The reason why Stanley Kubrick fired Harvey Keitel from ‘Eyes Wide Shut’
Due to the incredible vision he brought to filmmaking, Stanley Kubrick got the opportunity to work with some of the greatest actors of all time. Ranging from Jack Nicholson to Peter Sellers, Kubrick’s unique artistic ideas were brought to life by talented practitioners of the craft who elevated his projects through their dedication and grit. However, his professional relationships weren’t often as perfect as the results that he got on the screen.
Of course, the first instance that pops up in everyone’s mind is Kubrick’s infamous treatment of Shelley Duvall, who was subjected to intense stress by the director. While that’s the case that is the most well-known among film fans, Kubrick also had a falling out with Harvey Keitel during the production of Eyes Wide Shut. Although it was initially reported that the actor dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, that didn’t paint an accurate picture.
Kubrick had cast Keitel to play the role of Victor Ziegler in Eyes Wide Shut, which eventually went to Sydney Pollack. The project would have been a great addition to Keitel’s filmography, especially because it was the last time anyone would get to work with Kubrick, who passed away before the movie hit the theatres. However, Keitel couldn’t deal with the filmmaker’s notorious need for perfection and ended up quitting the production.
When asked about it, Gary Oldman opened up about the entire incident. “Originally, Harvey Keitel was in Eyes Wide Shut,” Oldman revealed, “He was playing Sydney [Pollack’s role]. He was doing the scene, and they were just walking through a door, and after the 68th take of this, just walking through a door, Harvey Keitel just said, ‘I’m out of here, you’re fucking crazy.’ He just said, ‘You’re fucking out of your mind’, and left.”
In a separate interview, Keitel referred to Kubrick as a “genius” but admitted that he decided to quit Eyes Wide Shut because the director “did some things I objected to”. Although Keitel didn’t delve into the details about the clash that took place between him and Kubrick on set, the actor admitted that he “didn’t like” several things about Kubrick’s demeanour which he found “disrespectful.” Keitel elaborated, “I won’t be disrespected by him or anybody… If any actor can help it, they should help it. You don’t want to be fired.”
When the interviewer asked him, “Is that the Brooklyn in you?”, he appropriately replied: “It’s the sense of worth in me.”
Watch the clip below.
