Quentin Tarantino secretly fired Mélanie Laurent from ‘Inglorious Basterds’ following “terrible” table read

Quentin Tarantino says he fired Mélanie Laurent from the role of Shosanna Dreyfus in *Inglourious Basterds* after judging her table read unsuccessful. The decision came days before filming was due to start, putting the production at risk, but Laurent appealed for another chance and later returned to the role.

In a new book about the film’s making, Tarantino says Laurent completed a fresh three-day rehearsal and then gave a performance he praised. He also says Isabelle Huppert was replaced by Maggie Cheung after contract delays and missing the table read; Cheung’s scenes were ultimately cut for story reasons. Tarantino describes casting as a matter of finding actors who fit the world of the film.