Surprising On-Set Stories About Actors 2022

Kurt Russell appeared in a Western TV series in the early 1960s as a child actor.The Travels of Jaimie McPheetersThe show ran one season. Charles Bronson, already famous for his role inThe Magnificent SevenBronson joined for the second half of that season.

Bronson's tough reputation as an actor preceded him onto theMcPheetersRussell recalled speaking to Jimmy Kimmel about how he broke the icewith this intimidating character:I heard it was his birthday. I got him a remote-controlled airplane. I brought it to the set, gave it to him, and he just looked at me, then at the ground, then walked away...

[A] few minutes later, the assistant director said, "Charlie wants to see you in his room." I knocked, he opened the door, and he looked at me... He said, "Uh, nobody ever really got me a present before for my birthday."

[A] few minutes later, the assistant director said, "Charlie wants to see you in his room." I knocked. He opened the door and looked at me. He said, "Uh, nobody ever really got me a present before for my birthday."

When a studio employee told Russell he could not skateboard on the lot anymore, Bronson corrected things, Russell recalled:

A studio employee told Russell he could not skateboard on the lot anymore. Bronson corrected him, Russell recalled:

Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks shared an amazing star/director partnership. The two first worked on 1967's

Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks shared an amazing star/director collaboration. The two first worked on 1967'sThen, in 1974, they worked again on the classic satirical Western. Then, in 1974, they teamed up again for the classic satirical Western.That same year, they made another classic, Young Frankenstein.Everything they made together became great. Brooks called Wilder“a wonderful part of my life.”The filmmaker and director said the men only fought once, and it almost became a fistfight. During the writing ofBrooks called Wilder.Wilder thought putting a scene in where his character, Dr. Frankenstein, sings and dances with the monster he made would be funny. Wilder argued this showed how special his creation was. Brooks found the idea funny, but it did not fit the film's overall tone.

As he explained:We fought. Our tempers rose, and we almost had a fistfight over it. Then Gene calmed me down. He said, “OK. Do me a favor. Film it, and we’ll check it out. If it fails, I promise we’ll discard it.”Wilder thought including a song-and-dance scene where his character, Dr. Frankenstein, dances with his monster would be funny. Wilder argued this showed how extraordinary his creation was. Brooks found the idea funny, but it did not fit the film's overall tone.Keanu Reeves has a reputation for being nice. His co-star on the set ofDracula,

Winona Ryder, confirmed this reputation. She shared a personal story about working with Reeves.

The scene worked and became a loved movie moment. Brooks reflected, "I have never been so wrong in my life."

Keanu Reeves has a long film career. He also has a reputation for being nice. His co-star on the set ofDraculaWinona Ryderconfirmed this reputation.She shared a personal story about working with Reeves, showing this reputation was earned.

She toldThe Sunday TimesDirector Francis Ford Coppola felt Winona Ryder was not crying enough during a scene on set. To make Ryder cry more, Coppola told co-stars, including Keanu Reeves, to insult her. Coppola yelled derogatory insults at Ryder.

I needed to cry for context. Richard E. Grant, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu… Francis tried to make them yell things that would make me cry. Keanu wouldn't. Anthony wouldn't. It failed.

The film made Reeves and Ryder close friends. They remained in touch for decades. Ryder jokes about calling Reeves her husband because a scene in the film seemed too real. She explained:

I swear to god, I think we are married in real life. Francis [Ford Coppola] used a real Romanian priest in that scene. He did the whole thing. So I think we are married.

Reeves said, “Once in a while, I will get a text [from Ryder]: ‘Hello, husband.’”

Producer Lorne Michaels tried to get Betty White to appear onSaturday Night Live three timesMichaels stopped asking after trying from the 1970s through the '90s to no avail. But in 2010, a Facebook petition gained traction. It urged the show to have White as a host. Her longtime friend and agent Jeff Witjas persuaded her to do the gig.

As he recalled:

It was an incredible experience. It truly was... Betty did not want to go to New York to do it, but I told her, “You have to do it.” How could she not? She trusted me...

I grew tired watching her. Watching her rehearse, moving from one costume to another in minutes, was hilarious because you cannot take your time. But she loved it. She got into it, embraced it, and they were great to her...

It was one of the best weeks Betty ever had, and one I had with her. Flying home that Sunday on the plane, she told me, “Thank you. It was fabulous.” As a friend and agent, that was the best thing she could say.

Former cast member Seth Meyersrecalled White's appearanceon the show after her passing, tweeting:

RIP Betty White, the onlySNLhost I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after-party. She ordered a vodka and a hot dog and stayed until the end.

Tina Fey also remembered White'sunconventional dietwhile working on the show, saying:

I love Betty. She went home every night to the hotel, and [I would ask], “How was your night?” She replied, “Oh it was good, I had a vodka and a cold hot dog.” I thought, that is the secret.

