Hollywood’s glamorous image sometimes hides a surprising reality: on-set conflicts and outright refusals between co-stars are more common than you might think. We’re talking beyond simple disagreements to full-blown feuds that tested the limits of professionalism. These dramatic stories offer a candid look at the challenges faced even in the world’s most magical industry, proving that sometimes, even movie stars can be difficult coworkers.
Comedian Bill Maher once noted how great things get done in Hollywood despite people “hating each other’s f****** guts.” Sometimes, though, that hatred boils over, forcing producers into elaborate logistical puzzles. From the Golden Age’s biggest personalities to modern-day A-listers, we’re diving into the legendary actors who refused to coexist on set. Get ready to discover how some truly iconic films battled intense personal animosity behind the scenes.
1. **Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando**Imagine directing two titans: Frank Sinatra, old-school show business king, and Marlon Brando, a rebel despising Hollywood commerce. This was Joseph Mankiewicz’s task on 1955’s “Guys and Dolls.” Their animosity was palpable, a clash of two distinct eras, simmering long before filming.
The feud, particularly from Sinatra, predated the shoot. Brando tried working with Sinatra in rehearsals, especially on musical numbers where Sinatra excelled. But Sinatra refused, alienating Brando and dividing the set. Mankiewicz, reportedly siding with Brando, faced challenges: Sinatra refused to perform; Brando resorted to childish pranks.
The tension escalated to a point where the two lead actors “wouldn’t directly interact on the set,” relying solely on “intermediaries” to communicate, yet “Guys and Dolls” went on to become “a critical and commercial hit.” Despite the film’s success, “neither Sinatra nor Brando would recall it, or the filming experience, fondly in their later years,” illustrating that critical acclaim doesn’t always equate to a harmonious production.
2. **Peter Sellers and Orson Welles**”Casino Royale” (1967) was a wild, expensive spoof, gaining a cult following. But for Peter Sellers, a star, the experience was far from enjoyable. Sellers, a comedic genius yet notoriously difficult, brought chaos to an already tumultuous production.
Sellers demanded Orson Welles be cast as Le Chiffre. This sparked fierce rivalry. Sellers grew deeply “paranoid and jealous of Welles,” who was well-liked by the crew and received “fawning attention from visiting dignitaries.” “Sellers and Welles did at least a few shots together.” Yet, Sellers “insisted that the rest of their scene be covered so that neither had to be on set at the same time.”
Sellers’ unpredictable behavior extended beyond his clashes with Welles; he also “reportedly [struck] a director” and then “quit the picture before all his scenes were shot,” leading to a “convoluted rewrite involving multiple James Bond stand-ins.” This challenging situation highlights the incredible resilience of the film crew who managed to complete the movie despite such significant disruptions.
3. **John Wayne and Clint Eastwood**Two Western legends, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, never worked together. The Duke, fiercely protective of the traditional Western, “never warmed up to the newcomer.” While he “encouraged Eastwood” early on, their paths soon diverged.
Eastwood’s rise, and his direction of films that “subverted and challenged that traditional image” – with white hats and black hats – deeply displeased Wayne. This ideological clash created a chasm. In the 1970s, Eastwood asked Wayne to join “The Hostiles.” Wayne’s response detailed “his opposition to the image of the American West Eastwood had shown in his directing vehicle ‘High Plains Drifter.'”
Eastwood tried “three times to entice Wayne,” but the Duke remained firm. Eastwood ultimately “chalked up the divide between them to generational and attitudinal differences.” This clash of titans ensured audiences never saw them ride side-by-side, a refusal stemming from fundamental disagreements about the genre they defined.
4. **John Wayne and Charlton Heston**John Wayne had “burnt bridges.” He refused Clint Eastwood, and Charlton Heston “would not appear in a film with the Western star.” This was Wayne’s “long-cherished passion project”: a major motion picture about the Alamo.
By 1960, Wayne was an icon, Heston a rising star. Wayne, forced to star as Davy Crockett, hoped to cast Heston as Jim Bowie. But a political divide created a barrier. Heston was an “avowed Democrat,” Wayne notoriously “right-wing.”
This chasm proved too wide. Heston “therefore passed on the project,” publicly stating “Wayne being the director was a big part of his decision.” The refusal was personal and political. Although both later appeared “in separate scenes” in “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” they never truly collaborated. Years later, Heston became a “right-wing Republican” and expressed “regret at having turned Wayne and ‘The Alamo’ down.”
5. **Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake** Crafting convincing love scenes requires a certain level of chemistry, but imagine having to fake romance with a co-star you actively dislike, as was the reality for Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake in the 1941 film “Sullivan’s Travels.” Their personal animosity didn’t prevent the movie from charming audiences and solidifying director Preston Sturges’ reputation.
McCrea was grateful to Sturges for his part. Sturges championed Lake over studio objections. Her “difficult” reputation proved accurate; she was “not knowing her lines” and “hiding her six-month pregnancy,” causing overruns and exasperating both director and McCrea by filming’s end.
McCrea’s alleged declaration, per Vanity Fair, was stark: “life’s too short for two films with Veronica Lake.” He firmly adhered to this. A year later, offered “I Married a Witch,” he “drop[ped] out when he realized he’d have to work with Lake again.” While successful for Lake, its production was also “troubled and delayed,” suggesting McCrea’s assessment was accurate.
6. **Charles Laughton and Laurence Olivier**Gathering two of the finest English actors, Laurence Olivier and Charles Laughton, for “Spartacus” promised on-screen fireworks. Off-screen, it ignited intense mutual loathing. Fellow actor Peter Ustinov claimed they were reduced to “snarling animals” in their hatred.
Star/producer Kirk Douglas tirelessly pursued them. Laughton’s complaints persisted. Ustinov told The Strand Magazine Laughton “was always hanging around to be offended,” and Douglas recalled Laughton threatening to sue. Olivier simply “didn’t like Laughton,” saying, “The only actor I ever knew who was a genius was Charles Laughton. Maybe that’s why he was so difficult.”
The “snarling and snapping” escalated. Ustinov allegedly became “mediator between the two men, as they wouldn’t directly work together.” Ustinov didn’t deny this, stating “There was really nothing to do [about their hostility],” adding, “I wasn’t foolish enough to suggest that they should think again.” Artistic genius, it seems, doesn’t always guarantee cooperation.
