Cheapism / Nathan Congleton (CC BY-NC-SA)/ Josh Hallett (CC BY-SA)/ Cliff Hawkins / Getty
Have you ever loved an actor so much that you put a poster of them on your bedroom wall when you were younger? Maybe you’ve committed yourself to watching every movie or show they were ever in. But have you ever stopped to wonder if they’re as lovable behind the scenes as they are on the big screen? The actors on this list might earn accolades for their work, but they won’t be winning any awards for how they behave on set.
The legendary comedian has a long history of being anything but beloved on set. Murray reportedly paid $100,000 to settle a complaint by a "much younger" female co-worker after he allegedly kissed her on the mouth (they were both masked to meet COVID-19 protocols) and straddled her. Murray previously was suspended from the set of the upcoming movie "Being Mortal" following allegations of unspecified "inappropriate behavior." Production on the film was shut down, and the film was canceled. But this isn't the first time the 72-year-old actor has been called out. Actors have spoken out about his unsavory behavior on the sets of classic films such as "Charlie's Angels," "Caddyshack," and "Groundhog Day," alleging that Murray was even embroiled in several physical altercations on set.
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Have you ever wondered why Katherine Heigl went from the “it” girl for romantic comedies to hardly cast in anything other than commercials? Heigl has acquired quite the reputation for being both difficult and demanding on set. In addition to her diva-like attitude, she also has a track record for bad mouthing projects she works on once they are released, namely “Knocked Up” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” After stalling for a bit, her career was on the upswing with Netflix's "Firefly Lane."
The cast of “Desperate Housewives” might have been super-tight on screen, but behind the scenes, Teri Hatcher was reportedly anything but a friend to her castmates and crew. According to the show’s creator, Marc Cherry, Hatcher’s co-star Nicolette Sheridan once referred to her as the “meanest woman in the world.” The cast apparently disliked her so much that when the show wrapped for good and the stars got parting gifts for the crew, they left her name off the card.
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Fired from two different hit TV shows, Shannen Doherty is known for being difficult to work with. Her bad reputation began while filming “Beverly Hills 90210” when she got in an explosive fight with co-star Jennie Garth. She was fired from the show and her castmates were said to have celebrated her exit, expressing how happy they were to be rid of her and complaining about her lack of professionalism. Later in her career, Doherty starred in “Charmed” and had similar issues with her co-star Alyssa Milano, though Milano latertook responsibility for some of the conflict.
Being a notorious party girl also earned Lindsay Lohan notoriety for being difficult to work with. Several actors and crew members have said that Lohan was constantly holding up production, whether she was late to arrive on the set or killing a little too much time in her trailer. She's having a career revival thanks to several Netflix movies, including :"Irish Wish," so she may have dropped her bad habits.
Even Russell Crowe himself has admitted that he has an attitude problem. His temper and difficult backstage demeanor earned him a bad reputation, starting with reports of his antics while filming “Gladiator.” He cemented himself as hard to work with when he was nearly fired from “Robin Hood” for constantly butting heads with director Ridley Scott.
Charlie Sheen’s drug use, excessive partying, and reckless lifestyle is no secret. The actor’s antics are tabloid bait. In 2011, the Tinseltown bad boy was fired from the hit sitcom “Two and a Half Men” for his self-destructive behavior which led to severe clashing with the show’s creator. The actor was also dubbed a “menace to work with” by Selma Blair, his “Anger Management” co-star.
British actor Christian Bale might be a Hollywood heartthrob, but he’s also allegedly a Hollywood horror to work with. Bale is known for having a temper and a viral video of him belligerently insulting and berating a crew member while working on “Terminator: Salvation” served as proof of his ornery disposition.
Given how big of a star Jennifer Lopez is, it’s not really that surprising that she is known for having a diva-like demeanor on set. Lopez has a pretty lengthy list of backstage demands for each project she works on including some elaborate requests like keeping a helicopter on standby and blocking off entire hotel floors. Lopez also allegedly doesn’t mingle with crew members and requires them to communicate with her through her assistants. Lopez, however, defends her demanding behavior.
Sometimes taking your craft seriously can go a little too far when it comes to the silver screen. Such is the case with Steven Seagal who has become known for being controlling and demanding on set. He was even rumored to constantly request changes to scripts and disrespect other actors and crew members with a host of actresses accusing him of misconduct in the audition process.
While there are plenty of actors and directors who appreciate Shia LaBeouf’s method acting, there are perhaps even more who find that it makes him extremely hard to work with. He has been known to be quite intense and apparently while he was filming “Lawless,” he regularly drank large amounts of moonshine so he could appear bloated and puffy to meet the demands of his character. As a result, his co-star Mia Wasikowska became so uncomfortable interacting with him that she attempted to get released from the film.
Mel Gibson’s fall from grace was widely publicized and it is pretty much common knowledge that he is beyond difficult to work with on set and is pretty hard to tolerate off set too. The actor has been involved in many anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic, and violent incidents, with Winona Ryder even recalling how he had insulted her in the ’90s, calling her an “oven dodger,” which Gibson denies.
Bruce Willis might be a beloved action star, but apparently he isn’t so lovable on set. The actor has been described as both difficult and unapproachable. Most notably, “Cop Out” director Kevin Smith described Willis as “soul crushing” to work with, explaining that the actor wouldn’t participate in promoting the movie. Even Sylvester Stallone has commented on Willis’ negative persona on set.
Divas aren't all that uncommon in Hollywood and Megan Fox is known for being one of them. She also has a reputation for being disrespectful, leading to her being fired from “Transformers” after she referred to the director as “Hitler” in an interview.