10 Best Actor Replacements In Movies

Ed Harris was the sole actor in The Truman Show to receive much awards recognition, scooping a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his terrific performance as the titular reality TV show's God-like creator, Christof.

But the late Dennis Hopper was originally cast in the role, despite some consternation from both director Peter Weir and producer Scott Rudin, who agreed that Hopper would be recast if they didn't feel he was a good fit once shooting started.

Well, all it took was two days of filming for Hopper to be fired, and given that the Christof scenes were all scheduled to be shot at the very end of production, finding a replacement was a majorly pressing matter.

With Paramount growing impatient, Weir ultimately decided to meet with Harris, and after a meeting the same day, hired him for the job.

As a result, Harris had just a weekend to prepare for the role before filming began - including reshooting Hopper's scenes - yet according to Harris himself, he appreciated the lack of time he had to think about the part, forcing him to act on instinct.

All the same, Harris' understated work in the role remains one of his greatest screen performances to date, lending soul and dimension to a fascinatingly complex villain.