Frank Langella has called out Netflix in an open letter after the streaming giants axed him from one of its upcoming shows.
As reported by Deadline, 84-year-old Langella was fired from his lead role in Netflix's upcoming limited series The Fall of the House of Usher following accusations of alleged unacceptable conduct while working on the set. This included the four-time Tony Award-winner being accused of sexual harassment toward a female co-star.
Following a misconduct investigation, Langella was fired.
Langella - who is perhaps best known for his on-screen roles in movies such as Dracula (1979) and Frost/Nixon (2008) - has now responded to his firing by penning an open letter to Netflix in an op-ed for Deadline.
"I have been canceled. Just like that," the veteran actor declared.
"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," Langella continued.
Langella then recalls his initial response to his firing, explaining that his "first instinct was to blame. To lash out and seek vengeance".
In every instance of reaching out to people, he claims he was told to: "Apologize. Apologize. Apologize."
Ironically, Langella then described his leading role as Roderick Usher on the limited series as potentially his "last hurrah" as an actor.
He then opened up about one particular scene alongside a female co-star.
"On March 25 of this year, I was performing a love scene with the actress playing my young wife," he recalled. "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."
He then explains that prior to the investigation starting one week later, he spoke to a member of Human Resources about the incident. Despite the movie's intimacy coordinator apparently suggesting to Langella where both actors should place their hands for the scene, the veteran blasted the directions as "absurd".
"It was a love scene on camera," he explained in the open letter. "Legislating the placement of hands, to my mind, is ludicrous. It undermines instinct and spontaneity."
As the lead star on the show, Langella says that it was intention to keep the atmosphere on the set "light and friendly". However, following the investigation into his behavior, he was met with allegations of making an "off-color joke", calling his co-star "baby" or "honey", and giving her a "hug" or "touching her shoulder".
Langella says that the show's producer told him: "You can’t joke. You can’t compliment. You can’t touch. It’s a new order."
The actor says he was fired from the show with an opportunity to sit down with Netflix representatives or have a one-on-one meeting with the female actor who accused Langella of inappropriate behavior.
"I cannot speak to the intentions of my accuser or Netflix, but the impact on me has been incalculable," Langella continued, commenting on how his firing not only cost him a thrilling role, but potential earnings in the future.
"Cancel culture is the antithesis of democracy," he added. "It inhibits conversation and debate. It limits our ability to listen, mediate, and exchange opposing views. Most tragically, it annihilates moral judgment."
He concluded by saying: "This is not fair. This is not just. This is not American."
Series creator Mike Flanagan has since announced that Langella will be replaced in the show by replaced by Star Trek star Bruce Greenwood.
Featured image credit: Sipa US/Alamy