Veteran character actor Frank Langella has been fired from his leading role in Netflix‘s The Fall of the House of Usher, the latest horror miniseries from the team behind The Haunting of Hill House.
84-year-old Langella was set to play Roderick Usher in this hotly anticipated Edgar Allan Poe adaptation, returning to the horror genre after his renowned turn as Dracula in 1979. According to Deadline, he was fired following an investigation into “unacceptable conduct on set.”
Langella was reportedly accused of sexual harassment involving “inappropriate remarks” aimed at a female co-star. TMZ also shared a report that Langella touched the leg of a female co-star without permission. However, these descriptions probably downplay the severity of what happened, given that Netflix chose to fire Langella mid-production. This is a very unusual move for any TV show, due to the expense involved with halting production and recasting a major star.
Judging by social media posts from the cast and crew, the show began filming in late January. Langella had already filmed part of his role when he was fired, and Netflix now plans to recruit a replacement actor, reshooting Roderick Usher’s scenes. In the meantime, production will go ahead with scenes involving other characters.
Adapted by Haunting of Hill House showrunner Mike Flanagan, this eight-episode miniseries involves several returning Flanagan collaborators alongside Mark Hamill and Mary McDonnell. It’s expected to combine the gothic family drama of the original House of Usher short story with other material by Edgar Allan Poe.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Netflix and Frank Langella’s representatives for comment.
H/T to Deadline