Harvey Keitel

Project: Apocalypse Now

For many actors, getting fired from a big production might seem like a career blow that’ll be difficult to recover from. In some cases, however, it might be a blessing in disguise. To provide some background, Harvey Keitel wasn’t director Francis Ford Coppola’s first choice when it came to the role of Willard. In fact, he wasn’t even the second choice. The role was supposed to go to Steve McQueen, but the actor did not want to travel overseas to film. It was next offered to Al Pacino, who refused because he was not keen on the idea of shooting for weeks in dense jungles, even if insurance was included.

Before the role landed on Keitel’s lap, it had been declined by others like Jack Nicholson and James Caan. The irony here is that Keitel was eventually fired six weeks into production. He may have lost out on the role, but considering all the complications that happened during filming, it’s safe to say that he got off scot-free.