The glitz and glamour of Hollywood have many small town hopefuls and big city aspirants hoping to make it big and eventually live the life. Itโs easy to admire and follow celebrities for their sensational lifestyles, while overlooking the fact that they are also human.
Actors are constantly tired, sometimes ending up moody and even disrespectful. Not cool but it does happen. Check out this list and see which of the brightest stars have had a meltdown on set.
Letโs start with Marilyn Monroe
Not a lot of folks remember a Marilyn Monroe movie called Somethingโs Got to Give. The film was never finished, as 20th Century Fox abandoned the 1962 production thanks to Marilynโs erratic behaviour.
She was frequently late to set or absent without leave, though she appeared at John F Kennedyโs birthday bash when she was scheduled for shooting, resulting in the filmโs cast and crew having to shoot around her.
After calling in sick for the umpteenth time, Monroe was fired in June 1962. She passed away two months later.
Johnny Depp: City of Lies
Hollywood megastar Johnny Depp has had a turbulent life in recent years.
His off-camera troubles have bled through his behaviour on set, as on 2018โs City of Lies, Depp responded negatively when told by the filmโs location manager, Greg โRockyโ Brooks, that they would go late into the night shooting on the streets of LA.
Brooks says he was โrepeatedly hitโ and even verbally abused by Depp, and was later dismissed as a result.
Lindsay Lohan: The Canyons
Not a lot of actors embody the stereotype of troubled former child star Lindsay Lohan, who went from teen star to persona non grata in Hollywood all because of her diva-ish attitude and unreliability.
2013โs The Canyons was to be her comeback, but when production began, it was clear that Lohan hadnโt reformed. She didnโt show up on the first day and so was fired.
Lohan cried outside director Paul Schraderโs trailer until he agreed to rehire the actress.
Rip Torn: Maidstone
The 1970 American film Maidstone has gone down in Hollywood history for its legendary brawl on set.
The cameras were still rolling when Rip Torn completely lost the plot and attacked his co-star Norman Mailer, using a hammer to hit him on the head claiming he needed to โkill his character.โ
Torn strangled Mailer who then bit off part of Tornโs ear. The fight was broken up when Mailerโs wife Beverly intervened.
The brutality of the scene made the final cut, going down in cinematic history as one of the strangest, most brutal meltdowns ever.
Will Smith: Men in Black 3
Will Smith starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in 1997โs Men in Black, turning him into one of Hollywoodโs most bankable and successful stars.
But for Men in Black 3 in 2012, Smith had a diva-esque request, demanding a โa double decker $2 million trailerโ on set. Filming took place just a few blocks away from his New York apartment.
Smith insisted on staying in his luxurious trailer despite complaints from local residents.
Tom Cruise: Mission: Impossible โ Dead Reckoning
Tom Cruise has had public meltdowns over the years, though he seems to have calmed down a lot more. It was in 2020 when he made headlines for having a meltdown on the set of Mission: Impossible โ Dead Reckoning.
The actor and producer was recorded berating his colleagues for their lax approach to COVID-19 restrictions on set. Cruise witnessed two crew members standing too close to each other.
Cruise was heard shouting: โIf I see you do it again, youโre f***ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it, thatโs itโฆ donโt you ever f***ing do it again.โ
Ian McKellen: The Hobbit trilogy
Sir Ian McKellen is a consummate professional, but reprising his Lord of the Rings role of Gandalf in the Hobbit trilogy pushed the veteran actor to his breaking point.
The FX-oriented nature of the trilogy meant McKellen had to shoot many of his scenes against a green screen.
McKellen was lonely and depressed, and โthought perhaps, has the time come for me to stop acting altogether if I canโt cope with these difficulties? I got absolutely miserable and had a little cry to myself. I didnโt realise that the microphone I was wearing was open so everybody could hear me muttering to myself about how I wanted to go home.โ
Dennis Hopper: Super Mario Bros
1993โs Super Mario Bros was the first major video game movie based on a video game, and it had a very troubled production.
The script was rewritten daily, much to the disdain of the cast, especially Dennis Hopper who was cast as the villainous King Koopa.
When he was presented with an entirely rewritten scene just minutes before a shoot, Hopper went ballistic, screaming, โYou call this writing? This is s**t! Itโs s**t! And the fact youโd do it without asking me?โ
It took him over three hours to calm down, resulting in an entire morning of filming lost.
Wesley Snipes: Blade: Trinity
1998โs Blade and its 2002 sequel gave Wesley Snipes the biggest role of his career, but 2004โs third instalment Blade: Trinity proved to be the end of his time as a star.
