Frank Langela was fired from the series “The Fall of Usher’s House” after Netflix found that the 84-year-old actor had sexually harassed on the set, TheWrap reported on Wednesday, citing a source in the production.
Deadline confirmed the dismissal and said that the lead role of Patriarch Roderick Usher’s Langela, once portrayed by Vincent Price in a 1960 film, would be reworked, although half of the production was completed. Langella’s scenes will be re-shot, according to the entertainment site.
TMZ reported earlier this week that Netflix is investigating allegations of wrongdoing against Langella. He made an inappropriate sexual joke and “in the context of his performance, probably during a rehearsal, he touched the legs of a female star and further drew attention to the action when he jokingly said something like ‘Did you like this?'” TMZ. writes, citing unnamed sources on the set.
The miniseries, based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, includes Kate Siegel, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Mark Hamill, Willa Fitzgerald, Mary McDonnell, Annabeth Gish and Carl Lumbley.
Langella, a four-time Tony winner, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Richard Nixon in Frost / Nixon. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor for his role in the stage version.
He played the judge in the 2020 Chicago 7 trial and had a regular role in the spy series Americans.
Netflix declined to comment. HuffPost could not immediately reach Lanjela’s representatives.