Every Time a Celebrity Was Fired (But Didn’t Let That Stop Them)

Roseanne Barr

Shortly after the Roseanne reboot successfully exploded onto the scene in early 2018, the show's star, Roseanne Barr, was fired after she wrote a racist tweet in May. ABC chose to move in another direction with the rest of the cast and reportedly greenlighted a spinoff, The Connors, while Barr chose to interview herself about her firing and release the video on her own YouTube channel. To put it mildly, the video was explosive in tone. 

Clayne Crawford

Clayne Crawford was fired from his starring role in Fox's Lethal Weapon reboot in 2018. Crawford reportedly exhibited troubling, combative behavior on set, such as yelling at cast and crew, and was reportedly to blame for injuries that occurred on set while he was directing one episode of the show. He was reprimanded for his behavior, leading to Crawford releasing an apology. It's unclear if Crawford's career will recover from his firing. He did release a goodbye statement on his Instagram but didn't acknowledge his firing.

Megan Fox

After starring in the first two Transformers films, Megan Fox was fired from her role as Mikaela Banes in 2009 after making some negative comments about director Michael Bay's alleged on-set behavior, especially towards her. While Fox moved on in her career and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stepped in as the female love interest of the franchise, Fox's treatment by Bay has been relitigated in the court of public opinion in the #MeToo era. She's since appeared in two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and the TV show New Girl, and in 2018, she nabbed a hosting gig on the National Geographic show Mysteries and Myths With Megan Fox.

Shannen Doherty

Shannen Doherty was famously fired from her starring role on Beverly Hills 90210 after getting very combative on set, allegedly even getting into a physical fight with costar Jennie Garth. Doherty's other costar, Tori Spelling, revealed in 2015 that she called her father, 90210 series creator Aaron Spelling, to have Doherty fired. Doherty's antics immediately branded her as a bit of a problematic actor in the '90s, but in recent years, that image has softened as Doherty has publicly battled breast cancer.

Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen was famously fired from his starring role on Two and a Half Men in 2011 after making "inflammatory comments" and continually failing to get the drug rehabilitation he needed, being described by execs at Warner Bros. as "very ill," according to People magazine. Sheen was later replaced by Ashton Kutcher, who took on an entirely new role on the show rather than step into Sheen's role. Sheen's career has taken a big dip since he was fired, with his most notable recent role being in the now-canceled Anger Management, and he has kept a comparatively low profile in recent years.

Stana Katic

In April 2016, Us Weekly reported that Castle star Stana Katic would not be returning to the series after season eight. The reasons for Katic's firing remained vague (although there were allegations that costar Nathan Fillion was a bully to her), and Katic reportedly was quite hurt over being fired, especially since the show was canceled shortly after she was ousted. Her career has wavered slightly since her Castle exit, with notable roles including a starring role on the Amazon Prime series Absentia and the TV movie Sister Cities.

Edward Norton

Edward Norton was infamously booted from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not getting invited back to play Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Avengers after his starring role as the superhero in the 2008 solo film. According to a statement from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, "We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members." 

Mark Ruffalo later took on the iconic role, and Edward Norton moved on to star in plenty of other films, including Moonrise Kingdom and Collateral Beauty.

Isaiah Washington

Isaiah Washington was famously one of the first cast members of Grey's Anatomy to move on from the hit TV show, but the circumstances around his exit were less than pleasant. Washington was immediately fired in 2007 after he used a homophobic slur against costar T.R. Knight and was briefly brought back in 2014 (a controversial move to fans). Washington's career got back on track following his firing, and today he stars on the successful CW show The 100.

Terence Howard

Terence Howard was ejected from the Marvel Cinematic Universe after taking on the role of Rhodey in Iron Man. After signing a three-picture deal and getting the first movie (Iron Man) on the books, Howard was told that the set salary he thought he'd be paid would actually be lower. Refusing to accept the lower salary, Howard was booted from the MCU and his role was given to Don Cheadle. Howard's career has since recovered with his notable starring role on Empire.

Richard Gere

While his career boomed in the '80s and '90s, Richard Gere claimed in a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was not getting cast in films nor were projects of his getting properly financed because of his outspoken political beliefs. "There are definitely movies that I can't be in because the Chinese will say, 'Not with him.' I recently had an episode where someone said they could not finance a film with me because it would upset the Chinese," he explained.

Gere has managed to find work in indie films in recent years, appearing in smaller dramas like Norman and The Dinner.

