“Clue” Director Jonathan Lynn Says He Was 'Naive' to Believe Carrie Fisher Could Play Miss Scarlet While in Rehab
“Clue” Director Jonathan Lynn Says He Was 'Naive' to Believe Carrie Fisher Could Play Miss Scarlet While in Rehab
Angela AndaloroMon, April 20, 2026 at 3:17 PM UTC
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Carrie Fisher (left), Leslie Ann WarrenCredit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Alamy -
Jonathan Lynn originally cast Carrie Fisher as Miss Scarlet in Clue
Fisher wanted to take on the role, but ended up in rehab weeks before rehearsals were set to begin and despite her best intentions, could not do both
Lynn was worried at the time, but it proved to be a fateful moment for the film's unforgettable ensemble cast
Clue could have been a very different movie.
In a 2013 discussion of the board game-inspired film for BuzzFeed, writer-director Jonathan Lynn recalled being excited to see Carrie Fisher in the role of Miss Scarlet, but found himself worried about the film's future when he received a call from Fisher's team that she was in rehab.
Fisher's time in rehab came as a result of an accidental overdose. Lynn noted there were some signs but conceded, "I was very naive."
"I didn't know what she was talking about. When I met her at a restaurant, she had actually fallen over a chair, but I had just thought she was shortsighted or something. She sniffed a lot, and she said she had hay fever, which of course I believed," he shared.
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Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren, Martin Mull, Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn in "Clue"Credit: Alamy
Fisher wasn't removing herself from the film on account of rehab. She was convinced she could tackle both. "She said, 'Oh, yes, they'll let me out during the day and I'll just come back at night.' And I thought, 'Really?' So I asked [producer] Debra Hill, and Debra said, 'Yes, that sounds good.' "
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Lynn noted most people didn't see the issue with the arrangement because of how common cocaine use was at the time.
"I didn't know that everyone in Hollywood was snorting cocaine. I was really naive. They weren't doing that in Hampstead, where I lived. Then the insurance company got involved and said, 'Absolutely not. What are you thinking?!' — which surprised everybody but me."
Leslie Ann Warren in 1985Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
As Fisher committed to treatment, Lynn and Hill found themselves on the hunt for a new Miss Scarlet. That's when they considered Lesley Ann Warren, who was fresh off her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for Victor Victoria.
"When I first heard about [the role], I was actually on vacation with my family. I didn't know anything about the board game. I truly was uninitiated."
Luckily for Lynn, Warren fit right in with the rest of the cast, which included Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Tim Curry, Martin Mull, Madeline Kahn and Eileen Brennan.
"I felt so deeply sorry for Jonathan because we were in hysterics the whole time. It was like trying to herd a bunch of puppies," Warren said of the filming.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
