exclusive: May 4, cast and crew Netflixof Fall of the House of Usher Keep going.It’s been three weeks since the star frank langella fired after investigation of complaints of unacceptable conduct, and Bruce Greenwood has just been cast as his replacement.Then the event went back to the headlines Langella’s fiery guest column on Deadlinein which he portrayed himself as a victim of “collateral damage” and a cancellation culture that he called “unfair,” “unjust,” and “not American.”
Reactions to Langella’s column were not uniform. He did have support — some in Hollywood called his statement strong and praised the Oscar-nominated actor for his speech.The crew’s reaction Fall of the House of UsherSimultaneously, Multiple sources told Deadline largely of shock, disbelief and anger, reminiscent of Langella’s time on the show and the investigation that led to his firing. The column also sparked a debate about freedom of artistic expression versus appropriate workplace behaviour and the intergenerational cultural conflict that arises as social norms change and evolve.
Deadline interviewed some people who didn’t want to be named for this story. One word almost everyone uses when describing Langella’s actions is “toxic” as they recall inappropriate comments and behavior as well as “rude” jokes he allegedly made.
“There’s a general sense of toxicity around him,” said one person who worked on the series. “A lot of the cast and crew were very uncomfortable with Frank from the start.”
Representatives for Netflix and Langella did not respond to requests for comment. In his column, Langella made it clear that he disagreed with his dismissal. He has been meeting with lawyers and is said to be exploring legal action.
In the column, Langella, 84, detailed what he said was the heart of his dismissal. In his words, involving a young actress who complained that he touched her leg during a love scene in a way that was not stopped by the intimacy coordinator.
Sources told Deadline that while the Netflix investigation was sparked by a touching complaint Langella spoke about, the internal investigation reviewed more than a dozen incidents and allegations over the course of several weeks. Other sources claim that the bulk of the investigation took place within 48 hours of the touching incident, and that the complaint was one of a couple that Netflix ultimately believed could act.
In his column, Langella addressed the investigation, describing “some of the allegations: 1. ‘He told an inappropriate joke.'” 2. “Sometimes he called me ‘baby’ or ‘darling.'” 3. ” He would give me a hug or touch my shoulder.”
People who worked with Langella on the Netflix series provided more details about some of those events, which, according to sources, began in the first week of production.
“There have been some very inappropriate comments, some of which are incredibly sexual in nature, others are figurative and misogynistic,” a source from the show said of Langella, highlighting the comments “Not a joke, but shocking that almost anyone could hear it.”
Below are a few examples Deadline has been able to corroborate with multiple sources; sources say the alleged incident is part of an investigation.
Two producers told Deadline that Langella had a habit of “saying unscripted things casually or aloud” during or during rehearsals. (“In my opinion, when you’re a male lead, you need to set an example by maintaining a light and friendly atmosphere,” Langella wrote in his column.)
One scene involves a discussion about a character who goes to a bar. “Frank added during the lockdown, ‘Then she took all her clothes and fucked the whole bar in front of the entire staff.’ No one laughed. No joke, it was just what he said,” a witness told Deadline .
Langella also allegedly asked the actor who played a badly burned character about the body makeup, asking if the person’s makeup extended to his genitals; if the fire “burned your ass”? “It’s very inappropriate,” a source said.
Then there was the vulgar sex joke where Langella allegedly recounted multiple times in front of crew and staff about nursing home seniors, a man who dumped a girlfriend because she had Parkinson’s disease, and when she held his penis she Hands shaking, multiple sources told Deadline.
Additionally, “he asked the cast about their sexual experiences,” a source in the production told Deadline. Another added: “He told many people about his sexual history vividly, even as they tried to get away from these conversations.”
Those who have known Langella for a long time aren’t particularly surprised, pointing to the actor’s 2012 memoir removed name, which is full of stories of sexual infidelity and dirty jokes.this New York Times The book review called the book a “satisfying scandal” and titled “The Happy Debauchery.”
I heard Fall of the House of Usher Producers and Netflix got involved early on, demanding that Langella change his behavior. The actor addressed the series’ producers’ warning in his column. He wrote:
“You can’t do that, Frank,” our producer said. “You can’t joke. You can’t compliment. You can’t touch. It’s a new order.”
A source on the show said that while Langella would agree to make adjustments, he also accused those trying to correct him of being “too nervous and awake”. Langella echoed the “cancel culture” sentiment in his op-ed, in which he questioned Netflix’s due process, insisting that no hearing was given to him before he was fired.
Except for sexually explicit and explicit remarks, use A sort of Langella’s racially insensitive “comments and jokes” were also the subject of a Netflix investigation, several sources told Deadline.
As for the “he would give me a hug or touch my shoulder” allegation that Langella mentioned in his column, multiple people on the show told us there were three allegations of inappropriate touching during one performance, including An allegation that led to an investigation deadline. “They’re not necessarily sex scenes, but they’re intimate in their own way; some are close families,” a source said. Another added: “The actor sometimes asks other people to shoot with them if they’re willing to share a scene with him, including those who ask for an intimacy coordinator, even if a scene doesn’t seem too intimate; there is distrust and The feeling of violating boundaries.”
In his column, Langella called the standard practice of intimacy coordinators choreographing love scenes “ridiculous!”, claiming that “it destroys instinct and spontaneity”.
In another incident, “there was at least one non-sexual physical contact with a makeup artist and the makeup artist kicked them away, which was very disturbing,” an insider told Deadline. Other sources indicated that Langella had repeatedly asked to suspend special effects work on him, and eventually signaled to the makeup artist who was trying to protect him. Anyone who’s seen Edgar Allan Poe’s Netflix series of short stories knows that Langella’s character, Roderick Usher, has a special look that requires heavy makeup.
Deadline was told that as Netflix’s investigation continues, new incidents and witnesses surface, and tensions rise as cast and crew feel like nothing will happen. A source on the show said that when Langella was fired, “the cast and crew felt so relieved, almost ecstatic.”
Fall of the House of Usher Currently in production, it could premiere on Netflix in 2023.