Ryan Gosling

You'd hardly expect golden boy Ryan Gosling to have been fired from a project, but alas, the Candian leading man was let go from his lead role in The Lovely Bones when he actually gained too much weight to play a grief-stricken father. After reportedly packing on 60 lbs. (in accordance with his interpretation of the character), director Peter Jackson didn't agree with his weight-gain preparations and let him go. Mark Wahlberg would take on the role sans weight gain. Gosling's career continues to thrive despite this low point; he has since starred in critically acclaimed films like La La Land and Blade Runner 2049.

Holly Hunter

Who would've suspected that good ol' Holly Hunter would have been let go from a movie? The Incredibles star was reportedly fired (despite months of recording work being done!) from the starring role in 2005's Chicken Little and replaced by Zach Braff after it was decided that Chicken Little should be voiced by a man instead of a woman. 

Suzanne Somers

In an unfair move emblematic of the time, Suzanne Somers was reportedly let go from her starring role on Three's Company in 1982 when she asked for a pay raise that would have her earning as much as her costar John Ritter. As told by The Hollywood Reporter in 2015: "When it came time for fifth-season negotiations in 1980, Somers asked for a pay hike from $30,000 an episode to $150,000." ABC offered a $5,000 increase. Tensions rose when Somers missed episode tapings due to a flare-up of a pre-existing back injury and was fired shortly thereafter. 

Somers later took a starring role on the '90s sitcom Step by Step, but her last credited acting role was in 2001, in the indie movie Say It Isn't So.

Taylor Momsen

Taylor Momsen became a bit of a problem child while filming season four of Gossip Girl. After reports emerged that Momsen was failing to turn up to set — both on time and at all — she was reportedly fired. Momsen moved on from acting entirely, devoting her time to her music career as the lead singer of the rock band The Pretty Reckless.

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. has been a notorious bad boy for most of his Hollywood career, working through addictions to drugs and alcohol while retaining work as an actor. However, Downey's personal demons took over his professional success when, in 2001, he was arrested yet again for allegedly being under the influence of a "stimulant" and was promptly fired from his starring role on hit TV show Ally McBeal. Downey's career has recovered substantially in the years since his firing; notably, he has played Tony Stark/Iron Man in numerous movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Erinn Hayes

Erinn Hayes was let go from her starring role on the now-canceled series Kevin Can Wait in 2017, ahead of season two. Her firing was unexpected, catching her off guard and with no real explanation (costar Kevin James contended they were "running out of ideas," but that still feels like a shady excuse). Hayes was later replaced by Leah Remini. She didn't stay down for long, moving on to the Amazon Prime series The Dangerous Book for Boys shortly thereafter.

Columbus Short

Columbus Short was given his pink slip from Shondaland back in 2014, getting fired from Scandal after two seasons after allegations of domestic violence came to light from TMZ. They included the unsettling detail that Short had allegedly put a knife to his ex-wife's throat, and she took out a restraining order. Short said at the time, "I must confirm my exit from a show I've called home for 3 years, with what is the most talented ensemble in television today."

Short has remained a working actor, although he's failed to really return to the same level, appearing in more low-profile films in recent years. 

Lisa Bonet

Lisa Bonet was a core member of The Cosby Show, playing Lisa Huxtable from 1984 to 1991. However, Bonet was let go from the show in the early '90s; executives cited "creative differences" but failed to go into specifics. Although it was never confirmed, it's believed that the nude photo shoot Bonet did shortly before she was fired contributed to her exit.

Bonet has stayed mostly on television in the years since her Cosby Show ousting, including appearing on husband Jason Momoa's television show The Red Road, Girls and Ray Donovan. Bonet has also devoted more time to her family and raising her three children. 

Natalie Portman

In August 2016, Portman confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that she was likely done with her role in the Thor movies, which are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige explained Portman's absence from future films as related to the direction of the story, some have speculated that Portman lost interest in being a part of the films and was subsequently written out. 

Judy Garland

After it was announced that she would be starring in the highly anticipated Valley of the Dolls adaptation, powerhouse Judy Garland was fired from the project. At the time (the mid-'60s, to be exact), Garland was one of Hollywood's biggest stars, but her success was rapidly waning. She was reportedly difficult to work with, refusing to come out of her dressing room and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Garland was fired from the project and died just a few years later, in 1969, at age 47.

Sylvester Stallone

Stallone was reportedly supposed to play Axel Foley in the buddy cop comedy Beverly Hills Cop. However, when Stallone got his hands on the script, he attempted to rewrite the role to better suit his needs — which didn't go over well with the studio. Stallone ended up getting cut, was replaced by Eddie Murphy and went on to star in Rhinestone the same year that Beverly Hills Cop was released.