Politics aside, there is probably no greater arena for the clash of egos than a Hollywood
film set.
And no Hollywood stories are juicier than the ones about a star pulling rank and getting
a director booted from a project.
Here are a few actors who famously got their directors fired or otherwise compelled them
to resign.
Clint Eastwood
In 1976, the Directors Guild implemented the so-called "Clint Eastwood Rule," forbidding
"the replacement of [a member] engaged for a film by anyone working in any capacity on
the same film."
The rule was a result of the conflict between Eastwood and The Outlaw Josey Wales writer
and director, Philip Kaufman.
Eastwood famously relieved Kaufman of his directing duties just two weeks into shooting
after allegedly growing frustrated with Kaufman's, quote, "slow, methodical style and unwavering
desire to create the perfect shot, no matter how much time it took."
Eastwood replaced Kaufman as director, but Kaufman retained a screenwriting credit.
Director Bruce Beresford also felt the full force of Eastwood's star power when he was
ousted from 1995's The Bridges of Madison County after working on it for more than a
year following "creative differences" with the film's lead.
The Clint Eastwood Rule blocked Eastwood from firing him directly, but according to Beresford,
the star's backchanneling and "uncooperative" attitude was enough to make Beresford decide
to jump ship, and Eastwood once again took over.
Kevin Costner
The production problems that plagued 1995's Waterworld were matched only by the bickering
between the film's director, Kevin Reynolds, and its star, Kevin Costner.
Though they were frequent collaborators at that time, having worked together on Dances
with Wolves and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, their working relationship broke down under
what Reynolds later described as the incredible pressure of helming what was then the most
expensive film ever made.
Reynolds still received a directing credit on the film, even though he walked off late
in the project, leaving Costner to finish it.
Around the time of the film's 1995 premiere, Reynolds told Entertainment Weekly, "In the
future Costner should only appear in pictures he directs himself.
That way he can always be working with his favorite actor and his favorite director."
Burt Reynolds
This mustachioed '70s icon was known in his day to start many on-set skirmishes.
In a New York Times Magazine profile, Reynolds is said to have thrown the director of Riverboat,
his first TV show gig as a series regular back in 1959, into the water — as well as
tossing producer Joel Silver out of his trailer.
His costliest fight, however, happened in 1986, when he, quote, "punched out" Heat director,
Dick Richards, after Richards made the mistake of tapping him on the chest.
Post-slugfest, Richards left the set of Heat and sued Reynolds for $25 million.
Amazingly, Richards was somehow persuaded to come back to the film, only to later fall
from a camera crane and end up in the hospital.
To add insult to those injuries, Richards only received half-a-million bucks of that
$25 million settlement.
In the end, Richards was one of six directors Reynolds chewed through to make Heat, which
turned out to be, unsurprisingly, a total flop.
Val Kilmer
1996's The Island of Dr. Moreau holds a place in cinematic history as one of the worst films
ever made, despite it being painstakingly adapted and reimagined from H.G. Wells' novel
by director Richard Stanley over the course of four years.
But that apparently meant nothing to star Val Kilmer, who helped torpedo Stanley's set
with "rude and abrasive" behavior, including putting a cigarette out on a camera operator.
"Well, things didn't work out."
That's putting it mildly.
The production was famously plagued from the start, including disastrous weather on location
and a frustrating mix of meddling and wild indifference from star Marlon Brando.
But Kilmer's out of control behavior was the last straw.
Rather than replace Kilmer, studio execs replaced director Stanley with veteran director John
Frankenheimer just three days after shooting began, hoping he could rein things in.
The film eventually got made, but died a quick and painful commercial and critical death
... before being resurrected as a cult classic.
"I want to go to dog heaven."
Clark Gable
Turns out that actors have feuded with directors for as long as there have been films to fight
over.
1939's Gone with the Wind is full of high drama set against the epic backdrop of the
Civil War.
And apparently, the production of the film was also something of a battlefield, including
massive fights over casting, scripting, and, of course, directing.
In his account of the behind-the-scenes turmoil, film critic Emanuel Levy chronicles the on-set
battle between Clark Gable and the film's original director, George Cukor.
Apparently Gable "protested vigorously" that Cukor was more of a, quote, "woman's director,"
and thus unsuited to helm the saga.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me.
I'll never understand or forgive myself.
And if a bullet gets me, so help me, I'll laugh at myself for being an idiot."
Cukor's longtime friend and legendary producer, David Selznick, was ultimately the man who
made the final call regarding Cukor's termination.
But Selznick had campaigned hard to get Gable to do the film, giving the star considerable
leverage.
In the end, Gable won Selznick over, and Cukor was out, replaced with Victor Fleming.
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