Fight Club's original Mara actor fired after insulting Brad Pitt

"Fight Club" original Mara actress Courtney Love has revealed she was fired for insulting Brad Pitt in David Fincher's iconic satirical thriller.

Original Fight Club cast member Mara has revealed she was fired after insulting star Brad Pitt. Released in 1999, David Fincher's Fight Club follows an unnamed protagonist (Edward Norton) as he struggles to cure debilitating insomnia. After his doctor refuses help, he finds increasingly destructive ways to heal his affliction, including faking a terminal illness to release his emotions in support groups. Brad Pitt played Tyler Durden opposite Norton, and the two met randomly on a plane, struck up a friendship that eventually became Fight Club. Fight Club comments on toxic masculinity and its limitations on expressing healthy emotions and relationships, allowing them to see the duo confront their own demons and what drives them. Fight Club is considered one of the greatest cult classics of the '90s, featuring Meatloaf's legendary performances as Fight Club members Bob Paulson and Helena Bonham Carter as the narrator and Tyler's love interest Marla.

According to Variety, the actor slated to play Mara was fired from Fight Club after insulting Brad Pitt. In a new interview, actress and singer Courtney Love reveals that Fincher hired her to play Pitt's love interest, Marla. However, She was fired after a fallout with the prolific actor, who wanted to play Love's late husband and music legend Kurt Cobain in a new film. Here's what Love had to say about her message to Pitt:

I wouldn’t let Brad play Kurt. I went nuclear. I don’t do Faust. Who the f--k do you think are?

Courtney Love & Brad Pitt's Fight Club History Explained

Love, who was Norton's romantic partner at the time, went on to explain what happened between her and Pitt. After being hired by Fight Club, Pitt and director Gus Van Sant approached her to make a movie about Kurt Cobain, according to the singer. Love and Cobain had a notorious relationship throughout the '90s and were married at the time of his tragic death in 1994 at the age of 27. Pitt's pitch didn't go as planned, as Love was insulted by the idea of ​​him playing Cobain and didn't believe it would work. Love was blunt with Pitt, feeling she wasn't sure she trusted him, and that Pitt didn't really understand her or Cobain's position.

Love was fired from Fight Club after rejecting a co-star offer. Although Van Sant ended up making The Last Days, a Cobain-inspired film starring Michael Pitt, Love claims it was a different idea than he had with Brad. Norton has Broke the news to Love, though she said he was "sobbing" and complained about not being able to control the decision. Fincher called her to confirm the news, and Burnham Carter took over Pitt's role.

It's hard to imagine Fight Club without Burnham Carter, who embodies the character of the strong-willed but careless whore Mara well. While Fincher has yet to confirm Love's story, if she was fired simply because of the conversation with Pitt, it's worth noting that Burnham Carter's effortless performance could have been part of the creative pivot. While fans may never know the exact truth, it's fun to speculate about the behind-the-scenes story of the most beloved film of all time, Fight Club.