Freddie Prinze Jr. almost dropped his big break.
Speaking with TooFab the actor recounted how he nearly quit the 1997 slasher hit “I Know What You Did Last Summer” because he said director Jim Gillespie was an “***hole.” Prinze did say he was grateful as it prepared him for “every lesser a-hole in the business.”
Prinze said Gillespie had wanted Jeremy Sisto for his role but the studio wanted Prinze. The actor said the director was very forward telling him, “I don’t want you in this movie.”
“So when that’s your first job and you hear those words, it just wrecks you, man,” Prinze said.
Gillespie would give the actor notes like “Don’t leave your mouth open. You look stupid when you do that.”
Related
Prinze said he came closest to leaving the production after a “near death experience” on a motorboat for the movie’s finale.
“I almost caught a flight and went home. I was done. I had enough,” he said. “They had broken a ton of union stuff that they shouldn’t have, like union rules. All kinds of things. And I just felt like if I’m not wanted here, screw it. There’s other things I can do. I dropped out of Le Cordon Bleu to make this movie. I’ll go be a chef that’s what my mom wanted me to be anyways.”
Prinze noted support of costars Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar (his current wife) helped him to get through filming the movie. He also said he understands the movie launched his career.
“I wouldn’t have any of the things I have without that movie. I wouldn’t have my wife, I wouldn’t have all the other movies I’ve done,” he said.
Prinze Jr. and Gellar have been married since 2002.
"I Know What You Did Last Summer" is currently available to stream on Netflix.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign up and follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram