25 Famous On-Set Feuds Between Actors and Directors

Keira Knightley - Begin Again (John Carney)

Keira Knightley and director John Carney didn’t exactly make sweet music together while filming Begin Again. After production, Carney dismissed her as a “supermodel” lacking the depth for film acting, comments he later publicly apologized for. Knightley, with grace, accepted the apology but admitted the shoot had been “very difficult.” While she stopped short of attacking Carney, her candid words highlighted the strain.

Jake Gyllenhaal - Zodiac (David Fincher)

David Fincher’s obsessive attention to detail drove Jake Gyllenhaal up the wall during Zodiac. Fincher, notorious for shooting endless takes, likened Gyllenhaal to a distracted actor more focused on magazine covers than set work. Gyllenhaal, for his part, described working with Fincher as being reduced to a mere “colour” on the director’s canvas. The friction revealed how Fincher’s exacting style, brilliant to some, could feel unbearable for actors.

Faye Dunaway - Chinatown (Roman Polanski)

The making of Chinatown was as toxic as the film was brilliant. Faye Dunaway and director Roman Polanski constantly clashed, arguing over costumes, hair, and even bathroom breaks. Polanski dismissed Dunaway as “difficult,” while Dunaway later revealed his cruelty and humiliation tactics, which she believed bordered on harassment. Though Chinatown became a classic, the feud reinforced Hollywood’s tendency to label outspoken women as problematic. For Dunaway, the experience was not just art, it was a painful battle for dignity.

George Clooney - Three Kings (David O Russell)

George Clooney’s feud with David O Russell erupted during Three Kings after the director allegedly berated crew members. Clooney confronted him directly, later calling it “the worst experience of his life.” Their clash escalated into a near-physical fight, cementing Clooney’s disdain. Even decades later, Clooney hasn’t softened, describing O Russell in 2024 as “a miserable F.” While the film itself earned critical praise, the backstage war remains its most infamous legacy.

Gene Hackman - The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)

Gene Hackman was famously at odds with Wes Anderson while making The Royal Tenenbaums. Accounts from co-stars suggest Hackman berated Anderson and even told him to “pull up [his] pants and act like a man.” Despite the hostility, Anderson has never regretted casting Hackman, praising his powerhouse presence. The tension remains one of Hollywood’s more curious clashes.

Julia Roberts - Hook (Steven Spielberg)

On paper, Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell in Steven Spielberg’s Hook sounded magical. In reality, it was a nightmare. Stranded in green-screen isolation and coping with a very public breakup with Kiefer Sutherland, Roberts grew frustrated and earned the crew’s nickname “Tinkerhell.” Spielberg later admitted the timing was simply terrible, sympathizing with her situation. Roberts herself shrugged off the nickname but acknowledged the stress. The end result may be whimsical on screen, but the set was anything but fairy dust.

Bill Murray - Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis)

While Murray and Harold Ramis crafted comedy gold with Groundhog Day, their partnership collapsed in spectacular fashion. Creative disagreements spiraled into hostility, culminating in Ramis physically grabbing Murray during filming. Their friendship shattered, and the two didn’t reconcile for over two decades. Ramis’s daughter described her father as heartbroken by the fallout. Yet, on Ramis’s deathbed, Murray arrived with doughnuts, finally repairing the bond. It was a bittersweet ending to one of comedy’s greatest creative duos.

Lily Tomlin - I Heart Huckabees (David O Russell)

Few on-set meltdowns are as infamous as Lily Tomlin’s blow-up with David O Russell during I Heart Huckabees. Leaked footage showed the two hurling expletives at each other in explosive fashion. Though embarrassing, Tomlin later downplayed the feud, admitting creative stress sometimes makes people “act like a crazy person.” Remarkably, she insisted she still admired O Russell’s talent and bore no grudge.

Florence Pugh - Don’t Worry Darling (Olivia Wilde)

Behind-the-scenes drama overshadowed Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling, largely due to rumored tension with star Florence Pugh. Reports suggested a “screaming match” erupted over Wilde’s on-set absences, coinciding with her relationship with Harry Styles. Pugh also skipped the film’s press tour, fueling speculation. While Wilde downplayed rumors, Pugh remained silent, letting her performance speak for itself. Critics agreed she carried the film, even as gossip consumed it. Whatever the truth, Pugh emerged unscathed, cementing her status as Hollywood’s breakout powerhouse.

