Stephen Baldwin has made a startling claim about one of the best-known romantic comedies of Jennifer Aniston. The actor says he was fired just two days into filming ‘The Object of My Affection‘ after producers allegedly decided he was overshadowing the movie’s leading star.
Baldwin recently opened up about the experience and recalled the moment he was reportedly told he could not be “funnier than Jennifer”.
Stephen Baldwin Was Told Not To Outshine Jennifer Aniston
Baldwin recently revealed on his podcast One Bad Movie that he was originally cast as Jennifer Aniston’s boyfriend in the 1998 romantic comedy ‘The Object of My Affection‘. At the time, landing a lead role opposite Aniston and Paul Rudd looked like a major career opportunity.
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According to Baldwin, everything changed after his second day on set. He recalled a producer coming to his trailer after lunch and delivering unexpected news. “After the second day of shooting, after lunch, this producer comes to my trailer and goes, ‘There’s a problem,’” Baldwin said.
The actor then shared the explanation he was allegedly given. “He goes, ‘You can’t be funnier than Jennifer.’ I go, ‘Is this a joke? This is a comedy movie!’”.
Baldwin also made it clear that he was not trying to criticize anyone by sharing the story. He said he was not trying to “shred anybody” and still does not know where the instruction originally came from.
Baldwin Says He Tried To “Tone Things Down”, But It Was Not Enough
After being told his performance was drawing too much attention, Baldwin said producers wanted him to scale back his comedic style. The actor described the request as being “castrated comedically”. He explained how difficult it was to suddenly change the approach he had brought to the role.
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Despite his concerns, Baldwin said he returned to the set and attempted to adjust his performance. He explained that he “tried not to be me” in an effort to satisfy the production team and keep the role.
The change did not have the desired effect. Baldwin revealed that he was ultimately removed from the project. However, he was “let go” shortly afterward. The role was later recast with ‘Mad About You‘ actor John Pankow.
Baldwin’s account has brought fresh attention to the 1998 romantic comedy that starred Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. The film follows a social worker who becomes pregnant and develops feelings for her gay roommate.
Although the movie enjoyed moderate success upon release, Baldwin’s story offers a glimpse of a very different version of the film that audiences never saw.
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