After her successful stints in The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls, Lohan let fame get the better of her. She would constantly show up late for her call times after nights of partying but then claim she had an illness. Even Charlie Sheen, another notoriously difficult actor, has complained of working with her on his show Anger Management. Even The New York Times picked up on the Lohan slander, writing a piece titled "Here Is What Happens When You Cast Lindsay Lohan in Your Movie" (hint: not anything good).
Lohan worked with actor James Deen on the set of The Canyons back in 2013 and she got nearly as many bad reviews for her on-set attitude as the film did after an underwhelming release. "There were days when she would scream and yell and cry and refuse to come out," Deen dished to The Sun. "... I am used to working with professionals who are courteous to others. But Lindsay was like a child lashing out."
Going all the way back to his breakout days on SNL, Chase has always been described by his co-workers as prickly at best. He's the king of put-downs and won't let an opportunity go by without delivering one to an unsuspecting bystander. He's so difficult that Uproxx published a satirical piece in 2014 entitled "Chevy Chase's 4-Step Plan for Getting Your Workplace Staff to Hate You." Yikes!
Chase is also known to make particularly bad statements to writers and interns, which contributed to both his early exit from Community and a lifetime ban from SNL. In 1997, he dug his own grave on SNL after slapping Chery Oteri during rehearsal. Will Ferrel wasn't having it and went straight to creator and executive producer Lorne Micheals who subsequently barred Chase from set. If you make someone as goofy as Will Ferrel upset enough to never want to work with you again, then perhaps you are the problem.
The bulk of Hatcher's reputation comes from her days on Desperate Housewives. There, she and the other castmates did not get along. Apparently, tensions were so heated that they conspicuously left her name off a thank you gift to the cast following the final season of the show. And if that wasn't bad enough, co-star Nicollette Sheridan dubbed her "the meanest woman in the world."
In 2019, Eva Longoria submitted a letter in support of Felicity Huffman during the college admissions scandal, citing how Huffman confronted her on-set bully. "I dreaded the days I had to go to work with that person...Until one day, Felicity told the bully 'enough,' and it all stopped...," Longoria wrote. "I know I would not have survived those 10 years if it wasn't for the friendship of Felicity." While the bully is never explicitly revealed, Hatcher is heavily implied.
Sheen wasn't always a difficult co-worker. However, after his very public meltdown from 2010 to 2011, Sheen would routinely struggle at work. In particular, he would rush his lines and struggle with any set movement, often opting to prop himself up on a couch or some other stationary object. From creating rifts with co-workers to getting fired from the set of Two and a Half Men, Sheen's difficult reputation became the new norm.
Worst of all was his behavior on the set of Anger Management alongside actress Selma Blair. But once Blair complained to execs that he was a "menace to work with" who suffered from constant tardiness and a "shoddy work ethic," Sheen took a stand. At least, he refused to work unless Blair was fired. Soon enough, she was dismissed... Looks like she was right about him!
Sharon Stone may have been one of the leading actors of the '80s and '90s, but all that fame has had a downside. On projects now, she routinely comes with a list of high demands that turns off directors and producers. She has also been known to walk off set unannounced and be MIA before key scenes.
For example, Golden Boy director Pupi Avati was sorely disappointed by Stone despite his initial excitement over casting her. ToThe Hollywood Reporter, Avati claimed the actress's demands "bordered on ridiculousness" and her ego "definitely inflated" after arriving on set in Italy. Before filming the last scene, she "immediately disappeared" from the set after spotting paparazzi and TV cameras, refusing to return if they were still there. "The thing that I found most absurd is that she had to call to the States and to close herself in a car, instead of coming to ask us directly.”
Brando may have been one of the most storied actors of all time, but the bad boy roles he played also carried over into his professional life. As a method actor, his process could be annoying to castmates and crew, but the major problem was his lack of dedication to memorizing lines, which is pretty much half of his job. He frequently improvised, and when he did work from the script, he often used cue cards or placed text on props.