Bruce Willis - Cop Out (Kevin Smith)

The production of Cop Out is remembered less for its jokes and more for the legendary hostility between Bruce Willis and director Kevin Smith. Smith later called working with Willis “soul-crushing,” claiming the star had no love for filmmaking. In turn, Willis dismissed Smith as a “whiner,” blaming their friction on clashing work styles. Their feud outshone the forgettable film itself, serving as a cautionary tale: even with comedic material, the set can be anything but funny.

Val Kilmer & Tommy Lee Jones - Batman Forever (Joel Schumacher)

Joel Schumacher’s glossy Batman Forever masked bitter behind-the-scenes feuds. The director publicly blasted Val Kilmer as “psychotic” and Tommy Lee Jones as an “a-hole,” vowing never to work with either again. Kilmer reportedly stopped speaking to Schumacher entirely during production, creating a frosty atmosphere. Neither actor returned for the sequel. Though the film remains a colorful curiosity in Batman history, Schumacher’s candid remarks revealed the chaos simmering under Gotham’s neon glow, where egos clashed harder than superheroes.

The Cast - Steel Magnolias (Herbert Ross)

Steel Magnolias may have charmed audiences, but the shoot was anything but heartwarming. Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, and Dolly Parton all clashed with director Herbert Ross, who belittled their acting abilities. Ross reportedly targeted Roberts in particular, calling her performance bad, which she described as “mean and out of line.” Parton, bemused, reminded Ross she wasn’t an actress but “a personality.” The cast bonded by uniting against Ross, proving shared struggle can create lasting camaraderie.

Megan Fox - Transformers (Michael Bay)

Megan Fox skyrocketed to fame with Michael Bay’s Transformers, but the experience started to feel rotten quickly. Fox compared Bay’s directorial style to Adolf Hitler, a comment that led producer Steven Spielberg to fire her from the franchise. Though the fallout stalled her career, Fox later reconciled with Bay, working with him again on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She clarified she wasn’t sexually exploited, but the controversy stuck. Her clash with Bay remains one of Hollywood’s most infamous actor-director bust-ups of the 2000s.

Edward Norton – American History X (Tony Kaye)

Edward Norton clashed bitterly with director Tony Kaye over American History X, particularly in the editing room. After studio dissatisfaction with Kaye’s cut, Norton stepped in with notes, which enraged the filmmaker. Kaye punched a wall in anger, publicly insulted Norton, and even tried to replace his credit with “Humpty Dumpty.” Norton, however, has remained silent about the feud.

Cher - Mask / Witches of Eastwick (Peter Bogdanovich & George Miller)

Cher has a history of clashing with directors, and her spats with Peter Bogdanovich (Mask) and George Miller (The Witches of Eastwick) became notorious. Bogdanovich accused her of being “difficult” and even claimed she couldn’t act, while Cher fired back that he didn’t respect her. Miller reportedly called her “too old and not sexy.” Yet Cher’s career speaks for itself—she won an Oscar for Moonstruck.

Tom Hanks - Sully (Clint Eastwood)

Even Hollywood’s most affable star, Tom Hanks, has had tense moments with directors. On Sully, Clint Eastwood’s minimalist style unsettled him. Hanks recalled Eastwood treating actors “like horses,” starting takes without warning. Though intimidating, the approach produced what critics hailed as one of Hanks’s best performances. Their working relationship may have lacked warmth, but the final product proved fruitful. Sometimes the discomfort of clashing methods sharpens performances, even when legends like Hanks and Eastwood don’t entirely click.

