Surprising Reasons Why Stars Were Fired from Major Roles

From Lisa Kudrow to Ryan Gosling, these A-list celebrities were unexpectedly let go from some of the most beloved TV shows and films.

In the competitive world of entertainment, rejection is a common occurrence for professional actors. Despite their talent and effort, some stars have been cast, fired, and replaced by their colleagues in some of the most beloved TV shows and films. Here are some surprising reasons why stars were fired from major roles:

Lisa Kudrow, known for her iconic role as Phoebe Buffay in "Friends," was originally cast as Roz Doyle on "Frasier." However, she was "fired" from the gig ahead of its pilot episode. According to Kudrow, director James Burrows felt that she wasn't the right fit for the part or the chemistry of the group. The role eventually went to Peri Gilpin, who portrayed Roz Doyle for 11 seasons.

Surprising Reasons Why Stars Were Fired from Major Roles

Maura Tierney, who starred as Abby Lockhart in "ER," was initially cast as Sarah, a divorced mom in "Parenthood." However, she was forced to drop out of the project after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The show's production schedule conflicted with her treatments. Lauren Graham, who had just finished "Gilmore Girls," took over the role of Sarah and portrayed it for six seasons.

Before the pilot of "Full House" aired, John Posey was cast to play the Tanner family patriarch, Danny Tanner. However, when Bob Saget became available due to the cancellation of his show "The Morning Program," executives quickly replaced Posey with Saget. According to Posey, there were no apparent issues with his performance, but executives felt that Saget's comedic style was a better fit for the show.

Surprising Reasons Why Stars Were Fired from Major Roles

Alex Borstein was originally cast as Sookie St. James, Lorelei's best friend and business partner, in "Gilmore Girls." However, due to a contract conflict with "MAD TV," she was unable to film additional episodes. The role was then given to Melissa McCarthy, who played Sookie for all seven seasons of the show.

Amanda Walsh was initially slated to play Penny, the female protagonist of "The Big Bang Theory." However, executives later decided that Walsh's portrayal of the character was not appealing enough. They brought in Kaley Cuoco to replace Walsh, and Cuoco went on to star as Penny for 12 seasons.

Surprising Reasons Why Stars Were Fired from Major Roles

Ryan Gosling gained 60 pounds to play the role of Jack Salmon in Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones." However, he was fired from the role after production disagreed with his physical transformation for the character. Mark Wahlberg was eventually cast in the role.

Michael J. Fox was not the first choice to play Marty McFly in "Back to the Future." Eric Stoltz was initially cast but was fired after a few weeks of filming. According to reports, production felt that Stoltz's portrayal of the character was too intense and lacked comedic elements. Michael J. Fox was then brought in to replace him.

Surprising Reasons Why Stars Were Fired from Major Roles