Movie Actors That Were Replaced in the Middle of Big Productions

When actors commit to a role, the last thing they want to do is give it up. They want to keep working until the last day of shooting. But a lot of things can go wrong in the middle of a big budget production. There could be contract or budget issues.

Or worse! The studio might need to replace a major actor for a bunch of different reasons. Perhaps they got badly injured and needed months to recover or maybe their behavior on the set was unacceptable and they got fired.

Whatever the reasons, the actors on this list learned that they aren’t as indispensable as they thought.

Christian Bale Replaced Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘American Psycho’

‘American Psycho’ was a comedy slasher based on the 1991 novel of the same name by author Bret Easton Ellis. It starred actor Christian Bale as the character Patrick Bateman.

The role was supposed to go to Leonardo DiCaprio, but the film’s director, Mary Harron, felt that DiCaprio’s pretty boy good looks wouldn’t convince anyone that he was a psychotic killer.

So, the role was given to Bale whose suspenseful performance won audiences over.

Katherine Heigl Replaced Anne Hathaway in ‘Knocked Up’

Anne Hathaway was supposed to play the lead role in the comedic film ‘Knocked Up,’ but the actress couldn’t see eye to with the studio regarding a scene where her character was intended to be in labor.

So, she got the boot and the studio hired Katherine Heigl to take over. In the end, Heigl did an amazing job, despite the fact that she wasn’t the casting crew’s first choice.

Mark Wahlberg Replaced Ryan Goslin in ‘The Lovely Bones’

‘The Lovely Bones’ was a dramatic film that dealt with the murder of a little girl and starred amazing performers like Stanley Tucci, Rachael Weisz, and of course, Mark Wahlberg.

But did you know that Wahlberg’s character was originally intended for Ryan Gosling? Rumor has it that Gosling quit the movie because of creative differences.

However, others claim he was let go because he packed on a few pounds and had grown a beard.

Ben Whishaw Replaced Colin Firth in ‘Paddington’

Audiences didn’t see Ben Whishaw in the film ‘Paddington,’ but they definitely heard him as he took on the role of the adorable bear in a red hat and blue coat.

Whishaw did a marvelous job bringing the furry character to life, but the role had originally gone to Colin Firth. Unfortunately, the director felt that Firth’s voice didn’t match Paddington Bear.

So, the studio went looking for another performer and found a perfect match with Whishaw.