What makes an actor hate their own movie? Why would you backtrack on your big break?
What does it take to make Ed Harris cry? You asked — and we've got the answers.
Four Christmases is a 2004 comedy film about a couple who are forced to visit
their relatives at Christmas after their flight out of the country is
canceled. Played by Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, the pair soon learn a number
of surprising secrets about each other and themselves. You know — classic romcom stuff.
When it came time to promote the movie, however, only Witherspoon was present in
interviews and press events. Reports at the time suggested that Vaughn had purposely scheduled
other work to clash with the promotion of Four Christmases as a way of getting out of having
to appear alongside his co-star. Vaughn didn't even attend the film's premiere.
This seemingly arose out of a conflict between the two actors that had coalesced
onset. As it turned out, certain scenes were cut from the movie
because Vaughn and Witherspoon refused to spend time together.
2004's Hellboy came several years before the big boom in comic book adaptations,
but was still successful enough to justify a sequel in 2008 and a reboot of the franchise
in 2019. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and based on the Dark Horse Comics character,
the film stars Ron Perlman as the titular half-demon hero, who fights monsters alongside
FBI agent Johnny Myers and the amphibious humanoid, Abe Sapien. Though played by Doug
Jones, Abe is voiced by Frasier star David Hyde Pierce, who refused to be credited for his work.
Pierce was reportedly hired for the role because he was a more recognizable name,
but the actor did not want to take away from Jones' physical performance. In an interview
with io9, Jones confirmed that Pierce refused any credit for his voicework and did not do any
promotional work on the movie, all because he wanted his co-star to take the credit for the
part. For the sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Abe was portrayed completely by Jones,
who has also provided the voice for the character in an animated TV spin-off.
At one point in time, Lindsay Lohan was the most in-demand child star in the world. Later, however,
she endured a number of career difficulties, and nowadays she rarely appears in any major
projects on film or television. Perhaps it was that lack of work that drove her towards
the 2013 Paul Schrader film The Canyons. In this movie, Lohan stars alongside adult
film actor James Deen as a woman in a relationship with an abusive partner.
Despite landing poorly with critics and fans, Lohan's performance in The
Canyons did attract some praise. But her work didn't seem to extend to helping promote the
film. Lambasting the actor in public, Schrader claimed that she refused to do any promotional
work for The Canyons even though he had moved premiere dates and locations to better suit
her schedule. The filmmaker was even angrier considering that he felt he had given Lohan
multiple second chances throughout filming, during which she had often proved unreliable.
"You know, the new Lindsay didn't show up. The old Lindsay showed up."
Paul Thomas Anderson released Boogie Nights in 1997, a movie that charts the rise and fall of
the American pornographic industry during the '70s and '80s. The movie was a huge hit
when it was released, enjoying a successful box office run and receiving widespread praise from
both the audience and critics. Boogie Nights was also nominated for a number of Oscars,
including best supporting actor and actress nods for Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore. But one
person who wasn't happy with the film was Reynolds himself, who, despite putting in one of the best
performances of his career, regretted filming it so much that he fired his agent in the aftermath.
Reynolds' distaste for Boogie Nights, as well as his frosty relationship with Anderson,
meant that he performed basically no promotional work for the film. This meant refusing to campaign
for his Oscar, which co-star Mark Wahlberg later said may have cost him the award.
Based on the 1996 novel Push by American author Sapphire, Precious is a 2009 film directed by Lee
Daniels. The story follows a troubled young girl, Claireece Jones, who has recently become pregnant.
Illiterate and facing few life prospects, she is encouraged to enroll in an alternative school
that could give her a second chance — against the wishes of her unemployed mother, Mary.
The film won critical acclaim upon its release, with Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique receiving
particular praise for their performances as Claireece and Mary respectively. Each received
a number of high-profile award nominations, with Mo'Nique finally taking home an Academy Award for
her role. Famously, however, she did not do any campaigning on the award circuit ahead of the
Oscars and was unwilling to travel in order to promote the film ahead of its release. Mo'Nique
later claimed this was so that she could spend more time with her family. However,
she also revealed that she was paid just $50,000 for her role in the film and
felt that she should have been compensated more to do extra work promoting Precious.
Following the success of the 2010 black comedy Kick-Ass,
a sequel was quickly put into development. Released in 2013, Kick-Ass 2 saw the original
movie's cast joined by comedy icon Jim Carrey, who played Colonel Stars & Stripes.
"Oh, try to have fun. Otherwise, what's the point?"
Carrey's character is a former mafia member who worked with the villains in the first film,
but was never shown on screen. By the time Kick-Ass 2 takes place,
he has renounced his previous criminal life and now operates the vigilante group Justice Forever.
Just two months before the release of Kick-Ass 2, Carrey revealed that he would not take any
part in publicity for the movie. He cited concerns about the violence in the film,
especially amidst the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, tweeting:
"I did Kickass a month b4 Sandy Hook and now
in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence."
