20 Times Actors Changed in Cult Movies and TV Shows (21 Photos)

Even good actors and actresses are sometimes removed from the project; from this is not insured and the stars of the first magnitude. Sometimes these changes are for the better, sometimes for the worse, and the reasons are different - from really serious, to so small and insignificant that at least laugh. In any case, here is a selection of the most famous such cases, and it is up to you to decide how successful these replacements were.





1. Viggo Mortensen Replaced Stuart Townsend as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings



Stuart Townsend, then a relatively unknown actor, lasted only a couple of days as Aragorn. Directed by Peter Jackson realized that Townsend was too young for the role and quickly replaced him Viggo Mortenson, who demonstrated a truly legendary acting game.

2. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law replaced Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus





When Heath Ledger died before most of the film was finished, the filmmakers decided not to replace him, but to rewrite history so that one character was embodied by several actors at once. Ultimately, this film turned out to be a real tribute to Heath Ledger.

3. Eddie Murphy replaced Sylvester Stallone as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop



Sylvester Stallone tried to change the script as soon as he was chosen for the role of Axl Foley. In Stallone's version, the character became classic action hero, which the filmmakers didn't like, and Stallone's place was taken by Eddie Murphy, who gave the film his trademark charm.

4. Michael J. Fox replaced Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly in Back to the Future



Marty McFly wouldn't be the iconic character that we know and love, without Michael J. Fox. And it really is almost happened - Fox was originally busy on another project, and the role Marty took Eric Stoltz. They even shot part of the material with him, but director Robert Zemeckis did not like the resulting image, and Stolz was replaced by Fox, who still managed to find time for the project.

5. Mads Mikkelsen replaced Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts



Johnny Depp seems to be absolutely "his" in the magical world of Harry Potter, so it's no surprise that fans were happy with the casting. TO Unfortunately, when the scandal involving Depp and Amber Heard broke out, his fired from the project, and replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.

6. Hugh Jackman Replaced Dougray Scott as Wolverine in X-Men



The Wolverine we all know and love was played by Hugh Jackman. but originally this character was supposed to be played by Dougray Scott, already enough famous actor by 1999. Filming for Scott's other film dragged on, and so the role went to Hugh Jackman.

7. Mike Myers replaced Chris Farley as Shrek



Chris Farley, veteran of Saturday Night Live on the air", was called to voice the main character in the cartoon "Shrek" 1995 of the year. Sadly, Farley passed away in 1997 before he could finish work on the project. The role was passed on to Farley's transfer colleague Mike Myers, who insisted on giving Shrek his characteristic Scottish accent.

8. Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard as James Rhodes in the Iron Man films



It is not known exactly why Howard was fired from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it happened with a scandal, and the whole situation is shrouded in rumors. In any case, the actor was replaced by Don Cheadle, giving the Warrior a new face.

9 Ross Marquad Replaced Hugo Weaving As The Red Skull In The Avengers



Hugo Weaving played the Red Skull brilliantly, so no wonder Marvel tried to drag him into a few more films. However, due to financial problems, Weaving was unable to play character in War Beskonechnosti", and he was replaced by Ross Marquand. Being a professional imitator, Marquand imitated Weaving's game perfectly.

10. Mark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton as the Hulk



Sometimes even the stars of the first magnitude are not protected from layoffs. And although for many Mark Ruffalo is the face of modern Hulk, Edward Norton also played this character in the 21st century. However Norton was replaced as Marvel decided to look for an actor who would look better in the company of the rest of the Avengers.

11. Elisabeth Shue replaced Claudia Wells as Jennifer in Back to the Future.



In the first film, Jennifer, Marty's girlfriend, only appears in beginning and end of the picture, and she is played by Claudia Wells. However, due to family circumstances, Wells was unable to return to the role in the sequel, and after successful audition, she was replaced by actress Elisabeth Shue.

12. Maggie Gyllenhaal replaced Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight



Christopher Nolan wanted Katie Holmes to play Rachel Dawes in both Batman films, but due to schedule and personal circumstances, she had to withdraw from the project. Maggie Gyllenhaal replaced Holmes and ended up in one of the best Batman movies ever. cinematography.

13. Ian White replaced Conan Stevens as The Mountain in Game of Thrones and was later replaced by Hafthor Julius Bjornsson



The mighty Grigor "Mountain" Clegane in the "Game of Thrones" managed to play multiple actors. In the first season it was Conan Stevens, during the second - Ian White, and then the role went to the Icelandic athlete Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, who seems to fit perfectly character descriptions in the books.

14. Ben Whishaw replaced Colin Firth as the voice of Paddington.



Initially, the charming teddy bear was supposed to be voiced by Colin Firth. However, the actor voluntarily left the project when everyone it became clear to the participants that his voice was not suitable for the role. Without the unique charm of Ben Whishaw, which he gives to two impeccable movies, it's hard to imagine this marmalade master.

15 Michiel Huisman Replaced Ed Skrein As Daario Naharis In Game Of Thrones



"Game of Thrones" often replaced actors in secondary roles. One of the most notable examples is Daario Naharis. Ed Skrein first played a mercenary, but for political reasons and (more probably) because of the desire to star in the movie "Transporter" he had to leave the series. Michiel Huisman replaced him and played Naharis until the end of the series.

16. Maria Bello replaced Rachel Weisz as Evie in The Mummy 3



In the original Mummies trilogy, Rachel Weisz played Evie in the first two films, and in the third, Maria Bello played the role. Weiss is not liked the script for the third film and she decided to turn down the role.

17. Tom Hopper Replaced Freddie Stroma as Deacon Tarly on Game of Thrones



Freddy Stroma didn't think Deacon Tarly would show up in series, and signed on to another project. In the end, Tom Hopper replaced him and later admitted that playing Deacon Tarly helped him land a role in TV series The Umbrella Academy.

18. Jane Sibbett replaced Anita Barone as Carol on Friends.



Anita Barone played Carol in Friends in just one episode - "The episode with the sonogram at the end." Barone was so unhappy small role and left the project, and Jane Sibbett came in her place. Given the popularity of Friends, even a little screen time was enough for Jane Sibbett to become an important part of the series.

19. Linda Pearl replaced Shannon Cochran as Helen Beasley in The Office.



Pam's mom in The Office is a minor character who played by two different actresses. She was originally played by Shannon Cochran, but as she was touring with the theatre, she was replaced by Linda Pearl.

20. Emma Greenwell replaced Jane Levy as Mandy Milkovich in Shameless»



Sometimes the replacement occurs because the actor or actress has a better opportunity comes up, and you have to leave a good one, but a small role for a larger one. Jane Levy left Shameless in 2011 to star in the TV series Suburbia. In her place came Emma Greenwell.