Snipes was on bad terms with writer-director David S. Goyer, whom the actor was said to have chased and physically threatened on set.
Snipes wouldnโt turn up for shooting, staying in his trailer and forcing the crew to shoot with his stand-in. Things were so bad that by the end of the shoot, he would only communicate with his colleagues using post-it notes.
Bill Murray: What About Bob?
Bill Murray is known for clashing with his co-stars, and his encounter with Richard Dreyfuss whilst filming the 1991 comedy โWhat About Bob?โ has become infamous.
In 2019, Dreyfuss told Yahoo that Murray was โan Irish drunken bully,โ saying that an intoxicated Murray โput his face next to me, nose-to-nose.โ
He screamed at the top of his lungs, โEveryone hates you! You are tolerated!โโ throwing a glass ashtray at his co-star.
Even producer Laura Ziskin claims that Murray threw her into a lake after a heated argument.
Martin Sheen: Apocalypse Now
Martin Sheen was part of the troubled production of Vietnam war epic Apocalypse Now. He was a last-minute replacement for Harvey Keitel, fired by director Francis Ford Coppola early on.
Unfortunately, Sheen was in a very bad place as he struggled with alcoholism, while the on-set pressures didnโt help.
In the Saigon hotel room scene, Sheen really was drunk, unwittingly punching through a genuine mirror and bleeding all over the place for real.
He suffered a heart attack in production, but the actor survived and went on to finish the film.
Tom Hardy โ The Reckoning
Tom Hardy was relatively unknown when he made an appearance in 2002โs The Reckoning alongside Paul Bettany. He came to blows with his more famous co-star at the time.
Hardy was questioned years later with fellow actor Vincent Cassel, who jokingly asked him, โwould you advise someone whoโs shooting their first movie, to take a swing at the lead actor because heโs saying bad things about you?โ
Hardy responded with, โI didnโt hit [Bettany], I slapped him. I didnโt want to leave a mark on his face.โ
George Clooney: Three Kings
George Clooney isnโt a troublemaker, but he did find some on the set of 1999โs Three Kings, although he doesnโt come out of it as the bad guy.
Three Kings director David O. Russell is notorious for his on-set volatility, and during production, he became physically violent with an extra.
Clooney was having none of it, attacking Russell himself, with a full-on brawl resulting between the actor and the director. Clooney swore he would never work with Russell again afterwards.
Christian Bale: Terminator Salvation
Bale launched into an expletive-filled tirade on set at director of photography Shane Hurlbut after the cinematographer walked into his line of sight while filming.
Bale raged on for four minutes, as Hurlbut and the filmโs director McG failed to calm the heated actor down.
Whatโs bizarre is that the British actor continued speaking in the American accent he was using for the role of John Connor.
He was caught on tape with the recording going viral, causing Bale to apologize later on saying that he and Hurlbut had resolved their differences.
Lucy Liu: Charlieโs Angels
With Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore in 2000โs Charlieโs Angels, the role was a major step for Lucy Liuโs career, but her performance was overshadowed by a well-publicised spat with her co-star Bill Murray.
Accounts vary, but itโs been reported that Murray upset Liu by telling her she couldnโt act. Liu was reported to have physically attacked the actor, even screaming at him.
This incident led to Murray being replaced by Bernie Mac for the sequel, Charlieโs Angels: Full Throttle.
Lawrence Tierney: Reservoir Dogs
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has reunited with the actors from his 1992 debut Reservoir Dogs, including Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi.
But thereโs one Reservoir Dogs actor Tarantino never worked with again. That was Lawrence Tierney, who was said to have attempted to undermine everything that the director did on set.
The pair got in a fistfight, prompting Tarantino to fire Tierney, who the director later called โa complete lunatic who just needed to be sedated.โ
It was also during production when Tierney was arrested after drunkenly trying to shoot his own nephew.
Gene Hackman: The Royal Tenenbaums
Gene Hackman was never known as an easygoing actor. Writer-director Wes Anderson found out the hard way when he cast the actor in the lead role of his 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums.
It took a lot of persuasion to sign on, and the cantankerous Hackman didnโt make things easy for Anderson on set.
The actor was frequently argumentative and dismissive of the director, even engaging in some abusive name-calling during production.
Richard Pryor: Blue Collar
His 1978 directorial debut Blue Collar had writer-director Paul Schrader playing ill-advised mind games, telling three of his leading men, Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto, that they alone were the filmโs lead.
