Stephen Baldwin claims he was fired from Jennifer Aniston film after two days

Stephen Baldwin has shared a surprising story from his Hollywood past, claiming he was removed from the cast of The Object of My Affection after only two days of filming because his performance was considered too funny.

Speaking on his podcast One Bad Movie, the 60-year-old actor said he had originally been cast as Jennifer Aniston’s boyfriend in the 1998 romantic comedy, which also starred Paul Rudd. According to Baldwin, the experience ended abruptly after producers raised concerns about his comedic style.

Baldwin recalled that a producer visited his trailer after lunch on the second day of filming and informed him that there was a problem.

“He goes, ‘You can’t be funnier than Jennifer.’ I go, ‘Is this a joke? This is a comedy movie!’” Baldwin said during the podcast.

The actor stressed that he was not attempting to criticise anyone involved with the production and admitted he never learned where the instruction originated. He described being asked to scale back his performance as feeling “castrated comedically”.

According to Baldwin, he returned to the set the following day and attempted to alter his approach. However, he said the adjustment ultimately proved unsuccessful and he was released from the project shortly afterwards.

The role was eventually filled by actor John Pankow, who appeared in the finished film alongside Aniston and Rudd.

Released in 1998, The Object of My Affection centred on a social worker played by Aniston who becomes pregnant and develops feelings for her gay flatmate, portrayed by Rudd. Although the film achieved modest box office results at the time, it later developed a loyal following among romantic comedy fans.

The project arrived during a period when Aniston was becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars thanks to Friends. She later reunited with Rudd several times, including his guest appearances on the sitcom and their collaboration in the 2012 comedy Wanderlust.

Baldwin enjoyed a successful career throughout the 1990s with roles in films including The Usual Suspects, Threesome and Bio-Dome. In later years, he moved into reality television, appearing on programmes such as Celebrity Big Brother, The Celebrity Apprentice and Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

Neither Aniston nor representatives connected to the film have publicly responded to Baldwin’s claims. His recollections are based on his own account of events nearly three decades after the production took place.