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.
Yes, situations like this do happen. There are times when celebrities can get fired from a film or television program due to one scandal or another, or perhaps when there’s no chemistry.
Whatever the explanation, it's really not too uncommon for celebs to lose acting jobs, and this can even occur when they've already begun filming. In some cases, the reasons are valid, but others appear to be absolutely uncalled for—well, at least when viewed externally.
However, there are times when we never find out exactly what led to a certain celeb being fired, making some superstar firings seem totally strange and inappropriate to fans. We speculate that this is the point at which those nondisclosure agreements come into play.
At the same time, we can't resist the urge to be a bit inquisitive whenever we hear that a celeb has been cut from a film or show. So, if you're as interested as we are in Hollywood's inner workings and the drama that unfolds behind the scenes, keep reading to discover which celebrities have been embarrassingly fired from acting roles over the years.
Not only that, but you’ll also see if they were able to save their jobs afterward. Believe me when I say you will have a hard time believing some of these stories.
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 made quite the comeback in 2021.
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images3. Roseanne Barr
She was fired from the popular Roseanne reboot after tweeting racist comments about President Barack Obama's advisor Valerie Jarrett.
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4. Taylor Momsen
She was fired from the show Gossip Girl for cursing out some of her co-stars, and she has mostly focused on her music career since then.
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5. Gina Carano
As a result of several disturbing and controversial social media posts she made, Disney and Lucasfilm fired The Mandalorian star Gina in 2021.
6. Isaiah Washington
He was fired from the Grey's Anatomy cast for using a homophobic slur against his co-star T.R. Knight.
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7. Kevin Spacey
He was accused of making unwanted sexual advances by a fellow actor who claimed he was underage at the time. Kevin Spacey lost the lead role on the hit series House of Cards because of this.
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8. Edward Norton
Producers were unhappy with his on-set behavior while filming The Incredible Hulk in 2008, so they fired him afterward.
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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.
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10. Charlie Sheen
He was fired from the show Two and a Half Men for what was described as "dangerously self-destructive behavior."
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11. Anne Hathaway
She didn't want director Judd Apatow to include the graphic childbirth scene in Knocked Up, and it cost her the role.
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12. Selma Blair
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13. Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling was fired from The Lovely Bones because he was deemed too overweight!
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14. Kal Penn
Kal was fired from the hit show House because he accepted a job to work for President Barack Obama at the White House.
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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 Miley Cyrus instead.
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16. Colin Firth
He was the voice of Paddington in the 2014 film, but he was fired because he sounded too old.
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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, leading to his firing from the hit show Scandal.
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18. Lisa Bonet
She was fired from The Cosby Show after posing for a nude photo shoot for Rolling Stone.
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19. Dominic Monaghan
After admitting to not being at his best, Dominic's character was written off in season three of the hit show Lost.
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20. Stuart Townsend
He was set to play Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, but was fired without being given a concrete reason.
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21. Sylvester Stallone
He attempted to rewrite the script for the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop because he couldn't suppress his creativity, and it cost him the job.
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You can see that this can indeed happen to huge names or top-notch actors, and while it often surprises people, the reasons are typically substantial. Which of these celebrity firings shocked you the most?
Share your comments below and make sure to share them with your loved ones as well.