Mike Flanagan’s latest Netflix series, The Fall of the House of Usher, had a serious hurdle to overcome during production. Frank Langella, who played the lead role of Roderick Usher, was let go after allegations of workplace misconduct, and Gerald’s Game alum Bruce Greenwood was brought in to take his place. Watching the final product, you’d never know there was a major issue, as Greenwood is perfect for the role and delivers an impeccable performance, but the entire situation was a challenge for the cast and crew involved.
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Kate Siegel, Flanagan’s wife and longtime on-camera collaborator, recently talked with WFPK’s Kyle Meredith about the switch. She called the issue “heartbreaking” and “overwhelming” for those involved.
“It was heartbreaking. It was overwhelming, heartbreaking, and disappointing, and people were hurt,” Siegel said. “I was tangentially — I wasn’t involved in any of the actual HR stuff, but hearing about it, knowing that cast members felt sad and uncomfortable and taken advantage of by [the] other member of the cast, it was just devastating because Mike has spent so much time building an amazing set life and experience and family, and to know that one person can come in and just f*** that s*** up made me furious.”
Siegel went on to turn the attention to Bruce Greenwood, who had to play some serious catch-up after replacing Langella. Many of his scenes needed to be reshot in a short amount of time, but Greenwood was up to the task.
“People who are correctly praising Bruce need to remember that every single scene that Bruce shot that wasn’t sitting down across from Carl Lumbly was an emergency reshoot,” she explained. “We redid almost all of his stuff. It’s amazing what he did. I think when Bruce came, there was a palpable relief from everybody, because we had a scene partner, we had somebody who we respected and respected us, and a family member back.
“I think it just, for me, solidified that feeling of you don’t need to be tortured to be an artist. You can be a good person and show up and do your job, even if you’re playing somebody extreme, even if you are in extreme situations, you are capable — anybody’s capable — of being sane, pleasant, and professional on set.”
The Fall of the House of Usher is streaming on Netflix.
