Why Peter Weller Was Fired From RoboCop (Only To Be Brought Back)

Just like in regular jobs, actors get fired from major Hollywood movies for all sorts of reasons, be they "creative differences" with the director or because they weren't quite right for a role after all. Often, we can look back at these decisions with the benefit of hindsight and think, "Yeah, that was definitely the right choice." Take two high-profile cases from the '80s. "Back to the Future" may well have been a hit even with Eric Stoltz playing Marty McFly, but it would've lacked the breezy comic energy that Michael J. Fox brought as his replacement; and the alien hunter in "Predator" certainly wouldn't have been as terrifying with Jean-Claude Van Damme in the suit instead of the towering Kevin Peter Hall, despite the physical prowess of the relatively diminutive Belgian. On the flip side, we all have actors who we think should have been given their marching orders, but stars who were fired and re-hired for the same role are much thinner on the ground.

Take Peter Weller in Paul Verhoeven's "RoboCop." As is often the case with iconic roles, Weller wasn't first pick to play Alex Murphy, a straight-shooting cop who is brutally murdered on the beat and resurrected as a gleaming cyborg law enforcer and an "American Jesus" (Verhoeven's words). A range of names were considered, including Michael Ironside (who also auditioned to play Clarence Boddicker, the movie's chief heavy), Keith Carradine, Tom Berenger, and Rutger Hauer. Perhaps the most eye-catching name was Arnold Schwarzenegger after his robotic turn in "The Terminator" a few years earlier, though his massive frame was deemed too bulky to convincingly carry off the RoboCop costume.

Enter Weller, a relative unknown who had already earned something of a cult reputation thanks to his absurd and inventive sci-fi flop "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension." He fit the bill perfectly because he was cheap, slim enough to carry off the outfit, and eager to do the job (having loved Verhoeven's earlier films). In return, Verhoeven liked Weller because he had a good chin, which was very important as Weller spends much of the movie emoting with just the lower half of his face. But the mutual admiration didn't last long once the director and his star got on set and tempers began to flare.

Once he'd signed up for "RoboCop," Peter Weller knew it would be a physically demanding role –  Paul Verhoeven warned him it would be "a life of suffering" playing the part. Weller also knew the role would require him to convincingly move like a robot. He had learned a little mime while studying at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York but, by his own admission, he was "mediocre" at the art form. So, he decided to build up his skills by practicing with Moni Yakim, a mime coach who had worked with greats like Marcel Marceau.

Unfortunately, that prep work went out of the window when it came to actually moving around inside the RoboCop costume. Designed by Rob Bottin (the effects genius behind the shapeshifter in "The Thing"), the suit's plates had been sculpted around Weller's body, but creative differences between Bottin and Verhoeven regarding the final look meant the costume wasn't ready for the start of filming. Weller had little time to practice his moves wearing the costume and, according to Verhoeven, the actor "basically had to learn to walk again." Getting suited up was time-consuming, taking 11 hours on the first day. Nancy Allen, who played Murphy's butt-kicking partner Anne, once recalled "they literally had to put Peter together like a toy."

To make matters worse for everybody on set (and Weller in particular), the movie was shot in Dallas from August to October, and temperatures soared to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Eventually, Weller's frustration about being unable to use the moves he'd practiced with Yakim boiled over and arguments broke out between him and Verhoeven. This friction led to producer Mike Medavoy firing Weller and shutting down production while a replacement was considered.

Names like Lance Henriksen were thrown into the ring, but ultimately options were limited because the RoboCop suit had been specifically built for Weller. So, after he and Verhoeven shook hands and made up, Weller was reinstated and filming continued. This was also a happy ending for "RoboCop" — the film has a great screenplay and Verhoeven directs the hell out of it, but it wouldn't be the movie it is without Weller's performance. He really uses that chin to delve deep into the soul of a man trying to rediscover his identity after being turned into the future of law enforcement.