Julianne Moore Reveals What Movie Role She Recently Got Fired From: ‘It’s Still Kind Of Painful’

Julianne Moore may be one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood, but she, too, has been fired from jobs.

The red-haired beauty recently stopped by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, per YouTube, where she talked about one of the lower points in her career. It all began when a fan called into the show and asked Moore why she chose to leave her role in the film Can You Ever Forgive Me? Originally, it was reported in the press that it was Moore’s decision to leave — but she took the opportunity to set the record straight once and for all.

“I didn’t leave that movie, I was fired,” Moore explained. “Yeah, yeah, Nicole [Holofcener, the original director] fired me. So yeah, that’s the truth.”

“I think she didn’t like what I was doing. I think that her idea of where the character was was different than where my idea of where the character was, and so she fired me.”

Julianne was supposed to play the role of Lee Israel, a real-life literary fraud, in the film. Of course, the role was later given to Melissa McCarthy, and the film gained a lot of attention during the awards junket. McCarthy would go on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role in the film.

When asked if she has seen the movie yet, Moore told Cohen that she can’t really bring herself to do it just yet.

“I haven’t yet, ’cause it’s still kind of painful,” she shared. “I love Melissa McCarthy, I worship her, I think she’s fantastic, so I’m sure she’s great.”

She also explained that she was fired in the preproduction part of the film, meaning that none of the movie was actually filmed before she was cut from it. The 58-year-old said that she feels “pretty bad” about the whole thing, because the only other time that she was fired from anything in her life was at the age of 15 — when she was working at a yogurt stand.

And it turns out that Julianne wasn’t the only part of the film that went through a little shakeup. Nicole Holofcener, who was the same director who fired Moore from her role, was also fired. She was replaced by director Marielle Heller.

It’s safe to say that this firing will likely not hinder Moore’s career. So far, the actress already has five Oscar nominations under her belt — and one win for Best Actress in the film Still Alice.