Paul Newman was an actor and director who worked for over fifty years. He won many acting awards and evenco-founded Newman's OwnA food company still operates today; it gives part of its profits to charity. Despite his fame and wealth, Paul Newman remained humble and did not want special treatment.

Film director Sam Mendes.He shared his awe at working with Newman.He shared his awe at working with Newman:

Paul had similarities to other actors because he demanded treatment like everyone else. He wanted no star treatment. I would delay calling him to the set; he would come down and say, “Why don’t you call me earlier? This is where all the fun is! I’m just sitting around in my trailer!”

You see how much an actor wants to work from their trailer size and style. Some actors have huge trailers with scented candles and a chef offering two lunch choices. Paul’s trailer was empty! Nothing was in it. He wanted to work. I remember that—he was just there. It was him and his script. He also did not travel with assistants—no driver, no trainer, no entourage. He spent most of his life stopping people from treating him like Paul Newman.

You edit your thoughts about people, even nice ones, but Paul needed no editing. He used to walk on his hands. He was 76 years old. I walked into the room twice while he was walking on his hands. He entertained the kids on set, the two boys in the movie with whom he had an odd, fatherly bond. He instantly connected with them. He had to make them laugh.

Newman, a famous actor, director, and philanthropist, showed many talents, including walking on his hands. His humble nature made him even more memorable.

Christina Ricci and Johnny Depp made [missing information]Sleepy Hollow.Rumors circulated that Christina Ricci and Johnny Depp were a couple after they made Sleepy Hollow in 1999. They had known each other since Ricci was young, and any romance between them felt awkward.Depp explained:

I met Christina when she was nine. Considering the person you met at nine as a love interest feels uncomfortable. Working onSleepy Hollow.We slowly let ourselves reach a point where things were less twisted.

Riccihad more to say.she and Depp were paired up forThe Man Who Cried:

This felt weird. Searching through twenty men or women on set feels bizarre. This is true when you meet someone you knew at nine and they are twenty-seven. Still, they got along so well. They laughed it off, saying, “This is really irritating.”

Even with that,she did not hate it.when people linked her to Depp romantically:

This was my first tabloid story. If you get a tabloid story, make it with Johnny Depp.

Tom Hanks said he loved it, even though he was tired from other work.Tom Hanks felt intimidated by Clint Eastwood while playing a real person in 'Sully'.His storyline andTom Hanks wanted to work with Clint Eastwood.:

Reading something stirring and simple, a perfect mix of behavior and procedure made me want a shot. I had worked steadily for six years. I was tired, but this role, Sully, Mr. Clint Eastwood, they all appeared. I felt I couldn't miss this double-header at the end of the baseball season.

Tom Hanks arrived on set, and he found Eastwood and the pressure to play a real person.This felt incredibly intimidating.:

Avoid those Eastwood looks. He treats actors like horses because during the '60s series, the director would yell 'Action!' and the horses would run. Now, when he's in charge, he says quietly, 'All right, go ahead,' and instead of yelling 'Cut!', he says, 'That's enough of that.' It is terrifying.RawhideWhen he is in charge, he says softly, 'All right, go ahead,' and says, 'That's enough of that,' instead of shouting 'Cut!' It is intimidating.

You always feel intimidated playing a real person. You think, 'I'll never sound like him [Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger]. I'll never look like him. I hope I can show some of his personality, his traits, his seriousness, his charm,' no matter who the person is. Then you start working.

Brad Pitt got many big acting jobs during the 1990s.Interview with the VampireThis made him a household name. He then took roles in Seven, 12 Monkeys, and Fight Club.Seven, 12 Monkeys, and Fight ClubFight ClubFight ClubThese roles opened many doors for the actor.

InterviewThe film was shot in places like New Orleans and London. Pitt worked in New Orleans, which he credits for starting his love affair with the city. He did not enjoy London, especially Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire.He described this placeto Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyLondon was dark. London was winter. They shoot in Pinewood, an old place for all the James Bond films. There are no windows. It hasn't been updated in decades. You leave for work in the dark, enter this cauldron, this mausoleum, and come out into the dark.

London was dark. London was winter. We shoot in Pinewood, an old institution for all the James Bond films. There are no windows. It hasn't been refabbed in decades. You leave for work in the dark—you go into this cauldron, this mausoleum—and then you come out and it is dark.James BondThere are no windows in there. It hasn't been refabbed in decades. You leave for work in the dark—you go into this cauldron, this mausoleum—and then you come out and it is dark.

One day broke me. I thought, 'Life's too short for this quality of life.' I called David Geffen, a friend who was a producer and came to visit. I told him, 'David, I can't do this anymore. I can't. What is the cost to get out?' He calmly replied, 'Forty million dollars.' I said, 'Okay, thank you.' That took the anxiety away. I thought, 'I have to get tough and push through; that's what I will do.'