Aside from a general disinterest in learning lines, he was notoriously rude and unprofessional on set. For The Score, he had a personal vendetta against the director Frank Oz, dubbing him "Miss Piggy," refusing to wear pants around him, and pretending to be allergic to his presence. Plus, his role in Apocalypse Now was severely complicated by his drunkenness, tardiness, and demands for the director of photography to frame him in the most flattering way to shield his weight.
Like Chevy Chase on Community, Doherty made an early departure from Beverly Hills, 90210's 10-season run. Fellow castmates, especially Alyssa Milano, and producer Aaron Spelling have discussed how demanding and troublesome to work with Doherty was in the '90s. While does seem to have left that behind her, however, her former co-stars haven't forgotten about the hell she put them through. Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jason priestly dished all about Doherty in his memoir, saying that Doherty "truly did not [care]" about her behavior and was exceptionally blunt, bordering on rude.
"I could not believe my ears at Shannen's very first words after she boarded [the car]," Priestley wrote. "Her butt had barely hit her seat before she said loudly to the PR person, 'Really? A town car? You send a town car to take me to the airport, not a limo?'" Where producer Aaron Spelling found Doherty's honesty compelling, other coworkers did not, which resulted in her being fired from the show.
Because of his tendency to take method acting to the extreme, LeBeouf's eccentricities have caused major pain points on sets. From drinking moonshine and starting fights while filming Lawless to refusing to bathe while shooting Fury, the former Disney star is far from easy-going. Additionally, he's said to have come to blows with co-stars from both films Tom Hardy and Brad Pitt.
Lawless director John Hillcoat clarified during an online Reddit interview that LeBeouf and Hardy never exchanged blows on set, but “there was definitely a fight between them." It escalated to the point where they had to both be restrained," he continued. "But I was very pleased to hear it didn’t go that way because I would hate to see the outcome.” Hardy claims otherwise, saying LeBeouf completely knocked him. Honestly, we wouldn't be surprised!
Although she was the title character of sitcom Cybill, Cybill Shepherd was reportedly extremely unhappy that co-stars were receiving more notice than her from the press, such as when Christine Baranski won an Emmy for her role. Additionally, Shepherd is terribly particular about how she is shot, framed, and lit for the scenes in which she appears. For a Hollywood diva, that's nothing out of the ordinary.
But Shepherd managed to extend filming time by hours because of her ridiculous demand. "The actual filming took forever because Ms. Shepherd had to be backlit in every shot," Kevin Levine reported in 2015. "Nancy was not to be backlit at all. And... I think Ms. Shepherd required cue cards." Funnily enough, Cybill showrunner Howard Gould went on to write a play inspired by Shepherd, which was appropriately titled DIVA.
Kilmer initially got his problematic reputation from his stint on Batman Forever where he clashed with director Joel Schumacher for being both "childish" and "impossible." He was worse off on the set of The Island of Dr. Moreau despite only working for three days before getting sacked. Director Richard Standley claimed, "Val would arrive, and an argument would happen."
The film's casting director John Frankenheimer corroborated the story, saying, "I don't like Val Kilmer, I don't like his work ethic, and I don't want to be associated with him ever again." Fortunately, Kilmer seems to have mellowed with age and realizes how his fights for "artistic integrity" could also be seen as financially irresponsible from the other side.
Washington is perhaps most infamous for his behind-the-scenes meltdown on the set of Grey's Anatomy. He verbally abused co-star T.R. Knight with homophobic language, calling him the f-word in front of everyone backstage at the Golden Globes. Knight later publicly came out as gay despite the incident. Rightfully so, Washington was subsequently let go from the show.
Despite scoring multiple roles in everything from The 100 to Blackbird, Washington still feels the effects of his mistake. "For the last six years of my life, I've been fighting off bigots," he admitted to The New York Times. "It's, like, bigots want to embrace me, and I politely take their arms from around my neck. I don't share their views, never have."
