Hollywood actor claims he was fired from classic romcom for being ‘funnier than Jennifer Aniston’
The Independent • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Stephen Baldwin revealed that his dismissal from the 1998 romcom The Object of My Affection was due to producers feeling he was "funnier" than co-star Jennifer Aniston, which they saw as a problem.
- Baldwin was originally cast as Vince McBride but was replaced by John Pankow shortly after filming began; at the time, it was reported the dismissal was due to "different interpretations of the part."
- Baldwin compared this experience to a similar firing on the 1989 drama Casualties of War, expressing that being told not to be funnier felt like a personal and professional blow.
- He suggested the criticism was a way to "numb" his comedic edge and admitted feeling confused about the true reasons behind the producers' decision.
- Since the late 1990s, Baldwin's career has shifted away from major Hollywood films to smaller projects and reality TV appearances, with his last big film role in 2000's The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.