Schrader wanted to inspire rivalry which would show up on screen, but it backfired, especially with Pryor.
The troubled comedy legend suffered from serious drug addiction and was prone to bouts of paranoia.
Fights broke out among the cast, and Pryor was reported to have brought a gun which he pointed at his director, furiously saying he wouldnโt shoot more than three takes of any scene.
Shia LaBeouf: Lawless
LaBeouf co-starred with Tom Hardy in the 2012 film Lawless with many reports that they constantly clashed throughout filming and even got into a physical fight.
There were claims that LaBeouf once knocked Hardy out. Even Hardy himself was quoted saying LaBeouf โknocked me out sparko.โ
But this is one instance when reality and rumour donโt line up. Hardy and LaBeouf have refuted claims of a mutual hatred, claiming they were just engaging in rough play-fight.
LL Cool J: Any Given Sunday
LL Cool J rose to fame in the 80s as a rapper, with a fairly successful film career, though he did butt heads with some notable people the wrong way.
LL joined future Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx in Oliver Stoneโs 1999 sports drama Any Given Sunday, where both actors play members of rival football teams.
The two actors got into the conflict a little too much.
An unscripted moment saw LL punch Foxx in the face, which Foxx obviously didnโt take kindly to. When things seemed to have calmed down, LL went ahead and elbowed Foxx in the head while walking away.
Bette Davis: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had one of the most bitter rivalries in Hollywood history. The two agreed to co-star in a film that played on their animosity all things considering, which was 1962โs Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
The shoot proved tense, with both ladies antagonising each other.
Davis took it to the extreme, striking Crawford in the face for real in a scene. Some have claimed Crawford needed stitches afterwards.
Crawford got the last laugh when Davis lost out on the Best Actress Oscar to Anne Bancroft. Crawford arranged to accept the award on behalf of Bancroft.
George Lazenby: On Her Majestyโs Secret Service
29-year-old James Bond actor George Lazenby was an Australian model with almost no acting experience. He bluffed his way to take over from Sean Connery as 007.
He was great a womaniser like Bond, and Lazenby also had a fondness for alcohol. He was usually drunk on set and even threw empty vodka bottles at crew members.
Despite this, the actor was expected to play Bond again, but he infamously refused, saying that playing the famous spy just once would be enough to establish him as a major star.
Val Kilmer: The Island of Dr. Moreau AND Batman Forever
There are many examples of Val Kilmer losing it on set. The talented actorโs career has been overshadowed by his crazy on-set antics and controversies.
He clashed with director Joel Schumacher on the set of Batman Forever, while struggling with claustrophobia in the Batsuit.
On 1996โs The Island of Dr. Moreau, Kilmer โ going through a divorce at the time โ held the production to ransom with his diva-ish demands and selfish behaviour. He clashed with his co-stars and even burned a crew member with a cigarette.
Marlon Brando: The Island of Dr Moreau
Marlon Brando was one of Hollywoodโs most acclaimed, successful actors but for all the great performances of his 60-year career, there were many crazy stories of his erratic behaviour on set.
Brandoโs actions on the set of 1996 film The Island of Dr Moreau were enough to make screenwrite, Ron Hutchinson want to pull his hair out. Hutchinson was shocked when the actor turned up to shoot in bad shape.
Ad-libbing is part of making a film, but Brando refused to read any of his written lines: โhe wanted to improvise it all,โ Hutchinson recalled.
The actor even refused to take an ice bucket off his head for certain scenes due to the heat.
Nicolas Cage: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Nicolas Cage is known for his extremes during performances, but he went too far on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Cage took what he calls a โNouveau Shamanicโ approach, donning black and white face paint and even sewed Ancient Egyptian symbols into his costumes. Most of it was lost when the characterโs CGI head was added in post-production.
Back in 2012, Cage told Empire Online, โI wouldnโt say a word to my co-stars or crew or directors. I saw the fear in their eyesโฆ I believed I was the Ghost Rider.โ
Al Pacino: The Godfather II and Dog Day Afternoon
Al Pacino is one of the greatest actors of his time, but there are times when he was too dedicated. Pacino went from working on The Godfather Part II to Dog Day Afternoon, and it was clear to all that he was exhausted.
Director Sidney Lumet shot the scenes where Sonny calls his wife back-to-back, with Pacino getting increasingly intense.
