Mae Whitman was originally cast to play President Thomas Whitmore's (played by Bill Pullman) daughter in the first Independence Day, however despite her impressive acting chops, she was not considered for a role in the upcoming sequel. Instead, as we reported yesterday, Maika Monroe scored the role of Patricia Whitmore.
Both are fine actors, but what some fans are wondering is why Fox decided not to bring back Mae, but still bring back Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Brent Spiner, Vivica Fox and even Bill Pullman himself for Independence Day 2. Nobody knows, but Mae isn't the only child star from the original film who won't be reprising their roles as their adult selves; Ross Bagely, who portrayed Will Smith's character's son was also neglected a spot in the sequel's cast and instead Fox hired Jessie Usher to carry on the role of Dylan Dubrow.
Unfortunately, Mae has taken the Studio's decision a little too close to heart and has responded on social media to emphasize her displeasure:
@DrewAtHitFix @HitFix ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
— alabama whitman (@maebirdwing) April 28, 2015
Ross Bagely however, and other original castmates have not taken their exclusion from Independence Day 2 as personally.
