A film can cost a fortune to create, so everything must go smoothly once the reel starts rolling. And that involves the cast, who are paid well to turn up on time, prepare their lines, and give it their all. Artists who believe their shows/movies would be pointless without them must reconsider. Celeb personalities change all the time, whether it’s due to retirement, backstage feuding, or creative differences, and most of the time, audiences don’t recognize them. Leading cast members might have their parts replaced, while a program is still running if everything doesn’t go well. We’ve picked up a few of the popular actors who have been replaced over the years in case you overlooked their abrupt exits.
1) Megan Fox was replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Megan Fox‘s participation in the live-action Transformers franchise’s first two movies kickstarted her to new levels of fame; however she didn’t get to stay for the rest of the show. In an appearance, the star compared filmmaker Michael Bay to Adolf Hitler and called him “a nightmare to work with.” She was sacked from the third chapter, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, during production. Producer Steven Spielberg was reportedly offended by the remarks and begged Bay to withdraw from the project. “She was on her BlackBerry, on another planet.” In 2016, Bay noted, “You have to keep focused.” “And then there’s the Hitler thing.” ‘Fire her right now,’ Steven replied.The former was then replaced by Victoria’s Secret’s model, Rosie Huntington Whiteley.
2) Martin Sheen replaced Harvey Keitel in the massively hit movie, Apocalypse Now
Many production issues impacted Apocalypse Now. Among such was the time filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola was forced to terminate one of the popular actors, Harvey Keitel, soon after filming began. According to sources, the duo was at odds over Keitel’s character, Willard, which Keitel confirmed in an interview with writer Jason Matloff. “In the long run, [Coppola] didn’t truly give in [to my proposals] since the split would not have happened if he had realized the true importance of my contribution — having three years of experience as a Marine Corps rifleman, squad leader, and fire team leader,” Keitel said. The two have claimed to have resolved their differences as adults in several interviews thereafter.
3) Jane The Virgin’s Mateo – replaced by Elias Janssen
Jane the Virgin would not exist if it weren’t for Jane’s adorable bundle of joy, Mateo (who was the consequence of her accidental impregnation?!). The character Mateo, played by Elias Janssen, was given a new look in the season 4 promo. Joseph Sanders had formerly portrayed the character, but he was too preoccupied with academics to stay with the production. Turned out that the audience admired both the child actors more or less equivalently.
4) Game Of Thrones’ Night King – Vladimir Furdik was replaced by Richard Brake
Richard Brake, a method actor with a long list of credits, was cast in the fourth season as the Night King, who made his initial appearance in a vision of Bran Stark. In season 5, the talented actor returned towards the climax of one of the best combat scenes on screen. The terror was wonderfully portrayed, but it was the last time we saw Richard Brake as Night King. Due to schedule conflicts, Richard was replaced by Vladimir Furdik at the start of Season 6. Vladimir Furdik, a career stunt coordinator and a stunt artist on the programme, was cast as the Night King. This was a trophy for a job well done. Seems like the fans could not decide who was a better fit for the role. Thus, “the former versus the later” can still be a conflicting subject to debate on amongst the fans.
5) Christian Bale replaced himself in American Psycho
Christian Bale, in an odd set of circumstances, ended up playing himself in American Psycho. Bale, one of the most popular actors, was offered the part of Patrick Bateman at first. According to VH1, the company eventually opted to employ Leonardo DiCaprio instead. According to The Guardian, Lionsgate confirmed DiCaprio’s participation during the Cannes Film Festival in May 1998. Bale was taken aback by the announcement, given that he had been assured he would play Bateman. According to The Guardian, DiCaprio was dissatisfied with the film’s directing as well as the storyline and premise. Finally, DiCaprio dropped out of the picture and moved on to another project. Bale was once again cast in the role once the screenplay was returned to him.
