10 Shocking Reasons Actors Quit Movies
6. Refusing To Work With Madonna - Debra Winger (A League of Their Own)
During casting for 1992's classic sports comedy A League of Their Own, Debra Winger was initially hired to play protagonist Dottie Hinson, and was evidently committed enough to spend three months training with the Chicago Cubs in preparation for shooting.
But Winger made an unexpected exit from the film after director Penny Marshall cast Madonna in the supporting role of "All the Way Mae" Mordabito, feeling that Madonna's casting fundamentally changed the movie, that it was now a star vehicle for a musician - an "Elvis film," in her own words.
Winger had a pay-or-play contract, meaning that she still received her salary for the film despite not starring in it, with Geena Davis ultimately being cast as Dottie.
In a 2021 interview with The Telegraph, Winger said of Madonna's casting, "I think [her] acting career has spoken for itself," even if this is ironically probably the single Madonna performance most folk will actually agree totally works.
And given that the film remains a thoroughly entertaining classic today, it's safe to say that everything worked out for the best.