Not everything works like clockwork in Hollywood. Sometimes the actors and directors don’t get along, other times there are factors that just can’t be overlooked and then there are scheduling conflicts that need to be addressed. Whatever the case there are times when actors bow out of a picture simply because it’s not working for some reason. It could be a sense of ego getting in the way or even a difference of opinion on premise, plot, or the subject matter of the movie. No matter what it is there are actors that have been forced to leave or chose to bow out of certain pictures for their own reason.
Here are just a few, as this tends to happen more than you might think.
5. Will Ferrell – Reagan
Will Ferrell was all set to play the former US president in a comedy that would have played a lot on the aspect of Alzheimer’s and made it into a giant joke. People were appalled at this premise and the family of Ronald Reagan were adamant about getting the production shut down. Ferrell quickly distanced himself only a couple days after being cast.
4. Charlie Hunnam – Fifty Shades of Grey
A lot of ladies were getting very excited to hear that Charlie Hunnam, the young hunk from Sons of Anarchy, was going to portray the character of Christian Grey. Any that watched the FX show would have known that Hunnam had no problem flaunting his body and would have been perfect for the role. Unfortunately he’d made a promise to his friend Guillermo Del Toro to star in the upcoming Crimson Peak. At least he honored his word, that counts for something.
3. Native American extras – The Ridiculous 6
Adam Sandler has been known for being culturally offensive for a while now, but this was crossing the line on many levels. When he decided to make a long, running joke out of the Apache culture a large number of Native Americans that he’d hired as extras decided to walk off the set, which was probably the best option considering that this movie was tremendous flop.
2. Winona Ryder – The Godfather Part III
It was probably best that this didn’t happen the other way around. For one Coppola actually looks like she could be Pacino’s daughter, and more than that, Ryder was kind of a walking problem at the time she would have been cast. She had a bevy of excuses to give that eventually just made her too high maintenance. The only reason she might have been better was that she could actually act, unlike Coppola’s daughter.
1. Jean Claude van Damme – Predator
This has got to be one of the dumbest reasons ever to walk away from a role. JCVD was a big up and coming actor in Hollywood at that point but he wasn’t so valuable that he couldn’t be replaced. When he saw the suit he was actually upset that it made him look silly. And when he had to wear the red suit that would be used to make him invisible on screen he was even madder since he wouldn’t be seen throughout a good portion of the film. Can we say buh-bye? He quit on his own but he wasn’t really missed.
Sometimes it’s necessary for an actor to quit just to save face. Other times it’s their loss.
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