The Eye Surgery in 'A Clockwork Orange' felt too real for Malcolm McDowell.The film's ties to real crimes made director Stanley Kubrick ask cinemas to remove it. Malcolm McDowell received death threats after the premiere, forcing him into seclusion and constant bodyguard protection.He recalled one gruesome scene.He found that scene particularly disturbing for filming.

[Kubrick] showed me a picture of the eye surgery. I said, “Oh yeah? Wow…” He asked, “What do you think?” “What do I think? It’s an eye operation happening.” He told me, “I’d like you to do that.” I replied, “What? No way!” But a doctor from Moorfields [Eye Hospital, in London] was coming to talk. The doctor arrived and performed the procedure. He said, “You won’t have any problem; your eyes will be anesthetized. You won’t feel anything.” Those were his last words. That was not accurate.

They scratch my corneas. A week later, [Kubrick] says, “I’ve seen all the stuff, and it’s great, but I need a real close-up of the eye.” I asked, “Why don’t you do it on the stunt double? That’s what he gets paid for.” He responded, “Malcolm, your eyes are… I can’t do that.” So I had to go back and do it again.

The actor claims the horrific scenes in the film are not as extreme as another movie.

For ten years after making it, I resented it. Then, I saw it was a masterwork. I became a big part of it. Just accept it and enjoy it.

It is psychologically disturbing, but I had already seen Sam Peckinpah’sThe Wild BunchThat film shows mass shootings in slow motion. Brilliant. Compared to that, this is a Disney movie.

Tom Hanks admitted he struggled to work with the first child actor on the 1993 rom-comSleepless in Seattle The actor had just finished filming another hit.Tom Hanks did not get along well with the first child actor in 'Sleepless in Seattle'.He felt he had achieved enough.He complained abouthis original youthful co-star, Nathan Watt

I was a very cranky actor then. I would come in and say, “Why does the kid have so many good lines?” I had made enough movies to get shut down a couple of times, plus I thought I was a big deal and “My voice must be heard.”

On set rumors suggest Hanks was responsible for firing Watt because he complained about how annoying the child was. Ross Malinger replaced him.

Preparing for the WWII filmShia LaBeouf went months without showering. He got a tooth pulled. He cut himself with a knife. He converted to Christianity during 'Fury'., where he played tank gunner Boyd "Bible" Swan, Shia LaBeoufShia LaBeouf went to the extreme.

After getting the job, he joined the US National Guard. He was baptized, accepted Christ, tattooed his surrender, and became a chaplain’s assistant to Captain Yates for the 41st Infantry. He lived on a forward operating base for a month. Then, he linked up with his cast and went to Fort Irwin. He pulled his tooth, cut his face with a knife, and watched horses die for days. He did not bathe for four months. Tankers told him that was the reality out there; some guys wore the same socks for three years.

Logan Lerman played tank assistant driver/bow gunner Norman "Machine" Ellison.This supports the stories.These stories are about his eccentric co-star:

He walks out into the hallway, says, “Hey man, wanna see something fun? Check this out…” and takes out a knife to cut his face. He kept opening these cuts on his face for the whole movie. That is real.

He did not perform the tooth extraction himself. He went to a dentist and asked them to pull his tooth, but that was a strange request.

He spent every moment on that set. He operates the turret in every shot, even when he does not need to act there. Someone else can be inside. But he was present for every shot.

If you have not heard of Noel Marshall'sThe 1981 film.Roar, it did not reach the US until 2015. Only the indie Alamo Drafthouse Cinema offers it now. A documentary about the film is nowAvailable to stream.It is also available.

The movie, often called the most dangerous one ever made, follows Marshall's character Hank. Hank lives with and studies lions, tigers, panthers, and other animals. The cast includes Tippi Hedren as Marshall's wife Madeleine, Melanie Griffith (Hedren's real-life daughter) as the couple's daughter Melanie, and Marshall's real-life sons John and Jerry as the couple's sons.

Hedren, who was married to Marshall then, wrote about theRoar experience in her autobiography, including how she and Marshall bought land in California to houseAll the animals.And film parts of the movie:

Our lions, tigers, elephant, leopards, and panthers (actually leopards in black coats instead of spotted ones) were joined by a few cougars…

We had 132 big cats, one elephant, three aoudad sheep, and many ostriches, flamingos, marabou, storks, and black swans.

Nearly every cast member got an animal-related injury. Griffith needed surgery to save her eyesight after being mauled. Cinematographer Jan de Bont's scalp got ripped off, needing 120 stitches. Marshall contracted blood poisoning, and Hedren suffered gangrene requiring skin grafts. Still, she said she was “into it every bit as much as he [Marshall] was.”

