A film-set may seem like a natural environment for actors, but with a bad combination of
clashing actors and directors, heightened emotions, and uncontrollable egos, a movie
shoot can easily become the place of a total actor meltdown. Here are 10 Actors Who Suffered
Meltdowns on the set of their Movies. If you like our list, don’t forget to tell us and
be sure to subscribe to the Screen Rant Channel.
Gene Hackman, There are certain seasoned actors who have
reached such a height of fame that the mere thought of a hot new director wanting them
in their movie, doesn’t flatter them, it makes them angry. When Gene Hackman discovered
that Wes Anderson wrote the role of the patriarch to the titular The Royal Tenenbaums, specifically
for him, he was livid. He was also furious that he would be earning so little since it
was an independent film. Hackman’s agent convinced him to take on the role, but the
actor’s anger filtered through on set. His behavior was so unnerving to the rest of the
cast, they managed their best to keep far away from Hackman and his daily vitriol.
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando was a legendary actor not only
for his performances on screen but for his crazy antics when the cameras weren’t rolling.
While there have been countless stories of the actor behaving abnormally on the set of
films like The Last Tango in Paris and The Freshman, his major meltdown came on the set
of 1996’s The Island of Dr. Moreau. Being Marlon Brando and knowing it was a privilege
for the filmmaker, John Frankenheimer, to have the Godfather himself in the film, Brando
used that power to request some bizarre character choices. One of Brando’s decisions was to
wear an ice bucket as a hat. There didn’t seem to be any relevance to the ice bucket,
it was just something the actor found and wanted to wear. It was also his decision to
put a friend of his, who was also a little person, in the film who became a mini-me to
Brando’s character. Finally, Brando was so indifferent to his role, he wore an earpiece
with someone feeding him his lines.
Wesley Snipes For years, Wesley Snipe has only brought problems
to film sets. It appears 2004’s Blade Trinity was no exception. The third film in the Blade
series was nothing short of a total disaster. Snipes spent most of the time in his trailer
rather than interacting with his co-stars or preparing for scenes. He also accused director
David Goyer of being racist after seeing another black actor wearing a non-wardrobe shirt,
with Garbage” emblazoned on the front. This incident caused Snipes to threaten Goyer’s
life. There was no much tension on the set, Snipes was regularly replaced with a stand-in
and only showed up for close-ups. Most of the comical scenes with Ryan Reynolds were
done without Snipes there with post production placing him the scene later. All the strife
on set may have led to the final product being uneven at best.
Lindsay Lohan Poor Lindsay Lohan has had what seems like
endless meltdowns in the public eye. Ever since evolving from child to adult actor,
Lohan has struggled to maintain a semblance of normalcy in her life. 2013’s cinematic
nightmare, The Canyons, may have been a failure on its own but Lohan’s on-set bizarre behavior
was no help. After not showing up on the first day, the director abruptly fired her. After
she sat outside of the director’s hotel room crying for hours, he gave her another
chance. Lohan also went out of her way to escape the set as well as the security team
director Paul Schrader, hired to keep tabs on the unpredictable actress. Lohan also had
an emotional breakdown and refused to film an orgy scene. Since the scenes were in the
script and the film also starred an adult film star, the scene was not a curveball for
Lindsay. After the director exposed himself to Lindsay, he demanded she disrobe and get
in the scene, which she did.
Julia Roberts There is rarely controversy surrounding Julia
Roberts. Once dubbed “America’s Sweetheart” a title which she poked fun at by starring
in a film by the same name, Roberts has had a long-lasting career with seldom a negative
word spoken of her. However, in 1991, while filming Steven Spielberg’s Hook, she was
nicknamed “Tinkerhell”, Roberts was uncharacteristically bratty on set which did not sit right with
the director. Much of her poor behavior stemmed from the tremulous relationship with her fiancé’
at the time, Kiefer Sutherland. The relationship drama became even more complex when actor
Jason Patric began visiting Roberts on set. Fortunately, Roberts seems to have gotten
her on-set meltdowns out of her system early in her career.
Jared Leto There are some actors who are so dedicated
to their roles, they remain in character for the entirety of the film shoot. Jared Leto,
always the committed thespian, did just that for 2016’s Suicide Squad. Playing someone
as crazy as The Joker can’t be easy, as it affected Heath Ledger greatly before his
death in 2008. When Leto took on the role, he became abusive toward his co-stars with
his Joker-like antics. Leto sent them a variety of disgusting items including dead pigs, rats,
and even used condoms. His extreme behavior was intended to intimidate the other actors
in a way only the Joker could. Unfortunately, his devotion to the character only led to
disappointment for Leto once he discovered many of his scenes were cut from the final
film.
Christian Bale Christian Bale is known for his bad temper.
On more than one occasion, the Dark Knight actor has displayed his tempestuous side on
film sets. For 2009’s Terminator Salvation, Bale just couldn’t hide his annoyance with
crew members who were stepping in frame. When director of photography, Shane Huribut, accidentally
stepped in on a scene, Bale went berserk. The actor went on a long-winded tirade insulting
Huribut and demanding he be removed from the set. The incident was recorded and went viral.
Bale later explained that he had apologized to Huribut and they continued working. It’s
not clear if this was the only instance of a Bale meltdown on the set of Terminator Salvation
but it was the only one that was recorded for the world to hear.
George Clooney According to many actors, David O’ Russell
is not an easy director to work with. While he may create tension on set, he remains a
director actors want to work with despite his demeanor. It was George Clooney who suffered
a slight meltdown caused by O’ Russell for 1999’s Three Kings. After a horrendous shoot,
which included the director verbally attacking nearly every crew member and personal assistant,
the typically collected Clooney couldn’t take it any longer. He demanded O’Russell
do something about his behavior. Rather than directing his anger toward others, Clooney
insisted the director get physical with the Clooney. After the director literally butted
heads with Clooney and then held his hand around his throat, Clooney reacted by grabbing
the director’s throat, wanting to kill him. Those around Clooney pulled him off the director
and the filming continued.
Joaquin Phoenix For Joaquin Phoenix, it was less of a case
of a public meltdown and more of a performance art piece which convinced the public he was
having some sort of breakdown. After receiving critical acclaim for his performances, the
actor decided to retire from acting. In 2009, he made it clear to the public that he was
out of the acting game for good and he was now going to focus on a career as a hip-hop
artist. Every talk show appearance he made after the announcement not only reiterated
his new passion but was met with confused reactions by the host. One of his strangest
interviews was with David Letterman who tried to playfully address the new career change
which only made the interview more awkward as Phoenix stoically responded with his complete
dedication to his new hip hop persona. In 2011, I’m Still Here, a supposed documentary
directed by friend and brother in law, Casey Affleck, was released. It was intended to
highlight Phoenix’s new career and journey as a rapper. Once critics and audiences saw
the film, it was apparent that I’m Still Here was a mockumentary, just as Phoenix had
been trolling the public for over a year.
Chris Evans, Chris Evans may be a household name now, but
reaching that level of fame was far too daunting for him to accept it easily. After signing
a 6-picture deal with Marvel films to be Captain America, Evans became increasingly anxious
and was unsure if he could handle the pressure. Prior to signing on to play such a major character,
Evans feared he could not handle the commitment. He contemplated quitting acting altogether
and the notion he would be unable to quit if he signed a contract, gave him serious
panic. While promoting his previous superhero role, Johnny Storm in The Fantastic Four,
he felt overwhelmed and suffered his first meltdown. Luckily, Evans sought out a therapist
to discuss his anxiety and will continue playing the iconic superhero.
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