Hall, whose towering height gave the alien a more menacing look. | © Lionsgate Films
Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now, but Francis Ford Coppola decided he wasn’t the right fit after early shoots. Coppola replaced him with Martin Sheen, who would go on to endure the role’s brutal jungle conditions and finish the film. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Eric Stoltz was first cast as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, but after weeks of shooting, the filmmakers felt his serious style didn’t fit the film’s tone. Director Robert Zemeckis let him go and brought in their original choice, Michael J. Fox, to take over the role. | © Paramount Pictures
Stuart Townsend was cast as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings and even trained for months, but he was fired just days into filming. Director Peter Jackson decided the role needed someone older, and Viggo Mortensen was brought in as his replacement. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Natalie Portman was originally cast as Juliet in Romeo + Juliet, but she was only 13 at the time, while Leonardo DiCaprio was 21. Once rehearsals began, the age gap made the romantic scenes uncomfortable, and she got replaced before filming started. | © Universal Studios
Getting cast for a big movie doesn’t always guarantee you’ll make it to the final cut. From creative clashes to behind-the-scenes drama, these actors were fired before their roles ever hit the screen.