Jennifer Lawrence - X-Men: Days of Future Past (Bryan Singer)

Jennifer Lawrence didn’t mince words about working with Bryan Singer. During a Hollywood Reporter roundtable, she described his on-set “hissy fits” as unprofessional and emotionally draining. Lawrence’s criticism echoed other actors’ discomfort with Singer, who later faced serious allegations of misconduct. While Days of Future Past was a commercial hit, Singer’s behavior left a sour taste for its cast. Lawrence’s candor highlighted the double standard in Hollywood, where difficult male directors were tolerated far more than outspoken women.

Shelley Duvall – The Shining (Stanley Kubrick)

The making of The Shining is legendary for Stanley Kubrick’s obsessive directing, and no one bore the brunt more than Shelley Duvall. Forced through endless retakes, including one scene reportedly filmed 127 times, she endured months of public scolding and emotional exhaustion. Duvall later admitted the shoot was “almost unbearable,” but in hindsight she praised the experience as a valuable, if grueling, lesson in filmmaking.

Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up (Judd Apatow)

Katherine Heigl caused waves after calling Knocked Up “sexist,” criticizing its portrayal of women as humorless nags. Director Judd Apatow admitted he expected an apology but never received one. Heigl later insisted she had mixed feelings about the role, praising much of the experience but still uneasy about its message. The comments dented her Hollywood reputation, sparking the infamous “difficult” label. In hindsight, Heigl’s critique seems prescient, opening conversations about gender in comedy.

Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni - It Ends With Us

What should have been a straightforward adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller devolved into controversy. Blake Lively clashed hard with director and co-star Justin Baldoni, later accusing him of inappropriate behavior in a lawsuit. Allegations included unprofessional improvisation in intimate scenes and entering her trailer without permission. The cast publicly sided with Lively, leaving Baldoni isolated. With claims that Ryan Reynolds satirized Baldoni in Deadpool & Wolverine, the feud became bigger than the movie itself—an ugly collision of stars, indeed.

Elliot Page - X-Men: The Last Stand (Brett Ratner)

Elliot Page revealed that X-Men: The Last Stand director Brett Ratner outed them as queer on set, an act that was both invasive and traumatic. Page’s account added to a long list of allegations against Ratner, who has since been sidelined from Hollywood following sexual misconduct accusations. Though The Last Stand is often criticized for its poor handling of the X-Men mythos, Ratner’s treatment of Page cemented the film as a darker chapter in both franchise history and Page’s career.

Gal Gadot & Ray Fisher - Justice League (Joss Whedon)

When Joss Whedon took over Justice League after Zack Snyder’s exit, the already troubled production spiraled. Ray Fisher accused Whedon of abusive and dismissive behavior, while Gal Gadot alleged he threatened her career after she objected to a sexualized scene. Their complaints painted Whedon as hostile and unprofessional, with cast and crew rallying behind them. Though Snyder’s version was later released to acclaim, Whedon’s reputation crumbled.

Emilia Clarke - Terminator: Genisys (Alan Taylor)

Terminator: Genisys should have been a career highlight for Emilia Clarke, but instead she called it “no fun at all.” Reuniting with her Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor, Clarke found him unrecognizable, saying the experience was miserable for the entire crew. Rumors swirled that nearby crews mocked the shoot with jackets reading, “At least we’re not on Terminator.” The film flopped critically and commercially.

Mike Myers - Wayne’s World (Penelope Spheeris)

The cult comedy Wayne’s World delivered laughs, but tensions simmered between star Mike Myers and director Penelope Spheeris. Myers famously hated the head-banging Bohemian Rhapsody scene (yes, it’s now iconic) and later blocked Spheeris from directing the sequel. While the film became a cultural touchstone, their fallout was bitter. Years later, Spheeris reflected with surprising grace, admitting the conflict had once devastated her but ultimately made her stronger. She even expressed gratitude for the experience.

Burt Reynolds - Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Though Burt Reynolds earned critical acclaim and an Oscar nod for Boogie Nights, he never warmed to director Paul Thomas Anderson. Reynolds, then a Hollywood veteran, felt Anderson was arrogant and self-indulgent, particularly irritated by the director’s excitement over shots Reynolds dismissed as unoriginal. He bluntly told GQ he’d never work with Anderson again. The irony remains striking: Reynolds delivered one of his finest late-career performances under a director he openly couldn’t stand.