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27 Mar 2025


NextImg:Corey Feldman Alleges Johnny Depp Got Him Fired From 1990s Film Over This Dangerous Claim
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Corey Feldman claims that Johnny Depp is the reason he lost out on a role in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.”

While appearing on Wednesday’s episode of Billy Corgan’s “The Magnificent Others” podcast, the actor, 53, alleged that he was initially cast as Arnie Grape, a mentally disabled teen from a small Midwestern town, in the 1993 drama before Depp was hired to play the character’s older brother, Gilbert Grape.

“I was actually cast to play Leonardo DiCaprio’s role [as Arnie],” he said. “I never saw the film because I’m still bitter. Bitter leaf in that one. But yes, I was originally cast for that role.”

When the Smashing Pumpkins musician asked Feldman if “they pushed him out,” the “Goonies” star began nodding before calling out Depp specifically.

“[Depp] was cast after I was, and apparently whispered into the producers’ ear that he wasn’t fond of me ... [Depp] said that I was a junkie and that he didn’t work with junkies,” he continued. “And this is the first time [I’m] ever telling this story, so I’m sure I’m gonna get hung by this one.”

HuffPost has reached out to Depp’s reps for comment.

Corgan went on to ask Feldman if he was using drugs, but the actor firmly declared that he was clean at the time of his casting.

“I was sober. I had just gotten sober,” he explained. “I had just gotten out of rehab. I had turned my life around, and, in fact, was trying to help River [Phoenix] at the time, who [Depp] was running with at the time, as we all know.”

The “Stand By Me” star told Corgan that “there was a bit of a thorn in the side” after the supposed incident.

“Had I not been pushed out and done that role, who knows what would have happened from that point forward,” he added.

Noting that DiCaprio earned his first Oscar nod for playing Arnie, Feldman then admitted, “There was a bitter tea there. But that said, you don’t hang on those, you get past ’em.”

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Watch Feldman’s appearance on “The Magnificent Others” podcast below.