The Blade Runner actress seemed to be on the up-and-up after the success of the film, similarly to how it cemented co-star Harrison Ford as a leading man. However, her career soon fizzled out thanks to persistent rumors of on-set antics. Oliver Stone even cut out her part entirely from Wall Street and let her go from the production.
According to The Guardian, actor James Woods accused Young in 1988 of "exotic harassments" that infamously included "leaving a disfigured doll outside his home in Beverly Hills." From "messy run-ins with co-stars and directors" to slapping a security guard, we can see why Young isn't easy to get along with.
Crowe has made his fair share of tabloid headlines thanks to his temperamental character. When his blood begins to boil, he's been known to throw and break things, become physically violent, and unleash a slew of curse words to the point that co-workers abandon movie sets to get out of his path.
Nicole LaPorte, author of The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company Called DreamWorks, wrote that Crowe called up the producer Branko Lustig at 3 a.m. just to call him names and for how Lustig paid Crowe's assistants. Lustig then told director Steven Spielberg that he was "leaving" because Russell threatened him. Talk about striking fear into people!
Norton is known for his perfectionist tendencies. Unfortunately, this lends itself to him suggesting, most likely unprompted, ways in which editors can cut the film or how writers should revise their scripts. Guaranteed if he's not fully happy with the final product, he will threaten to not participate in publicity for the project.
For example, Norton proposed various character development scenes for The Incredible Hulk, but most of his propositions were cut from the final film. At a meeting, Norton made sure his disappointment was palpable. Director Louis Leterrier told Entertainment Weekly, "Everyone was exhausted; it was like a little burst. 'I'm angry with you!' 'No, I'm angry with you!' And me in the center... It didn't come to blows. It was just a remark here and there, then it became public."
Crawford was a perfectionist in her acting work like many in Hollywood, but she was uniquely adamant that she should be recognized for it. And when she didn't get the attention she thought she deserved, she sometimes lashed out. She had a famous feud with Bette Davis which partially derived from Davis's Oscar nomination for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Dubbed the greatest feud in Hollywood history, the notorious fight between Crawford and Davis began when The Academy overlooked Crawford for an Oscar in favor of Davis. But their friendship coffin officially sealed when Crawford married Davis' acting crush Franchot Tone. "I have never forgiven her for that, and never will," Davis told Michael Thorton in 1987.
Grey's Anatomy, Knocked Up, and 27 Dresses marked the peak of Katherin Heigl's career before Hollywood finally decided they were done dealing with her. Hollywood is built on networking; it's all about who you know. So not even a Primetime Emmy spared Heigl from the reality that if she's difficult to work with, then nobody is going to willingly work with her.
Heigl planted the seeds for her blossoming bad reputation in 2008 after labeling Knocked Up "a little misogynistic" during an interview with Vanity Fair. This comment led to a public feud with her co-star Seth Rogan and the director Judd Apatow. Things got even worse when she dissed the Grey's Anatomy writers after she wasn't nominated for an Emmy. Fortunately, Heigl apologized for both mistakes on Howard Stern's radio show, saying, "It was dumb" and that the scandals made her feel "like the biggest piece of [mess] on the bottom of your shoe."
From Batman to the Machinist and Vice, Christian Bale carved out his space in Hollywood as one of the most versatile in the industry. Not only is he a fantastic actor, but he commits 100% to his roles, which includes drastically altering his appearance. This kind of method acting, however, has its downsides for everyone else on set.
Long story short, Bale can be a little to intense when he embodies his character for a film. While filming Terminator Salvation he infamously dropped the f-bomb at the director of photography for messing up his scene. All they did was walk in Bale's line of sight. Apparently, that's cause enough to scream, "You are trashing my scene. You do it one more [freaking] time, and I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired. You're a nice guy. But that don't [freaking] cut it."
What's not to love about everyone's favorite international spy Austin Powers and his goofy nemesis Dr. Evil? Mike Myers might have pulled off his appearances in these films, SNL, Shrek, and Wayne's World, but his true personality isn't as goofy as his key roles might have audiences assume. Multiple Hollywood execs admit that less of a class clown and more like the terrifying Pennywise. Entertainment Weekly reported that one exec said, “I honestly root against him." The Wayne's World director agreed, joking, “Maybe he could open, like, a children’s hospital to clean up his rep.”
