It’s not strange to hear that there are misunderstandings, clashes or quarrels in major film productions, it’s still a matter of many people, even with very different characters who have to work together. Some directors are known to be very controlling, perfectionistic, or conversely, chaotic. And just as often one hears of especially difficult or arrogant and arrogant actors. However, some situations are not limited to quarrels, but lead to more serious situations.
In short, there are times collaboration between actor and director leads to hatred.
Below we offer some conflicts between actors and directors, which led not only to quarrels and hatred, but sometimes even to physical violence. Straightaway 10 sets that were places of conflict between directors and actors.
10. Burt Reynolds and Paul Thomas Anderson are on the list of actors who hated the directors they worked with.
Burt Reynolds, actor and icon of the seventies, worked with famed director Paul Thomas Anderson in Boogie Nights – Another Hollywood (1997). Although the film is considered a big success for the two, so much so that both were nominated respectively for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay, it is known as Reynolds hated working with the young director. According to what appeared in an interview with GQ magazine, Reynolds said of Anderson, “by nature we did not fit“. According to Burt Reynolds, then 26-year-old Anderson was quick-tempered and overconfident.: “Every scene we filmed was like the first time (such a scene was never was shot). I remember our first scene in Boogie Nights when I drive to Grauman’s Theatre. And then he said, “Isn’t that impressive?” And I listed him 5 movies that had exactly the same scene. It wasn’t original“.
9. Megan Fox and Michael Bay are on the list of actors who hated the directors they worked with.
When transformers 3 (Transformers – Lunar Darkness) was released in 2011, missing the famous character Michaela Baines, played by Megan Fox. Fox’s absence was a clear consequence of a conflict between the actress and director Michael Bay. The American director is actually known for his lively character and often chaotic sets. Fox at the time said of this: “he wants to feel like Hitler on set, and he is. A real nightmare to work with him“. The comments were not welcomed by the director, who replaced the actress in the third film.
The bitterness between them eventually resolved, and Megan Fox starred in various Michael Bay projects.
8. Bruce Willis and Kevin Smith
After working together in Die Hard – Live or Die (2007), which featured the two as actors, Bruce Willis and Kevin Smith collaborated on Cops Out – Two cops on the loose (2010). Smith, who was behind the camera this time, was thrilled to be working with one of his favorite celebrities. But the enthusiasm didn’t last long, Willis wasn’t really impressed with the director’s fan attitude, so much so that he repeatedly told him, “stop this behavior, you’re an adult“. Moreover, according to Smith, Bruce Willis he was often in a bad mood and remained annoyed by his limited technical knowledgeespecially using the camera. The situation, which did not improve during the promotional tour, which Willis refused to participate in, Smith, on the contrary, released numerous interviews in which he spoke about the behavior of the actor.
Recently, after Bruce Willis retired from the stage due to his serious illness, Smith apologized on X (Twitter) to the actor for his childish behavior in 2010.
7. Christopher Plummer (and Adrien Brody) and Terrence Malick are on the list of actors who hated the directors they worked with.
Terrence Malick (thin red line; Ttree of life; Hidden life – Hidden life) is a director known as an almost manic perfectionist who almost completely flips his films from page to cut. So it was with thin red line (1998), a film that underwent drastic editing changes, so much so that many actors such as Adrien Brody, George Clooney and Christopher Plummer saw their roles almost completely reduced or even eliminated. Just think about how Brody, who was the film’s protagonist, was almost completely removed from the film and only found his drastically reduced presence at the film’s premiere.
The experience is also similar Plummer, who later said he wrote a letter to Terrence Malick saying he was in dire need of a good screenwriter. The actor later said that she had no intention of ever working with the director againbut still had great respect for him and loved his films.
6. Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott
Production Blade Runner (1982) was not easy due to filming delays and Ridley’s perfectionism. Scottthe relationship between the director and his star Harrison Ford it wasn’t the best. Among the biggest issues between them was Ford’s character: Deckard and his own to be or not to be a replicant; Scott was of the opinion that the main character must be a replicant, while Ford always maintained that his character was human. A a denunciation of points of view between the two that continues todayso much so that Denis Villeneuve, who directed the sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017) said on this occasion: “they are still arguing about this story. If you put them in the same room, they won’t agree. And then they start discussing it very loudly. Very funny“.
