English actor James Purefoy was originally cast as V in 'V for Vendetta,' but as fans of the celeb know, he didn't last long on set.
And most theories about him quitting are centered on how uncomfortable the mask was and how Purefoy just couldn't take it.
As it turns out, that couldn't be farther from the truth. After all, there's got to be a better reason for dropping out of a film alongside Natalie Portman than just costume issues, right?
When 'V for Vendetta' finally came out, Hugo Weaving was the titular character. So fans wondered, did Purefoy do something to get himself fired? Plenty of actors have gone up against directors and been canned for it. And maybe it's not as big a deal as getting fired from the MCU, but getting kicked off a film is always a bit troubling.
So why did James Purefoy drop out when he was just getting started on the project?
In truth, good old-fashioned creative differences were the primary reason for James Purefoy leaving the set. However, it's unclear whether he was unceremoniously dumped or whether the decision for him to leave the project was mutual.
In an interview with Purefoy, which was recapped on Twitter, an interviewer asked James straight-up whether he quit 'V for Vendetta' because of the uncomfortable costume. James' response?
"I don't really talk about it much because we agreed not to." Of course, Purefoy elaborated (with some strong words) that he could debunk at least one rumor: "It was nothing to do with wearing the mask."
When the interviewer pressed on by saying that Joel Silver said the issue was "a voice thing" and that James didn't sound "menacing" enough, the actor laughed "hysterically."
Then, he elaborated that it came down to "genuine creative differences" and that he and the producers/director had vastly different ideas about how the character should be portrayed.
And, in an interview with CBR, director James McTeigue commented on the matter: "Well, you know, James is a great actor. I hope that we can work together at some time in the future. At this point it wasn't right and Hugo's a great actor."
But when the interviewer followed up that question with additional inquiries about how challenging it was to act while wearing V's mask, McTeigue seemed a bit tongue-tied.
He ran on a bit, explaining, "The mask is incredibly difficult and not incredibly difficult. If you trace the lineage of the mask back to early theater, it's always been around. The mask also does certain things [to an actor]."
To fans, it sort of sounds like Purefoy's interpretation of events is more realistic: it wasn't the mask, it was the people behind it who had specific ideas about how the person wearing the costume should act.