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There are a few reasons why an actor might be replaced once a movie production has already gotten off the ground. An actor might suffer an injury or a crisis in their personal life that renders them unable to start shooting on the agreed-upon date. Shooting might begin and the director or producers might decide the actor isn’t as good a fit for the role as they’d hoped. Or — as we’ve seen more and more in recent years — an actor could suddenly find themselves in the midst of a legal scandal in which their upcoming project wants no part.
In 2021, Armie Hammer found himself at the center of such a scandal. Led by the Instagram account House of Effie, several women in a row came forward with allegations of rape, sexual abuse, manipulation, and violent behavior, the details of which disgusted and horrified his fans and colleagues. In the months that followed, Hammer was dropped by his agent and publicist and pulled out of a number of projects to which he’d previously been committed — including Shotgun Wedding, in which he was slated to star alongside Jennifer Lopez. He was replaced by Josh Duhamel (who says he reached out to Hammer with a message of support after entering negotiations for the part), and he’s not the only Hollywood actor who has forced major movie productions to scramble and recast after a round of disturbing allegations in recent years.
As we look back on actors who were replaced in major movie roles, don’t panic: Not every name on this list is an actor in the center of a sexual misconduct allegations. That, of course, became much more common after the #MeToo movement, when victims finally felt some confidence that they could tell their stories without fear of retaliation, and with some hope that they would be taken seriously.
Katie Holmes (was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal in ‘The Dark Knight’)
Despite fans loving Katie Holmes’s portrayal of Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins, her schedule was too packed to return for the 2008 film The Dark Knight.
According to Business Insider, Nolan talked about how he wanted her to return, but was thrilled when Maggie Gyllenhaal was able to play the role. “Katie wasn’t available for the role, which I wasn’t very happy about, but these things happen, and I was very, very fortunate that Maggie [Gyllenhaal] was able to take it over.” (And Gyllenhaal even reached out to Holmes for her personal approval).
Rachelle Lefevre (was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard in ‘Twilight: Eclipse’)
Rachelle Lefevre played the role of Victoria Sutherland in the first two Twilight films, but was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard in Eclipse. Summit Entertainment announced the casting change and said that it was due to scheduling conflicts, but Lefevre gave her own statement to Entertainment Weekly denying that such conflicts existed, and expressing her dismay at the production’s decision to move ahead without her.
“I was stunned by Summit’s decision to recast the role of Victoria for Eclipse. I was fully committed to the Twilight saga, and to the portrayal of Victoria. I turned down several other film opportunities and, in accordance with my contractual rights, accepted only roles that would involve very short shooting schedules,” Lefevre said. “I was happy with my contract with Summit and was fully prepared to continue to honor it. Summit chose simply to recast the part…I am hurt deeply by Summit’s surprising decision to move on without me.”
Lefevre had signed on for 10 days of shooting for the film Barney’s Version, which Summit continued to claim was responsible for their choice to recast after Lefevre’s statement, replying with their own.
“Contrary to Ms. Lefevre’s statement, it is simply untrue that the Studio dismissed her over a ten day overlap. It is not about a ten day overlap, but instead about the fact that The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is an ensemble production that has to accommodate the schedules of numerous actors while respecting the established creative vision of the filmmaker and most importantly the story,” they said. “Ms. Lefevre’s commitment to the other project – which she chose to withhold from Summit until the last possible moment – makes her unfortunately unavailable to perform the role of Victoria in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.”
Armie Hammer (was replaced by Josh Duhamel in ‘Shotgun Wedding’)
While dealing with the fallout from the string of assault and abuse allegations against him, Armie Hammer claimed he couldn’t “in good conscience” go begin his planned work on Shotgun Wedding.
“I’m not responding to these bull— claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic,” Hammer said in a statement obtained by People. “Lionsgate is supporting me in this and I’m grateful to them for that.”
The production also released the following statement obtained by Variety: “Given the imminent start date, Armie has requested to step away from the film and we support him in his decision.”
Hammer was replaced in a number of other upcoming projects as well, and has not been cast in another project since Death on the Nile.
Kevin Spacey (was replaced by Christopher Plummer in ‘All the Money in the World’)
In 2017, Anthony Rapp alleged that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted him at age 14. Spacey had recently finished filming Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World, and Scott acted fast. He alerted the production that they would be reshooting all of Spacey’s scenes with Christopher Plummer cast in his role instead and re-editing the film together for an extra $10 million, telling The Hollywood Reporter that “it would have been a pity if the film were completely neglected because of what happened.”
Lisa Robin Kelly (was replaced by Christina Moore in ‘That 70s Show’)
Lisa Robin Kelly became a fan-favorite when she played Eric Foreman’s devious older sister Laurie in That 70s Show. She had a recurring role before moving to a starring role in the second season. However, fans noticed she was quite absent for a long time in the show, which she later opened up was about her personal life struggles with addiction.
While she returned for a few episodes in Season 5, she was subsequently replaced by Christina Moore for the remainder of the show. (However, Moore’s portrayal received mixed reviews, so she wasn’t in front of the camera long).
In a previous interview with ABC News, Kelly revealed: “With That ’70s Show, I was guilty of a drinking problem. And I ran.”
Chris D’Elia (was replaced by Tig Notaro in ‘Army of the Dead’)
In 2020, comedian Chris D’Elia faced a slew of allegations that he had solicited child pornography, exposed himself to several women, and had approached and groomed underage girls for sexual relationships. His role in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead was subsequently recast with Tig Notaro, who shot most of her scenes with a green screen to be edited in after.