Even when he's invited to talk shows and random cameos in shows, his reviews aren't good. According to Page Six, Staff from NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien admit that Myers"has a reputation for being a control freak and a perfectionist," making cast and crew "[run] wild backstage with his demands for Silk non-dairy creamer, Twizzlers, and raspberry seltzer, after which he reportedly demanded that the interns go back out because the seltzer wasn't the brand he had wanted."
A running theme for all of these actors is this: they're brilliant, but brilliance comes at a cost sometimes. Gwyneth Paltrow stunned audiences in every Iron Man and Avengers that exists; unfortunately, the stars and staff on set with Paltrow find her to be just as stoic in real life as her character Pepper Potts.
According to Metro, Paltrow is notorious for singling out her competition on set and giving them the cold shoulder. While on the set of Iron Man 2, a source reported, "Gwyneth is not friendly to anyone, and tends to make people feel awkward and uncomfortable. She wasn’t outright rude to Scarlett [Johansson], she just didn’t ever speak to her. Gwyneth went out of her way to avoid Scarlett."
Alec Baldwin is made headlines for the tragedy that occurred in his most recent movie set Rust, but aside from this terrible occurrence, he already had a reputation for making people uncomfortable on film sets. That's not really that shocking to some.
Baldwin was a leading character in 30 Rock but was a "nightmare to work with," according to former co-workers. “Alec Baldwin often showed up to set late, yelled at cast and crew, and complained about something as innocuous as 'dry air," according to The Week. Because of his many public and on-set freakouts, he's been labeled one of Hollywood's "loose cannons." Also, he was fired from MSNBC in 20123 for yelling at a photographer... Not a good look, Baldwin!
The Notting Hill actress is one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood. She continues to repeat her success in film after film over the past few decades. But all that time spent on sets means that people will see every side of her personality, including the ugly parts. CheatSheet reported that Roberts gained a new nickname after working on the set of Hook alongside Robin Williams in 1991.
The movie was a flop for Roberts but that isn't the worst part. Some workers gave her nicknames for her poor behavior. But director Steven Spielberg spoke up for her, saying, “Julia probably went through the most trying times of her life, and it was simply bad timing for all of us that she happened to start on Hook at that low point.” Her partner was cheating on her during filming, which most likely contributed to her diva behavior.
Lea Michele was a successful Broadway actress before joining the cast of Glee as lead character Rachel Berry in 2009. Looks like her early exposure to fame made her a first-class diva on set. Former co-star Naya Rivera shared in her book that Michele got her fired, claiming, "So I guess you can throw a fit, lock yourself in your trailer, stall production yet still allegeldy find time to leak stories to the press."
While working on Scream Queens, Michele refused to scream. Ironic, yes? She openly admitted to Women's Health, “Ryan [Murphy] got me in a booth one day. And I told him, ‘I’m screaming like twice and then you’re going to have to use it the whole season because I’m a singer.'” Kate Hudson called Michele a "nightmare," other co-stars claimed Michele called extras "cockroaches," and Samantha Ware exposed the slew of microaggressions Michele made on set that made Ware's "first television gig a living hell."
Mel Gibson is renowned for his directorial, writing, and acting credits in Hollywood, sometimes all for the same film! He routinely stars as the lead character in his films, including Braveheart and The Patriot, as well as shocking audiences with sensational and controversial storytelling, like in The Passion of the Christ.
CNN reports that a screenwriter who worked alongside Gibson revealed his personality was passionate in all the wrong ways. Apparently, Gibson routinely had "scary outbursts," including "looney" and "rancid" threats against his ex-girlfriend, and "hate-filled diatribes" against countless famous figures. Sometimes, an artist's lunacy can be easily conflated with a dedication to their craft.
