Dieter Laser
Left: “The Human Centipede 3”
Reason: Contract Disputes
Est. Salary Loss: None
Dieter Laser played the main villain and twisted freak who came up with the in-universe “human centipede,” which…we’re not going to explain. If you don’t know what it is, and really want your day ruined, look it up on your own.
Laser and the movie’s director Tom Six butted heads, with both parties saying that the other broke the promises they had made. There was a lot of name-calling in both directions. Such low actions for people working on such a high-class movie. Eventually, the legal battle ended, and Laser was back on for the third installment of a movie series you only watch when nothing else could possibly disgust you.
Kim Basinger
Left: “Boxing Helena”
Reason: Unknown
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
We say that we don't know why Kim Basinger backed out of appearing as the title character of this hot pile of a movie. But anyone with three brain cells to rub together would see the reason is “the movie looks like the worst project this side of 'Day After Tomorrow.'”
The movie was about a woman who has all her limbs removed and is kept in a box. Originally Madonna was going to star, but she, too, dropped out. Eventually, someone named Sherilyn Fenn appeared in the title role. The movie is really, really, really bad.
Whoopi Goldberg
Left: “Theodore Rex”
Reason: Unknown
Est. Salary Loss: None
This is a special case, because while Goldberg had verbally agreed to star in “Theodore Rex,” she hadn't signed a contract. The makers of the straight-to-video flop threatened to sue Goldberg for breach of contract, and with twenty million as the possible punishment, Goldberg relented.
She earned seven million from the movie, which is known right now as one of the worst movies to ever come out. Goldberg might have made bank, but the movie certainly wasn't a jewel in her crown. She earned a Worst Actress nomination from the Razzies for her efforts. Thankfully, Demi Moore was there to win.
Chad Michael Murray
Left: “One Tree Hill”
Reason: Contract Disputes and to Work on Other Things
Est. Salary Loss: $100,000 per episode
After six seasons of playing pretty-boy Lucas Scott, CMM decided to et off the tree. In preparation for the seventh season, Murray was up for a contract renewal, but it's possible the CW didn't want to pay out too much, seeing as how Sophia Bush was the biggest star of “One Tree Hill” by that point.
After the contract talk stretched on and on, Murray decided it was time to go, and gave the classic excuses that actors use when they don't think they are given enough money: contract disputes.
Tyler Hoechlin
Left: “Teen Wolf”
Reason: Wanted to work on his film career
Est. Salary Loss: $35,000 per episode
“Teen Wolf” has seen plenty of its actors and actresses leave for one reason or another, but the biggest blow by far was when Tyler Hoechlin, who played the hunky main cast member Derek Hale.
When he announced his departure from the main cast, he also relayed to fans and media that he would be returning for smaller roles, yet he didn't appear in a single episode of season five. He would go on to appear as a guest star in season 6, but that was him working around his movie schedule.