Shia LaBeouf (was replaced by Harry Styles in ‘Don’t Worry Darling’)
In 2020, FKA Twigs sued ex Shia LaBeouf for sexual battery, and publicly detailed a number of ways in which the actor had allegedly abused her during their relationship. But it was the months before these allegations in which LaBeouf was suddenly replaced in Olivia Wilde’s ongoing Don’t Worry Darling shoot, with Harry Styles taking his place.
In 2022, director Wilde told Variety that this was why he had been recast in the film: “For our film, what we really needed was an energy that was incredibly supportive. Particularly with a movie like this, I knew that I was going to be asking Florence to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was making her feel safe and making her feel supported.”
LaBeouf argued against her claims at the time, releasing a viral video of Olivia Wilde appearing to ask him to return to the film along with his own statement that said: “I am a little confused about the narrative that I was fired…You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors & I couldn’t find time to rehearse.”
Anita Barone (was replaced by Jane Sibbett in ‘Friends’)
The diehard Friends fans may know this, but for those who don’t: the role of Ross’s lesbian ex-wife Anita Barone originally played Carol. While Barone auditioned for one of the leads, she landed with the recurring character Carol. However, per Unilad, she quit after one episode because she wanted more full-time roles, and so the producers hired Jane Sibbett instead (who was originally offered the role of Rachel Greene, per the Evening Standard).
Bill Murray (was replaced by Bernie Mac in the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Franchise)
Bill Murray appeared as Bosley in 2000’s Charlie’s Angels, but was replaced in 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle by Bernie Mac, playing his adoptive brother. Rumors swirled for years about why exactly Murray left the production, ranging from claims of a feud with Lucy Liu to a feud with the director McG. In 2021, Liu addressed the claims on the Asian Enough podcast, explaining that Murray had started “to sort of hurl insults” at her during the filming of one scene and that what he said “was inexcusable and unacceptable.”
In 2009, Murray had addressed the claims of an on-set altercation with director McG in an incendiary way to the Times of London, telling the outlet that McG “deserves to die” and “should be pierced with a lance.”
Janet Hubert (was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’)
Janet Hubert played Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for about half of the show’s run, and then in 1993, she was re-casted and Daphne Maxwell Reid played the lead role. While many thought she was fired because of her reported feud with Will Smith, there’s another wrinkle in the story.
Per Distractify, she got pregnant and this violated her contract with NBC, so they fired her.
Ryan Gosling (was replaced by Mark Wahlberg in ‘The Lovely Bones’)
Ryan Gosling was originally cast to play the role of grieving father Jack Salmon in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, but the role was recast and given to Mark Wahlberg after a difference in creative interpretations proved too difficult to overcome. During a 2010 conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Gosling revealed that he “really believed [the character] should be 210 pounds,” and that he had been “melting Häagen-Dazs and drinking it when I was thirsty” in order to gain the necessary weight.
“I showed up on set, and I had gotten it wrong,” he continued. “I really believed in it. I was excited about it. Then I was fat and unemployed.”
Peter Jackson’s wife Fran Walsh gave a different version of events, claiming that “Ryan came to us two or three times and said, ‘I’m not the right person for this role. I’m too young.’…It wasn’t until we were in pre-production and we had the cast there that it became increasingly clear: He was so uncomfortable moving forward, and we began to feel he was not right.”
Terrence Howard (was replaced by Don Cheadle in the ‘Iron Man’ Franchise)
While Terrence Howard appeared as Rhodey in the first Iron Man movie, he was replaced in the sequel by Don Cheadle, and Howard spoke out about how this all went down on a 2013 episode of Watch What Happens Live.
“It turns out that the person I helped become Iron Man … when it was time to re-up for the second one, (he) took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out,” Howard said. “We did a three-picture deal, so that means that you did the deal ahead of time. It was going to be a certain amount for the first one, a certain amount for the second one, a certain amount for the third. They came to me with the second and said, ‘Look, we will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you, because we think the second one will be successful with or without you.”
Beverley Owen (was replaced by Pat Priest in ‘The Munsters’)
Time to get retro with this recasting. For The Munsters fans, they know that after 13 episodes Beverley Owen, who played Marilyn Munster, was replaced and her character was re-casted with Pat Priest, who played her until the end of the show.
Per Seattle Times, the change happened because Owen was reportedly so depressed about being away from her future husband that fellow cast members helped her out, and told the studio if she wasn’t let out from her contract, everyone would walk.
Henry Cavill (was replaced by Liam Hemsworth in ‘Witcher’)
Henry Cavill’s arguably most beloved role as Geralt was an instant fan-favorite, so that’s why it was so shocking when news broke that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over the role at the start of season 4. Per Newsweek, both released statements, but neither acknowledged why the change was happening. But many have speculated it was due to Cavill’s packed schedule.
Lecy Goranson (was replaced by Sarah Chalke in ‘Roseanne’)
Okay, so get ready for this one. If you loved Roseanne, then you already know what we’re talking about: how Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke kept replacing each other. No, it wasn’t a one-time thing, it happened numerous times.
Lecy Goranson played the role of Becky up until halfway through season 5, when she left for college and was replaced by Sarah Chalke in the next season. She played Becky up until season 8, when the original actress, Goranson, returned to play the character for until the end of season 9, when Chalke came back.
The show used this for laughs a lot, so it ended up working out, per ScreenRant.
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