25 actors who were replaced during filming (26 photos)

In the world of cinema, nothing is permanent. Even if you starred in one of the most popular Hollywood films, it does not mean that you will be invited to a new project. And even if you got a role and started filming, there is no guarantee that you will not be replaced. Here are actors and actresses who, due to various circumstances, had to give up their roles.





1. Sylvester Stallone in Beverly Hills Cop



Initially, Stallone, not Murphy, played Axel Foley. But Sylvester took it upon himself to rewrite the script, turning Axel into an action hero. The idea was not appreciated, and the actor left the project. Then Eddie Murphy got the role and became a comedy superstar.

2. Stuart Townsend in The Lord of the Rings





When filming of The Lord of the Rings began, the role of Aragorn went to 27-year-old newcomer Stuart Townsend. The actor underwent months of training, but only managed to film a couple of days. Peter Jackson decided that Townsend was too young, and invited Viggo Mortenson.

3. Dougray Scott was supposed to play Wolverine



In 1999, Scott got the roles of the villain in the film "Mission: Impossible II" and Wolverine in Bryan Singer's "X-Men". The filming of "Mission" dragged on, the "X-Men" team waited a whole month for the actor. As a result, they had to conduct a second casting. So the role went to Hugh Jackman.

4. Richard Harris in Harry Potter



The actor died in 2002, before the release of the second film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He was replaced by Michael Gambon in the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

5. Eric Stoltz was supposed to play Marty McFly in Back to the Future



However, he lacked the comedy chops, and after 5 weeks, Michael J. Fox took his place on the set.

6. Nicole Kidman in Panic Room



Nicole dropped out due to a knee injury sustained while filming Moulin Rouge. She was replaced by Jodie Foster.

7. Dennis Hopper was originally cast as Christophe in The Truman Show



They say he was replaced due to problems remembering lines. The role was played by Ed Harris.

8. Anne Hathaway in Knocked Up



Anne Hathaway was the first to agree to play Allison. But in the middle of filming, the actress unexpectedly left the project. When Hathaway learned that the climax of the film would use footage of a real birth, albeit with the participation of a stunt double, she refused. In the end, the job was offered to the star of Grey's Anatomy, Katherine Heigl.

9. Lisa Kudrow Could Have Played Roz in Frasier



She filmed the pilot for three days, but was ultimately replaced by Peri Gilpin.

10. Days after filming began on "Demolition Man," Lori Petty was fired from her role as Lenina Huxley



Producer Joel Silver attributed the decision to "creative differences," but Lori is certain that the reason was a conflict with lead actor Sylvester Stallone. "Sly and I were like fire and water," the actress said. Sandra Bullock was brought in to replace her.

11. Henry Cavill in The Witcher



The actor left the Netflix series after three seasons. The exact reasons for leaving are unknown. He was replaced by Liam Hemsworth.

12. Judy Garland was supposed to play Helen Lawson in Valley of the Dolls



The actress was removed due to conflicts with director Mark Robson and alcohol abuse. She was replaced by Susan Hayward.

13. James Remar was going to play Dwayne Hicks in Aliens



He was fired a month into filming due to his arrest for drug possession. The director replaced him with Michael Biehn.

14. Lance Reddick in Percy Jackson & the Olympians



The actor died in 2023 before the premiere of the first season. In the sequel, his role went to Courtney B. Vance.

15. Kevin Spacey starred in All the Money in the World before the sexual harassment allegations



Because of the scandal, all of his scenes were cut and reshot with Christopher Plummer. This cost $10 million over the $40 million budget.

16. Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones



Ed decided to leave the series to star in Transformers. He was replaced by Michiel Huisman.

17. Singer Aaliyah got the role of Zee in The Matrix Reloaded.



However, on August 25, 2001, she died in a plane crash. The Wachowski brothers cast Nona Gaye, the daughter of singer Marvin Gaye, for the role of Zee.

18. Samantha Morton voiced Samantha in the melodrama "Her"



When it came time for editing, screenwriter and director Spike Jonze decided that Samantha's voice was no good and invited Scarlett Johansson.

19. Rachelle Lefevre played Victoria in Twilight



However, in the sequel, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, she was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard. Lefevre was involved in the filming of Dustin Hoffman's Barney's Version for 10 days. She had a contract to return to Twilight, and she had turned down other offers. The actress had no idea that the studio had found a replacement for her.

20. Mark Webber was cast in the series "Stumptown", but was replaced by Jake Johnson



The management did not find Mark attractive enough.

21. Katie Holmes in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy



Having appeared in "Batman Begins", Holmes did not return for the second film "The Dark Knight". She was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

22. Ryan Gosling was supposed to play Jack Salmon in The Lovely Bones



He decided to gain 55 pounds to match his vision of the character. The director and producers disagreed with Ryan and fired him. The role went to Mark Wahlberg.

23. Helen McCrory in His Dark Materials



The actress died in 2021. She played Stelmaria in seasons 1 and 2. Victoria Hamilton was invited for season 3.

24. Mandy Milkovich was played by Jane Levy in Shameless for the first five episodes



However, she later left the project to focus on another sitcom. The character went to Emma Greenwell.

25. Richard Gere was originally cast as Chico in The Lords of Flatbush



The actor did not get along with the lead actor, Sylvester Stallone. One day, when the stars were having lunch together, Gere dripped chicken fat and mustard on Stallone's pants. A fight ensued. The director had to make a choice - the role of Chico went to Perry King.