Johnny Depp is but the tip of the iceberg. Many popular actors have been kicked out of big budget projects following intense fan backlash. These actors either had it coming or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Will these actors ever make it big in Hollywood again? That’s a story for another time. If you ask us, the world is better of with or without them in these big budget projects. The show must go on.
Kevin Spacey: Accused Of Being A ‘Sexual Predator’
Spacey was on cloud 9 when the fog of controversy got to him. After major hits like Horrible Bosses and House of Cards, the actor was accused of sexual misconduct. Anthony Rapp, who is known for his role in the movie “Rent”, accused Kevin Spacey of trying to seduce him back in 1986. And that was all it took for Spacey to lose his status amongst the big leagues.
Richard Dreyfuss’ son also accused Spacey, calling him a “sexual predator.” Many others also came forward and seconded those claims that dated all the way till 1983. Kevin Spacey lost every project he was involved in back then, including ‘All the Money in the World.’ Christopher Plummer was recast in the role.
James Franco: Self Imposed Exile
A video of James Franco trying to seduce a minor girl went viral in social media. What happened next was every actor’s nightmare. The entire internet went after Franco’s head and the guy ended up becoming a Hollywood pariah. In 2018, another controversy erupted when five women from the Studio 4 acting school claimed Franco had tried to exploit them sexually.
Franco has since dropped out of all projects. Seth Rogen, his longtime movie partner, cut off all ties with him, ending a 20 year partnership. His last big project was “The Deuce.” James Franco remains in self imposed exile, refusing to participate in anything related to Hollywood now.
Scarlett Johansson: Bowed Out After Fan Backlash
Surprised to see Scarlett Johansson on the list? Well her career has been mired with quite a couple of controversies so to speak. Her lead role in Ghost in the Shell movie was already taking a lot of fire. But it was another movie that led her being publicly shamed. The A-List actor was cast in the lead role for ‘Rub and Tug.’
The problem is – the role was of a Transgender man. Casting a straight white woman in the role of a Trans character was nothing new in Hollywood. But people expected more from the Black Widow star. After trans groups and other activists from the LGBTQ community revolted, she quietly accepted the pink slip and moved on.
Ed Skrein: Accused Of Supporting Whitewashing
This was yet another instance of Hollywood trying to whitewash every role they could find. And to be honest, it was the right decision for the fans to revolt. Hollywood already has a shortage of strong Asian characters. So when Ed Skrein was cast as Benjamin Daimio in the Hellboy reboot. The only problem was – Benjamin Daimio is Japanese in the comic books.
Ed Skrein claims he thought of the people and the fans when he voluntarily bowed out of the project. But we all know it was because the fans would not take no for an answer. Comic book accuracy remains a distant dream but pathetic casting decisions like these will not longer be tolerated.
Gina Carano: Disney Cancelled The Former MMA Fighter
Carano was at an all time high a year ago. She was in Deadpool and then got a big role in the cult hit Star Wars series – The Mandalorian. Then in february 2021, Carano was able to get everyone’s attention for the wrong reason. She compared the American politics to the Holocaust during World War Two. She also used her social media handles to ridicule transgenders and called face masks as the bane of society.
Disney severed all ties with the actor, shunning her from every future project in their slate. She now works primarily in small scale projects that won’t ever make her big bucks like the way she used to earn back then.
