A fan-favorite movie or TV character begins with perfect casting: but perfect isn't always
obvious from the start. Sometimes, directors or actors find out too late that a role or
performance just isn't going to cut it - leaving studios scrambling to find replacements. They
may be hard to believe, but here are 10 Actors Who Got Fired or Replaced During Production.
Ryan Gosling These days it's hard to imagine Ryan Gosling
being replaced from any movie, but when he showed up on set for this novel adaptation
weighing in at 210 pounds, director Peter Jackson was shocked. Gosling figured that
gaining 60 pounds was right for the role, but Jackson... didn't. Mark Wahlberg was brought
in, and Gosling headed back to the gym. Rebecca Gayheart
Few TV shows airing for less than one season are as loved as Joss Whedon's space western,
and the same goes for the cast. But before Morena Baccarin ("More-A-nuh BACK-errin")
landed the role of Inara Serra, the part was filled by actress Rebecca Gayheart. But when
shooting began, Whedon knew the chemistry was wrong, and made sure to shoot the other
characters around her for the pilot. Inara is alone in most of her intro shots, because
the footage from the previous shoot was used for the other actors.
Samantha Morton Spike Jonze posed a powerful question: could
you fall in love with an operating system if it had the voice of Scarlett Johansson?
But that wasn't always the plan. Actress Samantha Morton actually voiced the A.I. character
for the entire shoot opposite Joaquin Phoenix. But when it came time to record the final
voice, Jonze felt something was off. Johansson was brought in, and a Best Picture nomination
wasn't far behind. Sean Young
In hindsight, it's hard to think of a better pair than Michael Keaton's Batman and Kim
Basinger's Vicki Vale in Tim Burton's Batman, but the actress only won the role after Sean
Young had to drop out - literally. While practicing for a horse riding scene with Keaton, she
fell off and broke her leg. The producers panicked, but Basinger came sweeping in, and
no one ever looked back. Josh Helman
When it was still First Class director Matthew Vaughn in charge of the time travel X-Men
tale, it was going to be a young Juggernaut who broke Magneto out of prison - with actor Josh
Helman cast in the role. But once Bryan Singer took the reins with an eye for a super-speed
Quicksilver, the part was scrapped. Luckily, he found a role for Helman as a young Colonel
Stryker, the human archnemesis of Charles Xavier's young students.
Scott Glenn It's hard to imagine anyone else in the role
of Clay Morrow than Ron Perlman, but when the pilot of Sons of Anarchy began filming,
it was another grey, grizzled actor in the role of the club's leader: Scott Glenn. The
entire episode was filmed with Glenn, before Perlman was brought in to reshoot everything.
But look close at the gang running from the explosion in the pilot, and you'll spot Glenn,
not Perlman, leading the pack. Amy Purdy
Who could forget Gazelle, the Kingsman henchwoman with razor-sharp prosthetic blades for legs?
But did you know the original plan was to actually have double amputee Paralympian Amy
Purdy play the part? She went as far as wirework rehearsals, but when the movie got delayed
and jeopardized Purdy's Olympic training, she had to pass it up.
Lou Ferrigno Ridley Scott's epic paid tribute to plenty
of classic sword-and-sandals gladiator films, but it almost included one massive cameo.
Lou Ferrigno, a veteran of the genre in his early film career before playing the Incredible
Hulk was set to play the massive gladiator Tigris of Gaul, in the tiger-filled arena
sequence. But during production, Danish bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen campaigned for the part,
and won it. Leaving us to forever wonder: who would win in a fight? The Hulk, or Superman's
dad? Eminem
When the producers of Southpaw decided it was time for a different kind of boxing movie,
they knew just how to make it: by casting rapper Eminem, in a "spiritual sequel" to
his critic-stunning role in the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile (Universal). Knowing the rapper's history,
he was pitched the idea of a down-and-out boxer fighting for his daughter, and Eminem
signed on, kicking the project into high gear. The creator of Sons of Anarchy wrote the script,
former amateur boxer Antoine Fuqua signed on to direct, and his meeting with Eminem
went perfectly. But just before he was to stat his training, the rapper decided another
album had to come first. Jake Gyllenhaal was brought in instead, and after gaining the
muscle needed, cameras rolled. Christian Bale
Just because you've been replaced on a film, doesn't mean you won't still get the part.
When Director Mary Herron looked to adapt the novel "American Psycho," she knew Christian
Bale was the man for the role - but the studio had doubts. No one was more surprised than
Bale when Leonardo DiCaprio was announced to have signed on, pushing both its star and
director out. But the duo stayed determined, with Bale even telling Ewan McGregor not to
accept the studio's offer, until they finally returned to their original picks.
Those are just a few of the cases where a role turned out completely different than
it might have originally, but there's plenty more to choose from. Let us know your own
favorites in the comments, and subscribe to our channel for more videos like this one.