Frank Langella Fired From Anticipated Netflix Series For Alleged Misconduct
Interestingly, Frank Langella has worked fairly consistently and without reported incident until now.
Netflix has dropped Frank Langella from their upcoming limited series The Fall of the House of Usher. The news follows an investigation of misconduct which found the Oscar nominee guilty of sexual harassment on set. According to TMZ, the actor allegedly told a joke filled with sexual overtones to a female co-star on set. He also reportedly touched her leg (during a scripted performance) and quipped, ‘Did you like that?’
Speaking to the outlet, police said no reports have been filed against the veteran actor. And a Netflix representative said the company would not comment on active employment matters. However, the streamer immediately decided to ax Frank Langella and plans to recast his role. The 84-year-old was set to lead the series as Roderick Usher, the distinguished patriarch of the Usher dynasty.
Although The Fall of the House of Usher is already halfway through production, scenes already filmed with Frank Langella will be reshot. As reported by Deadline, filming will not be interrupted by the actor’s forced exit. The current plan is to shoot scenes without Roderick until a new actor has been cast. Filming began on January 31st and was originally set to wrap on June 7th. The end date will have to be pushed back for obvious reasons unless Netflix already has a replacement waiting in the shadows.
Described as an epic tale of greed, horror, and tragedy, The Fall of the House of Usher is based on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe. Just like the source material, the plot will focus on Roderick Usher (formerly played by Frank Langella) who thinks his twin sister has been buried alive after she succumbs to a fatal illness. The eight-episode series will also feature themes of madness, family, isolation, and identity.
Despite Frank Langella’s firing, The Fall of the House of Usher still boasts a stellar cast. The series features Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, and Carla Gugino. The supporting cast includes Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Henry Thomas, T’Nia Miller, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Katie Parker, Michael Trucco, and Malcolm Goodwin. Crystal Balint, Kyleigh Curran, Paola Nuñez, Aya Furukawa, Matt Biedel, Daniel Jun, Ruth Codd, Robert Longstreet, Annabeth Gish, and Igby Rigney also star.
The Fall of the House of Usher is created by Mike Flanagan who also serves as executive producer with his Intrepid Pictures partner Trevor Macy. Emmy Grinwis and Michael Fimognari will also be producing the project. Intrepid Pictures’ Melinda Nishioka will co-executive produces the series. Additionally, Flanagan and Michael Fimognari will handle directing duties on four episodes each, Deadline reports. It’s unclear how many reshoots will be required due to Frank Langella’s exit.
Interestingly, Frank Langella has worked fairly consistently and without incident in recent years. Appearing in television series and movies, he starred as the judge in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of The Chicago 7 in 2020, and as Jim Carrey’s overbearing father in the Showtime series Kidding. He also appeared as handler Gabriel in The Americans.
