21 Shocking Situations Where Celebrities Were Fired From Their Acting Positions

We can't resist the urge to be a bit inquisitive in order to find out why.

Maryjane

• Published in Film & TV
• June 14, 2022

Yes, things like this happen. There are times when celebrities can get fired from a film or television program due to one scandal or another, or maybe when there’s no chemistry there.

Whatever the explanation, it's really not too uncommon for celebs to lose acting jobs, and this can even happen when they've already begun filming. In some cases, the reasons are valid, but some appear to be absolutely uncalled for—well, at least when you look at it externally.

But then, there are times when we never find out exactly what exactly ended up getting a certain celeb fired, so some superstar firings appear to be totally strange and inappropriate to fans. We're speculating that this is the point at which those nondisclosure agreements come into play.

But at the same time, we can't resist the urge to be a bit inquisitive at whatever point we hear that a celeb has been hacked out of a film or show. So, if you're as interested as we are in Hollywood's inner operations and the drama that goes on behind the scenes, keep reading to find out which celebrities have been embarrassingly fired from acting roles over the years.

Not just that, you’ll see if they were able to save their jobs subsequently. Believe me when I say you will have a hard time believing some of them.

1. Johnny Depp

He was fired from the upcoming third film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise after his ex-wife Amber Heard accused him of assault

2. Megan Fox

She was swiftly fired after badmouthing Transformers director Michael Bay but she's made quite the comeback in 2021.

3. Roseanne Barr

She got fired from the popular Roseanne reboot after she tweeted racist comments about President Barack Obama's advisor Valerie Jarrett

4. Taylor Momsen

She got fired from the show, Gossip Girl for cursing out some of her costars and she mostly focused on her music career since then.

5. Gina Carano

As a result of several disturbing and controversial social media posts she made, Disney and Lucasfilm fired The Mandalorian Gina in 2021.

6. Isaiah Washington

He got fired from the Grey's Anatomy cast for using a homophobic slur against his costar T.R. Knight.

7. Kevin Spacey

He was accused of making unwanted sexual advances by a fellow actor who said he was underage during that time. Kevin Spacey lost the lead on the hit series House of Cards because of that.

8. Edward Norton

Producers were unhappy with his on-set behavior while filming The Incredible Hulk in 2008 so they fired him afterwards.

9. Chadwick Boseman

The late Chadwick Boseman revealed he had been fired from a soap opera because he questioned the racial stereotypes associated with his character.

10. Charlie Sheen

He got fired from the show, Two and a Half Men for what was described as "dangerously self-destructive behavior."

11. Anne Hathaway

She didn't want director Judd Apatow to include the childbirth graphic scene in Knocked Up, and it cost her the role.

12. Selma Blair

13. Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling was fired from The Lovely Bones because he was too fat!

14. Kal Penn

Kal was fired from the hit show House because he accepted the job to work for President Barack Obama at the White House

15. Chloë Grace Moretz

She was the voice of Penny in the animated movie Bolt when she was just 11 years old, but Disney decided to go with the voice of Miley Cyrus. 

16. Colin Firth

He was the voice of Paddington in the 2014 film, but he was fired because he sounded too old.

17. Columbus Short

Apparently, he had multiple domestic violence incidents with his then-wife, and allegedly got into a fight with a stranger in a bar so he got fired from the hit show Scandal.

18. Lisa Bonet

She was fired from The Cosby Show after she posed for a nude photo shoot for Rolling Stone.

19. Dominic Monaghan

After admitting to not exactly being at his best, Dominic's character was written off in season three of the hit show Lost.

20. Stuart Townsend

He was to play Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, but was fired without being given a concrete reason.

21. Sylvester Stallone

He tried to rewrite the script for the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop since he couldn't tamp down his creativity, and it cost him the job.

You can see that this might in fact happen to huge names or top-notch actors, and keeping in mind that it often surprises people, the reasons are typically substantial. Which of these celeb firings shocked you the most?

Share your comments below and make sure to share them with your loved ones as well.

Maryjane