15 Actors Who Were Swapped Mid-Film And The Reasons It Happened

Nothing is really certain when you’re an actor. Even if you shot one of the most iconic movies in Hollywood, it’s not guaranteed that you're ever going to book another successful gig. And when a star lands a role they’re excited to start filming, it’s still not set in stone that they won’t be replaced by someone else. Below, our Pictolic team has collected a list of instances when actors or actresses were recast due to some unfortunate circumstances. It shows that even legends like Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, and Anne Hathaway aren’t safe from the firm hand of directors or even fate, for that matter.

15 PHOTOS

#1 Sylvester Stallone In Beverly Hills Cop

When production for Beverly Hills Cop first started it was Stallone, not Murphy, who was playing Axel Foley. The original script was very much the comedy the movie became but Stallone had different ideas. He stepped in to rewrite parts of the movie, as Stallone turned Axel into more of action hero. That take was rejected and Stallone was subsequently removed from the film. This, thankfully, allowed Eddie Murphy to take the role and become a comedic superstar.

#2 Stuart Townsend In Lord Of The Rings

When the massive production of Lord of the Rings got off the ground, it was 27-year-old newcomer Stuart Townsend who playing Aragorn, the future king of Gondor. Townsend went through months of training but only managed to only film a couple days. Jackson quickly decided Townsend was far too young. Townsend was replaced with Viggo Mortenson, who is 14 years his senior.

#3 Dougray Scott Was First Cast As Wolverine. 1999 Was A Big Year For Scott As He Was Cast As The Villain In Mission Impossible II And Was Lined Up To Play Wolverine In Bryan Singer’s X-Men

Yet production on Mission Impossible ran longer than expected. While X-Men waited for a month for Scott to become available, they eventually had to recast. Hugh Jackman landed the role instead and spandex history was made.

Casting an actor for a role can be a long and tiring process as it involves a lot of moving factors and decision-making. And it’s up to the casting director to find the missing piece that will fit with everything else together to create the right picture for a movie or TV show. 

If you ever wondered how this process goes, you’re in luck, as we’re going to discuss it today in brief. The casting for specific roles usually starts immediately after a pilot (a short film serving as a prototype to sell it to producers) is picked up by a network.

#4 Eric Stoltz Was Initially Cast As Marty Mcfly In Back To The Future, But His Method Acting And Drama Skills Didn't Translate To Screwball Comedy As Well As Production Hoped. So, A Couple Weeks Into Filming, Director Robert Zemeckis And Writer Bob Gale Made A Deal With Studio Head Sid Sheinberg Behind His Back — They'd Keep Filming With Him Until They Could Bring In The Lead Actor They Really Wanted. He Was Replaced By, Of Course, Michael J. Fox

#5 Richard Harris In Harry Potter. The Actor Died In 2002, Before The Franchise's Second Film, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, Was Released. It Was The Final Harry Potter Film He Acted In

Replaced by Michael Gambon, beginning with the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

#6 Nicole Kidman In Panic Room. She Dropped Out Of The Film After A Knee Injury She Sustained While Filming Moulin Rouge. Replaced By Jodie Foster

Then, casting directors start thinking about actors who might be suited for this specific role. Casting veteran Victoria Thomas, with more than four decades of experience, shared how she begins her casting process.

“You kind of start out with certain ideas you might have, and you make a list for producers in the studio—kind of see where they’re coming from in terms of what they want to get out of casting a lead or a couple of leads. They may be going for some name value, or you may be allowed to cast some unknowns.”

#7 In The Truman Show, Christof Was Originally Played By Dennis Hopper, But He Was Reportedly Replaced Because He Couldn't Remember His Lines. Ed Harris Took Over The Role

#8 Anne Hathaway In Knocked Up

It seems like it was destined for the leading lady of Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up to be dissatisfied with her role. The actress who played Alison in the finished movie, Katherine Heigl, infamously trashed the film and her character in public. Heigl isn’t the only famous actress who had problems with Allison.

It was Anne Hathaway who first signed onto Knocked Up to play Allison. Shortly into production Hathway quit the role when she found out one very specific detail of the movie.

When Hathway discovered that footage of a real birth would be used in the film's climax, with the accompanying nudity, she backed out. The actress felt that the graphic shot was unnecessary and unneeded. Even though the nudity in question wouldn’t even have involved Hathaway but another person entirely.

#9 Andre Braugher In The Upcoming Shonda Rhimes Series, The Residence. The Actor Died In 2023 While The Show Was On Pause From Filming Amid The 2023 Wga And Sag Strikes. Replaced By Giancarlo Esposito

She delves deeper to understand the director’s vision and works closely with the creative team to make it come true. “Talking to producers, the studio—figuring out what you’re all going for. Making that list or putting that breakdown out. Talking about the characters and just motivations and who these people are. So in that sense that’s the creative conversation I kind of like to have.”

#10 A Few Days In Filming Demolition Man, Lori Petty Was Fired From Her Role As Lenina Huxley. Producer Joel Silver Blamed The Decision On "Creative Differences," But Lori Attributed It To Her Personality Clash With Lead Actor Sylvester Stallone, Telling Entertainment Weekly, "Sly And I Were Like Oil And Water." She Was Replaced By Sandra Bullock

#11 Lisa Kudrow Was Originally Cast As Roz In Frasier And Even Worked On The Pilot For Three Days Before Being Replaced By Peri Gilpin, Who Went On To Play The Role For The Rest Of The Series

#12 Henry Cavill In The Witcher. The Actor Left The Ongoing Netflix Series After Three Seasons. Replaced By Liam Hemsworth

What Thomas is describing here is known as character breakdown in the movie industry. It’s a description that highlights the most important attributes of a character, which is often used to cast movies, plays, and TV shows. They routinely include information about physical appearance (age, race, height), skills, and personality traits.

#13 Initially, James Remar Was Going To Play Dwayne Hicks In Aliens. However, He Was Let Go A Month Into Filming Because He Was Arrested For Drug Possession After Police Raided His Apartment In London. He Was Replaced By Michael Biehn

#14 Initially, Harvey Keitel Was Supposed To Play Us Army Captain Benjamin Willard In Apocalypse Now, But Director Francis Ford Coppola Famously Replaced Him A Week Into Filming. Denying The Director's Claims In Coppola's Monster Film: The Making Of 'Apocalypse Now', That He Was Fired Because He "Didn't Want To Stay In The Jungle," Harvey Told Insider, "Well, Harvey Keitel Spent Three Years In The United States Marines Corps In The Jungle." He Was Replaced By Martin Sheen

#15 Kevin Spacey Filmed The Entirety Of All The Money In The World Before He Was Cut From The Movie Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations. Christopher Plummer Stepped In To Replace Him And Had To Refilm The Entire Movie, Which Took Nine Days And Cost $10 Million On Top Of The Movie's $40 Million Budget

Once this is done, as Thomas already mentioned, casting directors may have initial ideas for actors that could play that part and contact them to audition for it. If they want more options or are simply lacking inspiration, then they advertise these roles to casting agencies. After receiving the character breakdown, agents submit the actors who fit the role. The submission usually includes such information as the actor's headshots, showreels, and CV.