James Purefoy

Project: V for Vendetta

Casting the right person for a role can be a very difficult process. In some cases, changes can happen abruptly when a producer or director finds a more suitable actor for a role. This was what James Purefoy experienced when he was terminated from his role in the cult-favorite film V for Vendetta. Production thought he was simply not menacing enough for the role. Of course, the fact that he was still a relatively new actor didn’t help either. At the time, he had only starred in small roles for Resident Evil and A Knight’s Tale.

Unfortunately, six weeks into filming, director Joel Silver decided that he was simply not the right fit. Purefoy was replaced with Hugo Weaving, who has proven himself in similar roles before. While it is all part of investment planning, it doesn’t change the fact that occurrences such as this will likely sting quite a bit.