5. Ray Fisher and Joss Whedon are on the list of actors who hated the directors they worked with.
Let’s move on to Ray Fisher and Joss Whedon, who had a rocky relationship during reshoots Justice League (2017) after the departure of Zack Snyder. After the film’s release, Fisher was one of the first to expose Whedon’s misconduct during Snyder’s replacement. Fischer not only highlighted his character’s decline, but also called out the bad behavior of the entire cast. On Twitter, Fisher wrote of Whedon: “his behavior with the cast and crew of Justice League was vulgar, offensive, unprofessional and totally unacceptable“. Similar views have been expressed by other actors such as Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck.
4. Edward Norton and Tony Kaye
Edward Nortonfamous actor of numerous films, including Fight club (1999) is known to be very active in projects and in the production phase. During Filming American History X (1998) his controlling nature belied that of director Tony Kay. According to various sources, Norton was in constant control of the script, often making suggestions or dialogue changes to the director to follow his vision of the story. The two often clashed in this way, so much so that they asked the opinion of the studio, which was often on the side of the actor, as the stars of the film. The situation became so serious that Kay even asked to have his name removed from the film.as it no longer reflected his work.
In 2007, the director admitted that his ego had gotten the better of the situation and that “when I can, I take the opportunity to apologize“.
3. Harvey Keitel and Stanley Kubrick are on the list of actors who hated the directors they worked with.
Stanley Kubrick is also known for being a very controlling and perfectionistic director who asks actors to reshoot a scene over and over, if not dozens of times, until he is completely satisfied. Harvey Keitel pulled out of production Eyes wide shut (1999) for precisely this reason. The actor told co-star Gary Oldman why: “We were filming that scene and we were just walking through the door, and after the 68th time walking through the door, I was like, ‘I’m getting out of here, you’re completely crazy. You’re completely out of your mind.” And he left. Keitel was then replaced by Sydney Pollak.
2. George Clooney and David O’Russell
David O’RussellBright side; american hustle) is known for being difficult to work with due to his aggressive and controlling attitude. Many celebrities expressed their dissatisfaction with the director’s treatment of them, including Amy Adams, who was targeted by O’Russell during filming. american hustle (2014); But no story compares to what happened between Clooney and O’Russell. During Filming three kings (1999) it seems that Clooney was particularly annoyed by the way O’Russell behaved not only with the cast but with the entire crew, so much so that they often argued on set over such behavior. In the last days of filming, they even got to a real physical confrontation, so intense that Clooney later repeatedly said that he never wanted to see the director again.
In 2012, George Clooney announced that they had reconciled.
1. Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog are on the list of actors who hated the directors they worked with.
Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog have been friends for a long time and have worked together on numerous projects. But this friendship was often on edge due to their very different personalities, especially their relationship was put to the test during the filming of the movie. Aguirre, the wrath of God (1972), filmed in South America. Although the production budget was very limited, a third of it was given to Kinski, who still made requests. Low budget, difficult shooting in a hostile environment like the Amazonian forests led to Duke has to constantly remind Kinski that his unprofessional behavior is threatening the filming. and the success of the film. The Duke said about it:I told him if you leave the set now you will reach the limit, next time I will shoot you, I will put 8 bullets in your head and the last one will be for me. So the bastard finally realized that this was no longer a joke. (…) He started yelling at the crew to help him, help him against this madman – he meant me. He screamed to call the police. But, of course, the nearest police station was 450 miles away. As a result, he was very tame over the last 11 days of shooting and we finished the film.“
It was later revealed that Klaus Kinski suffered from antisocial personality disorder and continued to exhibit aggressive behavior throughout his life, including towards his family. The rivalry between the two was also the subject of a documentary called Kinski, my dearest enemy (1999).