When filming wrapped, Pacino burst into tears. Lumet called the experience โas good a moment of directing as Iโve ever had in my life.โ
Lily Tomlin: I Heart Huckabees
George Clooney isnโt the only actor to clash with bullish director David O. Russell. Things got heated between Russell and Lily Tomlin on the set of 2004โs I Heart Huckabees.
Tomlin wasnโt thrilled with Russellโs direction saying, โletโs just take it one f**king line at a time, instead of changing everythingโ in a leaked audio clip by TMZ.
Russell shot back with: โโF**k you! Iโm just trying to f**king help, you understand me?โ
Tomlin has since insisted she no hard feelings with Russell, unlike Clooney.
Klaus Kinski: Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Actor Klaus Kinski and director Werner Herzog were a volatile combination. During the filming of Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Herzog threatened to shoot Kinski after he tried to leave the project.
Herzog did not make good on his threat, but Kinski came close to killing someone.
One night, cast and crew members were keeping Kinski awake with their noise. The enraged actor took a Winchester rifle and opened fire into the hut.
No one was killed, but one bullet took the tip of an extraโs finger off. Herzog confiscated Kinskiโs gun which he still has to this day.
Tom Sizemore: Red Planet
Tom Sizemore and Val Kilmer were friends when shooting began, but wrapping up filming was a different story. Apparently, Sizemore wasnโt happy when Kilmer made remarks about how much more he was earning from the film.
Sizemore snapped due to Kilmerโs insensitivity. He retaliated by launching a 50-pound weight at Kilmer. Sizemore missed, with Kilmer escaping uninjured.
The pair were then instructed to film a fight scene, in which Sizemore punched Kilmer in the chest for real.
Ewan McGregor: Halston
The incessant pestering of the paparazzi can prove too much for celebrities. Ewan McGregor reached his limit in November 2020, as he was shooting Halston in New Yorkโs Central Park.
In a leaked clip, McGregor walked up to paparazzo Steve Sands, shouting โstop talking to me.โ
An inside source claimed that Sands was causing trouble. McGregor was merely defending himself and the showโs cast and crew.
Sands, 64, said: โI got into a tit for tat on the set. Then Ewan yells at me. That was the end. I donโt hold anything against him.โ
Joaquin Phoenix: The Joker
In October 2019, footage of Phoenix ranting at a crew member on the set of Joker was aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The actor can be heard talking about a cinematographer, saying: โThe constant whispering, just shut the f**k up, dude,โ then complaining about his nickname โCherโ on set.
Phoenix said he was โembarrassedโ by his behaviour. But there were claims by Phoenixโs publicist that the clip was a hoax meant to boost publicity for the movie.
Marilyn Monroe: Some Like It Hot
By the time Monroe made 1959โs Some Like It Hot, she was the most bankable female movie star in Hollywood. She did want to be taken more seriously as an actress so she hired Paula Strasberg from New Yorkโs Actorโs Studio as her acting coach.
Unfortunately, Monroe trusted Strasberg more than director Billy Wilder, which soon caused major problems. Monroe reportedly took 60 takes to deliver the three-word line, โItโs me, sugar!โ
And despite attempting to go method, Monroe couldnโt remember her dialogue. Wilder was fed up so he taped her script onto the backs of set furniture so she could read her lines correctly.
Gene Kelly: Singinโ in the Rain
1952โs Singinโ in the Rain is a classic musical, but production was anything but pleasant. Leading man and co-director Gene Kelly brought so much tension on set, given his many demands for perfection.
He insulted Debbie Reynolds for her inability to dance as perfectly as he envisioned.
Fred Astaire even found Reynolds cowering under a piano in tears after enduring another tirade from the perfectionist that was Kelly.
Thankfully, Kelly apologised to Reynolds, even admitting that he was unbearable to work with.
Sean Connery: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Sean Connery was 73 when The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen essentially forced him to retire.
The original Bond actor clashed with director Stephen Norrington, even losing a whole day of shooting because Norrington thought an elephant gun prop โdid not look quite right,โ which annoyed Connery.
Connery had such a bad time that he never took part in another film. He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 that Norrington shouldโve been โarrested for insanityโ.
Shelley Duvall: The Shining
Shelley Duvallโs unhinged portrayal of Wendy in The Shining was pretty convincing, thanks to director Stanley Kubrick pushing Duvall to the brink of madness while shooting.
The actress was forced to cry for hours on end, and for weeks at a time. She did as many as 127 takes for a scene where she hits Jack Nicholson with a baseball bat.
Duvall was so stressed her hair began falling out. In a 1980 interview with critic Roger Ebert, Duvall described her experience as โalmost unbearable.โ
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