After his termination from Netflix, veteran actor Frank Langella has spoken out about how it feels to be the latest celebrity to get caught up in what’s commonly referred to as “cancel culture.” Last month, it was reported that Langella had been fired by Netflix from his role in Mike Flanagan’s upcoming horror series The Fall of the House of Usher. At the time, TMZ reported that Langella had been accused of misconduct, launching an internal investigation. Per the report, Netflix deemed Langella’s actions unacceptable and fired the actor, but the details behind the complaint were not specified.
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Langella has now shared his side of the story in a guest column penned for Deadline. The actor explains the “danger” that he felt that comes with an abrupt halt to his acting career after decades spent in show business.
Langella goes on to detail the events of his firing from his point of view. He claims that he was filming a romantic scene, and in the moment, he’d apparently placed his hand on his co-star’s leg. Not identifying his co-star by name, Langella says that the actress complained to the production team as having her leg touched was not in the script. He says that he hoped to talk things through, but the crew instead wrapped up for the day and he didn’t get the chance.
“I have been canceled. Just like that. In the increasing madness that currently pervades our industry, I could not have imagined that the words collateral damage would fall upon my shoulders. They have brought with them a weight I had not expected to bear in the closing decades of my career. And along with it has come an unanticipated sense of grave danger.”
For his part, Langella says that he wasn’t intending to act inappropriately, but rather doing what felt natural for the character in that particular scene. He says that when an investigation was launched soon after, he spoke with Human Resources via telephone when more issues emerged. He was questioned about allegedly stating that it was “absurd” that he was told by the intimacy coordinator where to place his hands. Langella says he told HR that, yes, he did say that, and he still feels that way.
“On March 25 of this year, I was performing a love scene with the actress playing my young wife. Both of us were fully clothed. I was sitting on a couch, she was standing in front of me. The director called cut. ‘He touched my leg,’ said the actress. ‘That was not in the blocking.’ She then turned and walked off the set, followed by the director and the intimacy coordinator. I attempted to follow, but was asked to ‘give her some space.’ I waited for approximately one hour, and was then told she was not returning to set and we were wrapped.”
“It was a love scene on camera. Legislating the placement of hands, to my mind, is ludicrous. It undermines instinct and spontaneity. Toward the end of our conversation, she suggested that I not contact the young lady, the intimacy coordinator, or anyone else in the company. ‘We don’t want to risk retaliation,’ she said. When I mentioned that it was certainly not my intention to… she cut me off politely and said: ‘Intention is not our concern. Netflix deals only with impact.’”
Frank Langella Says His Firing Isn’t American
Frank Langella goes on to detail how the story made its way to TMZ soon after this investigation. He was fired the next day without a hearing with Netflix, and his request to meet with the actress was denied. Langella says the directors and producers started to ignore his phone calls and emails, and to make matters worse, a full press release was sent out within 30 minutes of his firing, giving him no opportunity to comment or collaborate on the narrative.
Langella would have played Roderick Usher, the family patriarch, as part of the ensemble cast of The Fall of the House of Usher. Bruce Greenwood has since been named as a replacement. Netflix hasn’t yet announced a release date for the series.
“I cannot speak to the intentions of my accuser or Netflix, but the impact on me has been incalculable. I lost a thrilling part, the chance at future earnings, and perhaps face a stretch of unemployment. Netflix terminated me after three months of work with only three weeks left to shoot, and I have as yet to be fully remunerated for my services. Most importantly, my reputation has been tarnished. These indignities are, to my mind, the real definition of unacceptable behavior. Cancel culture is the antithesis of democracy. It inhibits conversation and debate. It limits our ability to listen, mediate, and exchange opposing views. Most tragically, it annihilates moral judgment. This is not fair. This is not just. This is not American.”
