15 Actors Who Were FIRED From Movies During Production
These Hollywood stars were kicked to the curb in the middle of filming.
Due to scheduling conflicts, injuries, or behind the scene antics, many actors have lost their jobs in the film industry.
Megan Fox was sacked from Transformers: Dark of the Moon after she badmouthed director Michael Bay. Terence Howard got booted off Iron Man 2 after he demanded more money. Edward Norton wasn't asked to reprise his role as the Hulk after Marvel executives found him too difficult to work him. Having to fire a movie star and find a suitable replacement is one of the most stressful things that can happen in in show business.
But what's more nerve-wracking is when an actor is laid off right smack in the middle of a film production. Sometimes, the performer in question has filmed all their scenes, promoted the film, and appeared in the trailer, only to be nixed at the last minute.
There are all sorts of reasons why this can happen. Maybe they had a disagreement with the filmmakers. Maybe their unprofessionalism repeatedly interrupted the production. Or maybe they were replaced in the eleventh hour because their performance just wasn't very good.
15. Al Pacino - Despicable Me 2
In Despicable Me 2, Gru is on a mission when he confronts a mysterious restaurant owner called Eduardo Perez. Upon their first meeting, Gru suspects Eduardo is actually El Macho; a legendary supervillain, long believed to be dead.
Benjamin Bratt, who voices Eduardo, plays the role as a charismatic, larger-than-life sensationalist. He puts so much passion in every word, it's hard to picture anyone else in the role.
Interestingly, Bratt was actually a last-minute replacement. Two months before Despicable Me 2 was released, Eduardo was meant to be played by acting titan Al Pacino. Even though he had recorded all his lines, Pacino abandoned the project with little warning. His departure was so late notice, the Oscar-winning actor's name still appeared in the trailers.
To date, there has never been an official reason why Pacino left, and the only explanation given was "creative differences". What's an even bigger mystery, is why Pacino walked away from Despicable Me 2 but didn't walk away from Jack & Jill?