Getting cast in a Hollywood film is only half the battle. Some of the biggest names in the industry have found themselves let go from high-profile projects, whether due to creative differences, behind-the-scenes clashes, or simply not being the right fit once the cameras started rolling. Here are ten of the most infamous Hollywood firings and the stories behind them.
Tom Hardy — 'MobLand'
According to insider Matt Belloni's Puck newsletter, Hardy has reportedly been let go from 'MobLand' after clashing with producers, with allegations that he was late to set, constantly giving notes on scripts, attempting to change dialogue, and expressing his displeasure that a series initially built around him was increasingly becoming an ensemble showcase. Things reached a point where the production decided it would simply be easier to move on from Hardy altogether after a very difficult shoot on Season 2, and Variety has since confirmed with sources that he will not appear in a third season.
Ryan Gosling — 'The Lovely Bones'
Ryan Gosling was cast as a grieving father in Peter Jackson's adaptation of 'The Lovely Bones' and prepared for the role by drinking melted Häagen-Dazs ice cream to gain around sixty pounds, a decision that Jackson apparently had not been consulted on. In a Hollywood Reporter roundtable, Gosling explained, "We didn't talk very much during the pre-production process, which was the problem. I just showed up on the set, and I had gotten it wrong. Then I was fat and unemployed." Mark Wahlberg was eventually brought in to fill the role, and the film went on to become one of the more divisive blockbusters of its era.
Megan Fox — 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'
Fox had starred in two blockbuster Transformers films when a Wonderland magazine interview in which she compared director Michael Bay to Hitler effectively ended her time in the franchise. Bay later told GQ that executive producer Steven Spielberg had demanded her removal, saying, "You know the Hitler thing? Steven said 'fire her right now.'" Fox later told Cosmopolitan that it was "absolutely the low point of my career," and the incident became one of the most talked-about Hollywood firings of its decade.
Natalie Portman — 'Romeo + Juliet'
Portman had beaten hundreds of young hopefuls to the role of Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's frenetic adaptation before it became clear that romantic scenes between the thirteen-year-old actress and twenty-one-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio were not appropriate. Luhrmann told the New York Times in 2022 that "when you saw Leo in the flesh, he's a tall, young man and you just realised, she was too young. Natalie was amazing in the footage, but it was too much of a burden for her at that age." Claire Danes ultimately stepped into the role and delivered one of the defining performances of her career.
Stuart Townsend — 'The Lord of the Rings'
Townsend spent months training and rehearsing for the role of Aragorn before being let go just days into the shoot, with Jackson ultimately deciding he wanted someone considerably older for the part. "The director wanted me and then apparently thought better of it because he really wanted someone 20 years older than me and completely different," Townsend told Entertainment Weekly, adding that he had "no good feelings for those people in charge." Viggo Mortensen stepped in at the last minute and went on to deliver what many consider one of the greatest performances in fantasy cinema history.
Eric Stoltz — 'Back to the Future'
Stoltz filmed for several weeks as Marty McFly before director Robert Zemeckis concluded that his method approach simply did not suit the comedic demands of the role. "I simply miscast him, and I learned a very serious lesson," Zemeckis recalled, calling the experience of breaking the news to Stoltz "the worst experience of my career." Michael J. Fox stepped in, and the film went on to become one of the most beloved and enduring blockbusters ever made.
Harvey Keitel — 'Apocalypse Now'
Keitel was let go from the lead role in Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam epic after the director concluded he was uncomfortable with conditions in the jungle, as Coppola claimed in the book 'Coppola's Monster Film: The Making of Apocalypse Now'. Keitel disputed this version of events, telling Insider pointedly that "Harvey Keitel spent three years in the United States Marines Corps in the jungle." Martin Sheen replaced him, and the film went on to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, cementing its place as one of cinema's greatest achievements.
Richard Gere — 'The Lords of Flatbush'
A falling out between a young Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone led to Gere being removed from the film, with Stallone describing their animosity in vivid detail in a 2006 interview. The breaking point came when some of Gere's lunch ended up on Stallone's thigh in a car, with Stallone recalling, "A small, greasy river of mustard lands on my thigh. I elbowed him in the side of the head and basically pushed him out of the car." The director was forced to choose between the two, and Gere was given his walking papers, with both men going on to become two of Hollywood's biggest stars regardless.
James Remar — 'Aliens'
Remar was originally cast as Corporal Dwayne Hicks in James Cameron's 1986 sequel before leaving the production after just a few weeks, with the official reason given as urgent matters at home. Years later, Remar was more candid about what had actually happened, revealing, "I was initially cast as Corporal Hicks, and I was fired after a couple of weeks of filming because I got busted for possession of drugs." Michael Biehn stepped into the role, and the film went on to become one of the most acclaimed sequels in science fiction history.
Dennis Hopper — 'The Truman Show'
Hopper was cast as Christof, the sinister puppet master at the centre of 'The Truman Show', but lasted just one day after being fired because the producer and director agreed he was not right for the part. Hopper later explained, "Scott Rudin, the producer, had agreed with the director that if he didn't like what I did after the first day's dailies, then he would fire me. And they fired me." Ed Harris stepped into the role and received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor, making it one of the more remarkable turnarounds in Hollywood casting history.
Julianne Moore — 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?'
Moore was days away from beginning production as literary forger Lee Israel when director Nicole Holofcener let her go due to creative differences over how the character should be approached. Speaking on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen' during her 'Gloria Bell' press tour in 2019, Moore revealed "I didn't leave that movie. Nicole fired me. So yeah, that's the truth. I think she didn't like what I was doing. I think that her idea of where the character was, was different than where my idea of where the character was, and so she fired me." The production was entirely rebuilt with a new director and a new lead, with Melissa McCarthy eventually earning an Academy Award nomination for the role.
