Most of us have held at least one soul-sucking job in our lives — you know, the kind that takes the Sunday Scaries to an entirely new level and leaves you crying in the bathroom at least once a day, desperate to ditch out and never come back.
Luckily, there’s always that option. You can quit, land a new gig, and all that remains are distant memories of your darkest work days ever.
Movie stars, not so much. Bailing for them is more complicated than simply yelling “I’m outta here!” There are the potential lawsuits, big financial penalties, and the PR nightmare of being labeled a “diva” or “difficult” — or worse of all, “unstable.” All of which is why — even if they dread going to set, sob in their trailer on the daily, and obsess about escaping — actors usually end up toughing it out.
Before you pull out your tiny violin, think of it this way: An actor’s miserable job is being recorded for posterity. For everyone to see. Forever. Talk about PTSD. Wonder if that’s how these stars feel whenever Netflix decides to throw the movies that brought them to the brink of quitting back into rotation?
Goodbye everybody, Mike Myers has got to go (if it’s Guns N’ Roses)
Wayne’s World was filmed on a relatively modest budget in 34 days, and is still the only movie inspired by a Saturday Night Live skit that’s grossed over $100,000,000. Filming must’ve been a blast for Mike Myers, who conceived of the character as a preteen, debuted it on a Canadian variety show, and perfected it on SNL with cast member Dana Carvey as sidekick Garth, right? Well, not always.
It seems Myers had written the scene where Wayne and his friends are belting out Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in an AMC Pacer as an homage to his teenage years. He felt the song was “inherently comedic” and loved the thought of living out his memories of fighting over who got to sing “Galileo” when, headbanging during the instrumental break, and warbling the word “Beelzebub” to film.
But director Penelope Spheeris had different ideas. The operatic tune seemed like an odd pick to her, so she suggested a Guns N’ Roses metal anthem instead. Myers put his foot down and threatened to quit if Queen was cut. In the end, Myers won, the scene became iconic, and “Bohemian Rhapsody” returned to the Billboard charts nearly 20 years after its debut. Schwing!
Emma Watson should have been sorted into Ravenclaw, not Gryffindor
Emma Watson landed the role of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at age nine, and quickly became a fan favorite in the long-running franchise for her layered portrayal of the strong, confident, capable character. But when Watson’s contract came up for renewal as the fifth installment of the series was being shot, rumors swirled that she was ready to quit.
The problem? Being in the Harry Potter films wasn’t going to leave Watson time for a college education, something she was 100 percent committed to pursuing. In fact, the original schedule wouldn’t have even left time to sit for her A-levels, the UK equivalent of AP exams. That was a hard no from Watson, even though she knew the decision might make her “public enemy number one.”
Luckily, the studio totally reworked the shoot to accommodate Watson’s educational aspirations. Fast forward to the happy ending: She continued to play the beloved character in final three films and earned a degree in English literature from Brown University.
Alpha females (and Jersey girls) like MIchelle Rodriguez don’t act like that
The Fast and Furious franchise has spawned a slew of sequels, earned billions worldwide, and launched the careers of the original picture’s ensemble cast, including Michelle Rodriguez. But her portrayal of streetwise racer Letty Ortiz was almost a non-starter: It seems Rodriguez signed on despite having a major beef with her character’s story arc.
Having only worked on a single film before, she was used to working out character kinks on set. But when Rodriguez mentioned she didn’t think it was realistic for Letty to be caught in a cheesy love triangle, producers were having none of it. Rodriguez cried, threatened to quit, and begged the production not to sue her when she left. As she explained to the Daily Beast, “My whole point in being an actress is that I thought I got to live a dream. And I don’t dream about being a slut! Do you?”
Um, no. Luckily, with the support of co-star Vin Diesel, the script was eventually changed and Rodriguez’s Hollywood dream — and portrayal of Letty Ortiz — lived to fight another day.
(Excerpt) Read More at: Looper.com