Freddie Prinze Jr has recently revealed he was almost quitting Hollywood while filming the original I Know What You Did Last Summer.
The Scooby-Doo actor confessed he decided to leave the industry because of the tension between himself and the 1997 movie’s director, Jim Gillespie in a throwback interview with TooFab back in 2023.
“It's not that I and my director weren't on the same page, I knew what the correct choices were for the Ray Bronson character in the movie,” said Freddie.
She’s All That star recalled, “Jim wanted a different actor, a really good actor named Jeremy Sisto, who I know and I like and respect very much.”
Freddie mentioned that the director didn’t show “no passive aggressiveness” but “he was very direct in the fact that, ‘I don't want you in this movie’”.
Therefore, the Summer Catch actor shared, “When that's your first job and you hear those words, it just wrecks you, man. It just wrecks you.”
Freddie disclosed that his first director was giving him “psychotic notes, like 'Don't leave your mouth open. You look stupid when you do that’ - that was the exact note, word for word, I'll never forget it”.
Not only his director, but he also suffered a terrifying 'near death experience' on set while filming a scene on a motorboat for the movie’s finale.
“I almost caught a flight and went home. I was done. I had enough. 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,” explained Freddie.
It was at that time he thought to just “quit the business” and “packed his bags” the same night.
However, Freddie opened up that a producer stepped in and convinced him to stay.
Looking ahead, the actor pointed out that the movie prepared him for this “business”.
“I have been prepared for every lesser person in the business. And I'm sure he's a hero in someone else's story,” added the Head Over Heels actor.