Whether it’s a wild celebration, a somber mourning or the season finale of The Bachelor,
hitting the bottle is not uncommon.
What’s a bit more unusual, though, is getting your drink on at your place of work.
At most jobs, this is a big no-no, but in Hollywood, things are a little different.
"This is equal parts scotch, absinthe, rum, gin, vermouth, triple sec, and 2 packs of
splenda."
Whether it inspired great performances or caused some disastrous behind the scenes drama,
here are some stories of actors who were drunk during filming.
"drink, l'chaim, to life!"
Denise Richards and Neve Campbell
It doesn't matter who you are: if you find yourself kissing a girl for the first time
in your life, naked in a pool, surrounded by a film crew — a cocktail...or five...might
be in order.
That was definitely the case for actresses Neve Campbell and Denise Richards who needed
some liquid courage before filming their famously steamy scene from Wild Things.
This was going to be the first time either of the actresses had kissed a girl before,
so they decided to take the edge off by pounding back an entire pitcher of margaritas before
the camera started rolling.
Looking back on the kiss now, Campbell said it was actually pretty fun and that they were
definitely thankful for the pre-filming drink.
Daniel Radcliffe
By the time Daniel Radcliffe turned 18 and was filming his sixth Harry Potter movie,
he found himself quite lost in the drink.
What started out as a fun lifestyle of partying quickly degenerated into a serious problem
that found Radcliffe blacking out multiple times per week.
The actor did his best to keep some distance between his work and his drinking and he maintains
that he never actually drank on the Harry Potter set.
Radcliffe has admitted, however, that he often would show up in the morning still drunk from
the night before, and would start shooting while clearly still under the influence.
The actor claims he can tell which scenes he was inebriated for, but he's understandably
refused to share that information with the public.
The only solution to this predicament: set aside a weekend and have yourself an eagle-eyed
Harry Potter movie marathon...and maybe a few drinks too.
Robert Shaw
It’s no secret that actor Robert Shaw liked to drink.
And as it turns out, this affinity for the bottle affected the actor’s famous performance
in 1975’s Jaws.
Before filming a particularly tricky monologue, Shaw asked director Steven Spielberg if he
could have a bit to drink to help him loosen up.
Unfortunately, that "bit to drink" resulted in Shaw showing up to the shoot completely
wasted.
The actor was unable to perform the scene and ruined the entire shoot for the day.
The next day, Shaw showed up to set with his tail between his legs and was very apologetic
for the way he acted.
Spielberg forgave him, Shaw knocked the scene out of the park.
"Y’know, the thing about a shark, he’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s
eyes."
And the rest is history.
Martin Sheen
Of all the famous film shoots in the history of Hollywood, perhaps none are quite as legendary
as the set of Apocalypse Now.
Leading man Martin Sheen was a late addition to the film, and when he arrived, he found
a set in chaos.
Needless to say, he wasted no timing diving right into the thick of it.
Apparently, director Francis Ford Coppola kept Sheen locked up and completely hammered
for days on end in an effort to get the emotionally driven performance he was looking for.
Coppola even toyed with Sheen’s psyche, telling the actor that the rest of the production
team was evil and out to get him.
The performance ended up being pretty amazing, but it sounds like Martin Sheen went through
a drunken hell to get there.
Margot Robbie
Australian-born actress Margot Robbie is one of the most sought after actresses working
today.
Still, her big break might never have happened if it weren't for a helpful crew member who
happened to have some booze on hand.
On the set of The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie had to bare all, and the actress was very
nervous for the nude moment.
She knew eventually she'd watch that scene with her dear mum.
"I actually tried to cover her eyes when the nude bits happened, but she pushed my hand
away."
Luckily, a member of the production team offered Robbie some tequila to help her calm her nerves.
She quickly threw back three shots and was ready to roll.
The scene turned out great and Robbie credits the booze for helping her nail the R-rated
moment.
Brad Pitt and Edward Norton
Despite how tight the script seemed, there were several improvised moments during the
filming of Fight Club.
"Mother f***er!
You hit me in the ear."
On top of that improvised hit, the scene in which Brad Pitt and Ed Norton drunkenly smack
golf balls from their house was also unplanned — and surprisingly method.
The actors, who had bonded on set, had actually gotten drunk together and started smacking
golf balls at the film’s catering trucks.
When Fincher saw them, he thought it fit their rebellious characters, and decided to roll
the cameras.
Pitt remembers the drunken sequence fondly, and this honest moment of bonding not only
helped the actors get closer but actually gave birth to one of the more popular scenes
from the film.
Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif
The late Peter O'Toole was almost as famous for his drinking as he was for his acting.
By the time the actor’s starring role in Lawrence of Arabia came about, he was already
well versed in the art of on-set drinking, and he decided it was time to spread the wealth.
During the famous Aqaba scene, O’Toole’s co-star, Omar Sharif, was terrified of falling
off his camel and he considered tying his legs to the animal.
But O’Toole had a different plan in mind.
He suggested that they ought to just get drunk and let the rest work itself out.
Sharif obliged, and the two proceeded to get sloshed on brandy and milk.
O'Toole and Sharif ended up delivering some of the most famous performances in film history.
"Thank you, alcohol."
Thanks for watching!
Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!