According to People, Melissa Joan Hart reflected during an appearance on Betches’ Picture Day in December last year on how she unexpectedly lost a role in the blockbuster parody just as production was about to begin. The story offers a little known glimpse into one of the biggest “what if” moments surrounding the comedy, which celebrates its 26th anniversary.
Why Melissa Joan Hart Never Made It Into ‘Scary Movie’
Looking back on an old photo taken with Britney Spears at the premiere of “Drive Me Crazy,” Melissa Joan Hart recalled that the glamorous evening came during what she described as “one of the worst days of my life at the time.” While promoting that picture alongside Spears, she was also preparing to fly to Vancouver to begin work on “Scary Movie.”
Hart had been cast in the title’s opening sequence. She remembered that she was “supposed to be this small part in the beginning, that’s like the Drew Barrymore knockoff part,” but everything changed after her wardrobe fitting. According to the actress, the filmmakers decided she “didn’t have big enough b**bs for that part.”
The disappointing news arrived when she was already on her way to the airport. Hart recalled receiving a phone call in the limousine telling her, “Turn around, go back to your premiere. You’ve been fired from the movie.” The role ultimately went to Carmen Electra, who appears as Drew Decker in the hit’s memorable opening.
The difficult evening took another unexpected turn after she returned to the “Drive Me Crazy” premiere. Hart had recently posed in a revealing photo shoot for Maxim magazine to promote the film, and the magazine’s cover sparked controversy because it referenced her family-friendly role on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”
That night, she recalled, her lawyer approached her with even more devastating news: “Because of your cover of Maxim magazine, you’re being fired from your show.” For a brief moment, Hart believed she had lost both projects on the same day. The star ultimately kept her role on the series.
Released in 2000, “Scary Movie” became a massive box office success, parodying popular horror flicks including “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Starring Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Shannon Elizabeth, and Carmen Electra, the comedy earned more than $278 million worldwide and launched one of the most successful parody franchises in modern cinema.