Bruce Willis began his acting career in the '70s and received critical acclaim as John McClane in the Die Hard films. Unfortunately for his co-workers, Willis's real personality is as intense as the action heroes he portrays. Everyone from the director of Cop Out to Sylvester Stallone has criticized how difficult Willis is to work with.
Director Kevin Smith claimed Willis was "soul-crushing," saying to Marc Maron, "A lot of people are gonna be like, 'Oh, you're just trying to blame the movie on him [but] I had no [freaking] help from this dude whatsoever." At the wrap party, he thanked everyone except for Willis. As for Stallone, he let out his frustrations on Twitter, calling Willis "GREEDY AND LAZY …… A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE.”
As one of the world's leading actresses and vocalists who has won an award for being awfully attractive more times than we can remember, it was inevitable for Jennifer Lopez to suffer from a big ego. The Things outlined a few of J. Lo's most notorious primadonna moments over the decades. First and foremost, she has a ridiculous list of demands for whenever she's set to appear anywhere other than home.
At the World Music Awards in 2010, she had a "helicopter kept on standby, a custom-fitted speed boat, and diamond-encrusted headphones to drown out the sound of the boat’s motor." Plus, she doesn't feel like she has to treat the service class with respect. A flight attendant once asked Lopez what she wanted to drink, and instead of answering directly, Lopez turned to her assistant, saying, "Please tell him I'd like a Diet Coke and lime."
Casey Affleck's alleged crimes are far worse than yelling at an extra or demanding Twizzlers backstage. Two female coworkers from the set of I'm Still Here accused him of misconduct. One of the film's producers, as well as the director of photography, filed lawsuits against the actor, and both reached a settlement.
The producer accused Affleck of "uninvited and unwelcome advances" as well as "breach of oral contract" to pay her what she was due for the project. The cinematographer claimed Affleck climbed into bed with her as she slept, which is creepy on so many levels. "Difficult" is an understatement in these instances.
Daniel Day-Lewis is merely another difficult actor who falls under the "intense method acting" category. Most complaints made against Day-Lewis occurred from his time working on the sets of My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, and Gangs of New York. Method acting makes for impressive performances but terrible co-worker relationships.
According to Showbiz CheatSheet, Day-Lewis "refused to leave his wheelchair" while working onMy Left Foot, which meant staff was forced to carry him around the set. For There Will Be Blood, actor Kel O'Neill abandoned set because Day-Lewis was "too intense while in character." Proving O'Neill's point, Day-Lewis went on to throw "bowling balls at Paul Dano," the actor who replaced O'Neill. DuringGangs of New York, Day-Lewis only referred to Liam Neeson as his character's name, which "infuriated" Neeson.
Dustin Hoffman is so passionate about his acting projects that he demands a bit too much creative control. He's known for being difficult when negotiating how his performance should go. Difficult, in Hoffman's case, means getting into "screaming matches with directors" and co-workers, including with Sydney Pollack for Tootsie, according to Showbiz CheatSheet.
Countless staff have stories about Hoffman's behavior on various sets, but nothing compares to how he treated world-renowned actress Meryl Streep on Kramer vs. Kramer. Streep had recently lost her partner John Cazale and Hoffman thought it appropriate to capitalize on her grief for the film. He "made derogatory comments about Cazale" and even slapped her, which Streep -- and anyone else with a soul -- dubbed "overstepping."
William Shatner, best known for his lead role in Star Trek as Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise, can't hide behind his starring role forever. As with anyone who shoots to worldwide fame tends to do, Shatner's ego inflated in direct proportion to Star Trek's rise in popularity. One of Shatner's former crewmates on the Enterprise spilled the set secrets about the lead actor.
George Takai called Shatner "very self-possessed, self-involved," saying that "everything revolves around The Captain." For instance, Takai explained, "They may have been setting up a close-up on [Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura] because she's got the line, but then he'd take the director off to a dark corner, and have a whispered conversation. And then, the director comes back and moves the camera that way... offstage, and he's reacting... and so she's lost her close-up."
