Hollywood is drama-infested—but occasionally the most delicious plot twists occur offscreen. Few things disrupt a production more than replacing an actor once filming has commenced. All of a scene must be remade, chemistry is altered, and in a few instances, the entire tone of a film is altered overnight. The tales surrounding these mid-project recasting actually match (and even surpass) the fodder provided by the resulting film. Here’s a countdown of the most memorable times actors were substituted after filming had already commenced.
10. Chris D’Elia as Tig Notaro in Army of the Dead
Comedian Chris D’Elia had initially played the helicopter pilot in Zack Snyder’s zombie heist film. However, when accusations of misconduct surfaced, the character was recast. Tig Notaro filled the role—except she was not physically on set with the rest of the cast. Utilizing green screens and CGI magic, Snyder digitally inserted her into the completed film, demonstrating just how far technology can be pushed to bail out a production.
9. Samantha Morton as Scarlett Johansson in Her
Samantha Morton was there every day on set, acting opposite Joaquin Phoenix as the voice of the AI. But in post-production, director Spike Jonze realized the voice needed something warmer and more playful. Enter Scarlett Johansson, who re-recorded the part while juggling Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The switch completely reshaped the movie’s emotional core.
8. William H. Macy as Albert Brooks in Finding Nemo
Indeed, William H. Macy almost played everybody’s beloved clownfish dad. He’d already provided most of the voice work when Pixar replaced him. Albert Brooks took over, and his nervous but humorous tone assisted in making Marlin the center of Pixar’s beloved underwater tale.
7. Richard Gere as Perry King in The Lords of Flatbush
Before he became a Hollywood symbol, Richard Gere starred in this gritty ’70s thriller. The catch? He clashed with Sylvester Stallone. Following a fight over a mustard-glazed chicken (seriously) that turned into a physical brawl, Gere was let go. Perry King took his place, while Gere went on to become famous shortly afterward in other work.
6. Lori Petty as Sandra Bullock in Demolition Man
Lori Petty was to have played Lenina Huxley, but after a week, she was fired for “creative differences” and a falling out with Stallone. Sandra Bullock replaced her, and the film launched her into superstardom. Petty has since referred to it as “the most uncool day in Hollywood” for her.
5. Stephen Markarian as Daniel Curtis Lee in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide
The unaired pilot for Nickelodeon’s cult favorite originally featured Stephen Markarian as Ned’s best buddy, Boogie. But execs felt the cast needed to be more diverse. The character was reworked as Cookie and recast with Daniel Curtis Lee, and Markarian returned to the show later as Albert Wormenheimer.
4. Jean-Claude Van Damme as Kevin Peter Hall in Predator
Van Damme was cast as the Predator, but the bulky rubber costume was claustrophobic, and he couldn’t move. To boot, his martial arts swagger didn’t fit the creature’s frightening persona. Producer Joel Silver replaced him, and Kevin Peter Hall did the work to build the massive, iconic monster we all know.
3. James Remar as Michael Biehn in Aliens
James Remar was initially cast as Corporal Hicks and even had a week’s worth of scenes shot. But after being arrested for drugs, he was taken off the picture. Michael Biehn, newly arrived from The Terminator, was cast as Hicks in his place. Some of Remar’s behind-the-scenes shots remain in the finished film, making this one of Hollywood’s most bizarre partial recastings.
2. Eric Stoltz as Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future
Stoltz actually shot several weeks as Marty McFly before director Robert Zemeckis concluded that his dramatic, method-acting approach just wasn’t cutting it. When Michael J. Fox became free, the change was made. Fox’s lighter comedic interpretation reworked Back to the Future into the classic we recognize today.
1. Colin Firth as Ben Whishaw in Paddington
Colin Firth provided the majority of Paddington’s voice work, but it never seemed right. Both Firth and director Paul King agreed that the voice wasn’t a fit for the character’s innocent, sweet personality. Ben Whishaw stepped in, and his warm performance became the foundation of the franchise.
Sometimes they’re messy, sometimes they’re mutual, and sometimes they’re bad luck. But in nearly every instance, the recast provided us with the version of the tale that we couldn’t possibly envision another way. Behind-the-scenes turmoil may be aggravating for studios, but to fans of film, it’s evidence that even blunders can create movie magic.