Hollywood stars who were FIRED by directors as even the most famous actors suffer setbacks

After not starring in a film or TV show in nearly a decade, Danniella Westbrook was supposed to make her movie comeback in a new independent British film, Tales From The Trap. 

However the EastEnders actress, 52, has now been recast in the role amid health issues after she was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties on Friday.

Yet Danniella is by no means the only star to have her big break snatched away from her due to unfortunate circumstances. 

Many of the biggest stars in Hollywood endured their fair share of setbacks after being axed from productions due to clashes with the directors or because they simply didn’t fit the role. 

Julianne Moore previously admitted she was yet to watch the 2018 hit Can You Ever Forgive Me? after she was fired from the lead role. 

Meanwhile Ryan Gosling went as far as to gain 60 pounds for a role just to have the door closed in his face, while even national treasure Colin Firth didn’t fit the bill when searching for the voice of Paddington Bear.  

From Ryan Gosling to Julianne Moore: the Hollywood stars who were shown the door by directors as the most famous actors suffer setbacks (Ryan Gosling pictured in Barbie) 

Danniella Westbrook was supposed to make her movie comeback in a new independent British film, Tales From The Trap. However she has now been recast in the role amid health issues 

Julianne Moore

Can You Ever Forgive Me? with Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant was met with critical acclaim and award season recognition when it came out back in 2018. 

Yet instead of Melissa, it was Julianne Moore who was supposed to play the main role as Lee Israel before she was fired by director Nicole Holofcener.

Appearing on Andy Cohen’s show back in 2019, a viewer called in to ask her why she left the movie, as Julianne responded: ‘I didn’t leave that movie, I was fired.’

Admitting she still hadn’t seen the movie as ‘it’s still kind of painful,’ she explained: ‘I think she [Nicole] didn’t like what I was doing. 

‘We just been rehearsing and doing pre-production and stuff and her idea of where the character was was different than where my idea of where the character was, so she fired me.’

To add insult to injury, the redhead noted: ‘The only other time I was fired was when I was working at a yoghurt stand when I was 15, so it felt bad.’

Nicole ended up cutting ties with the movie herself, and the biographical comedy went on to be helmed by Marielle Heller, with a starring cast of Melissa and Richard.

However, Julianne was quick to state there was no hard feelings with the leading lady, who was nominated in the Best Actress category for every major award ceremony that year.

Julianne Moore who was supposed to play the main role as Lee Israel before she was fires by director Nicole Holofcener

Admitting she still hadn’t seen the movie as ‘it’s still kind of painful,’ she explained: ‘I think she [Nicole] didn’t like what I was doing’ (Melissa McCarthy and Richard E Grant pictured)  

Ryan Gosling 

Imagine gaining 60lbs for a role only to find out you don’t look like the director envisaged the character to look? 

This is exactly what happened to Ryan Gosling after he was cast as the grieving father of his murdered daughter in The Lovely Bones in 2009. 

Years before his days of being Ken, the actor, now 45, sacrificed his toned physique to gain weight for the role and took to drinking melting Haagen Daz ice creams in order to pack on the pounds. 

However when he turned up to set director Peter Jackson did a double take and ended up recasting Mark Wahlberg for the role. 

Speaking at a Hollywood Reporter roundtable, Ryan later revealed: ‘We had a different idea of how the character should look. I really believed he should be 210 pounds.

‘We didn’t talk very much during the pre-production process which was the problem. It was a huge movie, and there’s so many things to deal with, and he couldn’t deal with the actors individually. I just showed up on the set, and I had gotten it wrong. Then I was fat and unemployed.’ 

Imagine gaining 60lbs for a role only to find out you don’t look like the director envisaged the character to look? This is exactly what happened to Ryan Gosling after he was cast as the grieving father of his murdered daughter in The Lovely Bones in 2009 (pictured in 2024)

The actor sacrificed his toned physique and took to drinking melting Haagen Daz ice creams in order to pack on the pounds for the Lovely Bones (Saoirse Ronan pictured in the film) 

Meanwhile the film’s writer and producer Fran Walsh, who is also Peter’s wife, gave a slightly different perspective on Ryan’s departure as she suggesting he was too young to play the father of a teenager. 

Saoirse Ronan, who played the film’s lead, said it was ‘sad’ that Ryan was fired from the film, which received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office.

The actress confirmed that she didn’t film any scenes with the star because of how early in production he was fired, but she did enjoy getting to know him during the pre-production period.

‘I just loved Ryan. And his dog, George,’ she gushed. ‘I was just sad that he wasn’t gonna be around. But I think the reasons why they parted were totally valid.’

She added: ‘And I have spoken to both now, and I complete — it happens, you know what I mean? It’s not personal, necessarily; it’s just sometimes you’re not on the same page.’

Megan Fox 

After rocketing to fame in 2007, Megan Fox was fired from Transformers in 2011 after she compared Michael Bay to Hitler (pictured in the film in 2007) 

After the interview Megan was fired from the show, with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (pictured) replacing her character as a new love interest for main character Sam (Shia LaBeouf)

After rocketing to fame in 2007, Megan Fox was fired from Transformers in 2011 after she compared Michael Bay to Hitler.

At the time she had told Wonderland magazine of Bay: ‘He’s like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous madman reputation.

‘He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he’s a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he’s not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he’s so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all. 

‘And it’s endearing to watch him. He’s vulnerable and fragile in real life and then on set he’s a tyrant. Shia [LaBeouf] and I almost die when we make a Transformers movie. He has you do some really insane things that insurance would never let you do.’

However after the interview Megan was fired from the film, with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley replacing her character as a new love interest for main character Sam (Shia). 