The original comic book's creator, Mark Millar, later pointed out that the movie's
violent nature had been very clear from the start. In a statement, he said:
"A movie called Kick-Ass 2 really has to do what it says on the tin."
In the early days of the MCU, Edward Norton played Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk.
The film charts the origin of the Hulk as the military attempts to use him to
develop a group of super soldiers. Arguably one of the most lackluster movies in the MCU,
The Incredible Hulk faced a mixed critical reception and didn't perform too well at
the box office, although it was seen as a significant upgrade compared to the 2003 film.
By all accounts, production on The Incredible Hulk did not go smoothly. Reports suggest
that Norton was difficult to work with, questioning the direction of the film and
demanding frequent re-writes to the script. When it came time to publicize the release,
the actor was notably absent while fellow star Liv Tyler and director Louis Leterrier
completed a number of press interviews. These factors later led to Norton being
replaced as Hulk in the MCU, with Mark Ruffalo eventually taking over the role.
"Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."
"That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry."
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige later said in a statement:
"Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors,
but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the
creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members."
The Counselor was a 2013 crime thriller that had high expectations — especially considering it
was directed by Ridley Scott and featured a truly stacked cast. The movie follows a criminal Texan
lawyer who becomes embroiled in the illegal drug trade and faces dire consequences when
a cartel deal goes bad. It was one of Cameron Diaz's final films before her acting hiatus
and failed to perform, suffering both mediocre reviews and a disappointing box office return.
The reason behind Diaz's refusal to do any promotional work for The Counselor
apparently comes down to the fact that she was forced to redub all of her lines. The
actor had reportedly portrayed her character with a strong Bajan accent — only for studio
executives to push back and force her to re-record all of her dialogue. Diaz
was obviously less than impressed with this, and her unhappiness with the way
things turned out likely contributed to her exit from the movie's publicity tour.
James Cameron's 1989 sci-fi thriller The Abyss follows a team of scientists who investigate a
sunken nuclear submarine and discover something sinister living under the water. Despite being
one of Cameron's least successful movies at the box office, The Abyss was still something
of a hit with critics and later won an Academy Award for best visual effects.
By all accounts, production on The Abyss was difficult, with Cameron putting his actors
through various ordeals to get the footage he needed. Speaking to The Los Angeles Times,
Ed Harris likened the treatment of the cast to the experiences of soldiers in Vietnam. In various
reports, he also spoke about one instance in which he burst into tears on the drive
home after a particularly bad day of filming. Harris eventually decided that he would refuse
to speak about The Abyss after it hit cinema screens, essentially disavowing it in public.
In 2012, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the release of Dr. No,
MGM released a special DVD box set containing every entry in the James Bond series up to
that point. An important occasion in the franchise's history, the release
was accompanied by a significant marketing campaign that included former Bond actors
promoting the box set. Sean Connery, however, was notably absent from the publicity push.
Connery has always had something of a rough relationship with the James Bond franchise,
despite delivering arguably the iconic iteration of the legendary spy. Notably, he has appeared in
many of the very best entries in the franchise, such as From Russia with Love and Goldfinger.
"Bond… James Bond."
Connery's agent explained that he had retired and did not want to make further public appearances,
but reports at the time suggested that he had been underpaid for his performances in the series.
The Sound of Music is a much-loved musical directed by Robert Wise in 1965. The movie stars
Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer alongside a cast of children in a story about a nun who
goes to look after the children of a widowed former naval officer. It won numerous awards
when it was released and became a box office sensation, grossing more than $150 million.
Despite its huge success and lasting appeal, Plummer actually hated The
Sound of Music. He had a habit of not even referring to the film by its actual title,
instead calling it The Sound of Mucus and S&M, as well as occasionally just mentioning it as "the
movie." Speaking in more recent years, Plummer revealed that he was simply bored of the character
and didn't find the subject matter interesting. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said:
"It was so awful and sentimental and gooey. You had to work terribly
hard to try and infuse some minuscule bit of humor into it."
He also refused to attend many of the film's anniversary events and
was notably absent from promotional videos in which the rest of the cast appeared.
Savage Steve Holland's 1985 movie Better Off Dead stars John Cusack as Lane Meyer,
a high school student who repeatedly tries to end his own life after his girlfriend breaks up
with him. When his inept attempts at suicide cause more embarrassment for the youngster, he attempts
to win back his love by competing in a skiing competition. While Better Off Dead was neither
popular nor lucrative at the time, it has become something of a cult film in the years since.
Cusack has never hidden his disdain for the movie, however. According to Holland,
the actor walked out of a screening of Better Off Dead and refused to work with him following the
completion of their subsequent movie, One Crazy Summer. Cusack told Holland that he
hated Better Off Dead and chose to promote neither that movie nor One Crazy Summer.