Laster in 2011, Michael claimed that the film’s executive producer Steven Spielberg had asked for Megan to be fired. ‘You know the Hitler thing? Steven said “fire her right now”.’

And 10 years later Megan admitted to her mistake as she told Cosmopolitan: ‘That was absolutely the low point of my career. But without – “that thing” – I wouldn’t have learned as quickly as I did.

‘All I had to do was apologise – and I refused. I was so self-righteous at 23, I couldn’t see [that] it was for the greater good. I really thought I was Joan of Arc.’

Shia LaBeouf

Fans went wild for Harry Styles’ starring role alongside Florence Pugh in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling. However the part was originally supposed to be played by Shia LaBeouf 

Harry Styles replaced Shia’s role to star alongside Florence Pugh 

Fans went wild for Harry Styles’ starring role alongside Florence Pugh in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling. 

However the part was originally supposed to be played by Shia LaBeouf, before Olivia fired him from the part. 

Revealing why she made the decision in 2022, Oliva said: ‘I say this as someone who is such an admirer of his work. His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions.’

She added: ‘He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances.

‘I believe that creating a safe, trusting environment is the best way to get people to do their best work. Ultimately, my responsibility is to the production and to the cast to protect them. That was my job.’

However Shia rebuffed her claims that he was fired and supplied alleged evidence, providing an email that he sent to the director and a video that she sent to him, that was later leaked online, proving he walked away from the film.

The actor claimed he ‘quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time’ on August 17th in 2020, and forwarded Variety two emails that he claims he sent to Olivia.

In his messages he stated: ‘You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors and I couldn’t find time to rehearse.’

Natalie Portman 

Natalie Portman was the original casting for Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at just 13 years old but she left the film after the romantic scenes were deemed ‘inappropriate’ 

In the much-loved Baz Luhrmann 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet it was Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes who stepped into the iconic roles

In the much-loved Baz Luhrmann 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet it was Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes who stepped into the iconic roles. 

However Natalie Portman was the original casting for Juliet at just 13 years old. 

Meanwhile Leonardo was 21 at the time and it was then decided that the romantic scenes between the pair wouldn’t be appropriate and Natalie left the production. 

She later explained: ‘It was a complicated situation. At the time I was 13 and Leonardo was 21, and it wasn’t appropriate in the eyes of the film company or the director, Baz. 

‘It was kind of a mutual decision too that it just wasn’t going to be right at the time.’

Later in 2022, Baz shone more light on the reasoning behind her departure as he told the New York Times: ‘When you [saw] Leo in the flesh, he’s a tall, young man and you just realised, she was too young. 

‘Natalie was amazing in the footage, but it was too much of a burden for her at that age.’

Colin Firth 

Paddington ended up having a much younger voice then planned after he was originally going to be voiced by Colin Firth (left) but the role ended up going to Ben Wishaw

He is Britain’s most loved bear, voiced by James Bond star Ben Whishaw

He is Britain’s most loved bear, voiced by James Bond star Ben Whishaw. 

However Paddington ended up having a much younger voice then planned after he was originally going to be voiced by Colin Firth. 

‘Colin came to lunch. He had a distinctly Paddington-like adventure finding the right house but once he was here he was absolutely charming, particularly with my wife, Sue,’ said author Michael.

‘Like everyone involved in the film, he’s a huge Paddington fan and I think he’s got quite a bit of Paddington in himself. His voice certainly has a warmth and depth to it that is rather bear-like.’

But sadly Colin’s voice was not to make the final cut and he was let go from the production. 

Director Paul King told Entertainment Weekly: ‘I cannot thank [Firth] enough for his contribution to Paddington.

‘We love the voice and we love the bear, but as our young bear came into being, we agreed that the two didn’t seem to fit. So, with somewhat heavy hearts we decided to part ways.’

Using Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin iconic breakup statement to describe his parting with the project, Colin joked: ‘After a period of denial, we’ve chosen “conscious uncoupling”.’

Harvey Keitel

Harvey Keitel found himself unemployed out of the blue when director Francis Ford Coppola decided that he wasn’t right for the role of Willard in Apocalypse Now

Martin Sheen went on to play the role with the job consisting of three long years of filming in the Philippine jungle (Martin pictured in the film) 

Harvey Keitel found himself unemployed out of the blue when director Francis Ford Coppola decided that he wasn’t right for the role of Willard, the soldier ordered to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) in Apocalypse Now. 

The director claimed in the book Coppola’s Monster Film: The Making of Apocalypse Now: ‘I could see [Keitel] was very uncomfortable about conditions in the jungle.

‘And I thought, “Not only do I think he’s wrong casting, but what’s it going to be like for six months in these difficult conditions in the jungle for a city guy who’s afraid of it?”‘

Later responding to this version of events Harvey hit back: ‘Well, Harvey Keitel spent three years in the United States Marines Corps in the jungle.’

Martin Sheen went on to play the role with the job consisting of three long years of filming in the Philippine jungle, during which time tensions between cast and crew ran high.

Richard Gere 

Richard Gere was originally set to star alongside Sylvester Stallone in The Lords of Flatbush

However the pair immediately clashed with Sylvester (pictured) told the director ‘he had to make a choice’ between him and Richard

Richard Gere was originally set to star alongside Sylvester Stallone in The Lords of Flatbush. 

However the pair immediately clashed with Sylvester recalling in an interview in 2006: ‘He would strut around in his oversized motorcycle jacket like he was the baddest night at the round table.’

When during filming Richard’s lunch, ‘a half a chicken covered in mustard with grease nearly dripping out of the aluminum wrapper,’ ended up on Sylvester he told the director ‘he had to make a choice’ between him and Richard. 

The latter was then asked to leave the production.