Marshall's son John, however,had a different take.John said the production, which took 11 years, left him with nightmares, but he still calls the experience “amazing” to live through. Dad was a bastard for doing that to his family.

Director Adrian Lyne caused national argument with his plot forIndecent ProposalThe film prompted audiences to ask: If someone offered $1 million to sleep with your spouse, would you take the money?

The film was thetopic of national discussion for monthsReligious groups fought the immoral storyline, and feminists complained the film madewomen seem like property.But while others dealt with the moral choice, Woody Harrelson's concerns were much more personal:

I am close friends with Demi Moore and Demi's husband, Bruce Willis. You must set limits on how far to go, and I struggle with setting lines. I prefer no lines, no boundaries. The scene showed bodies touching. I do not know if Demi felt aroused, but I did. You must think about the consequences. I do not want Bruce to pursue me.

To make sure he played themost real versionof his character,Harrelson also got very drunkbefore filming a scene. However, things did not go as the actor hoped:

There is a scene where I must act really drunk... and I got drunk. This was the scene where I had to challenge Robert Redford's character, and I was not at my best…

Those who act need to be whatever it is. But I think the main thing is staying relaxed. If you play something tense, you must stay relaxed underneath it. I was not relaxed when I was drunk. I was terrified. I thought, “Cameras are rolling and I’m smashed; Robert Redford is there.” It was bad.

Bob Hoskins did not like making 1993'sSuper Mario Bros.During production, he wasstabbed four timesnearly drowned, electrocuted, and broke a finger.

Co-star John Leguizamo stated that nobody involved in the film remembers it well.In his autobiographyLeguizamo writes that he and Hoskins drank Scotch between takes just to get through the days (which caused the broken finger when Leguizamo drunkenly crashed the Mario brothers' van).

In 2007, Hoskins told theGuardianthatSuper Mario Bros.wasthe worst film he ever made:

It was a nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. A husband-and-wife team directed, whose arrogance was mistaken for talent. After many weeks, their agent told them to leave the set! Nightmare. Idiot.

Will Smith got the chance to work with Charlize Theron on two films, starting with the 2000sThe Legend of Bagger Vanceand then in 2008'sHancock. In the latter, they both played supernatural beings whose love made them vulnerable—with some superhero antics, much alcohol, and a lot of fighting mixed in.

After sharing the screen twice, Theron talked about her time in the spotlight with Smith.Theron spoke about her time in the spotlight with Smith.Charlize Theron said she and Will Smith fell madly in love.

They took about five minutes to fall madly in love. They hit it off instantly and always messed around. There was something about me and him. We are very similar people.

Theron called their relationship a "brother and sister" vibe.

12 Monkeys(1995) is known for Brad Pitt's breakthrough performance and first Academy Award nomination. Director Terry Gilliam talkedTerry Gilliam talked.about the pressure to get a more known star in his sci-fi film. He ended up with Bruce Willis, despite his doubts.

I had never been a great fan of Bruce before. I liked talking to him. I thought, "Okay, this guy's smart; he's funny."

Gilliam then described Willis's behavior on set.

Bruce tried hard to act at work. Success spoiled him. He acted like a kid, pushing limits constantly and making silly excuses for being late. One time, he had something that looked like a note from his mother. They let Bruce go for a long weekend, and he returned, suddenly the Bruce Willis Superstar again.

In 1999'sEyes Wide ShutTom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who married then, caused controversy because of the film's plot and a famous sex scene.The plot line and a notorious sex sceneWarner Brothers had to digitally cover up a scene to keep the film at an R rating.

The film showed a couple with marriage problems fighting jealousy and cheating. Director Stanley Kubrick, who was demanding, forced the actors to act fully.The director forced the actors to immerse themselves completely.This made it hard for them to separate their on-screen relationship from their real lives. Kubrick often kept them apart during filming and asked them to share their deepest relationship fears to push their feelings before a scene. Kidman recalled:

Tom would hear things he did not want to hear. It was not therapy; you had no one to say, "And how do you feel about that?" It was honest, and sometimes brutally honest. As an actor, you set up reality and pretend. Those lines cross when you work with a director who lets it happen. That happens; it is exciting, but it is dangerous.

According toVanity Fair, to get Cruise in the mindset of a jealous husband, Kubrick made Kidman shoot six days of sex scenes with a male model for a one-minute scene, blocking Cruise and Kidman from discussing the shoot. Kubrick also reportedly filmed 95 takes of Cruise walking through a door; he reportedly developed an ulcer. Cruise defended the film, but he admittedhe admitted

I disliked playing Dr. Bill. I disliked him. It felt bad… But I would have kicked myself if I hadn't done it.

Directors often push actors hard. But when Tom Cruise appears in your movie, the dynamic shifts. Director Doug Liman, who worked with Cruise onEdge of TomorrowandAmerican Madefound his star's work ethic to betoo mucheven for him:

I lived with Tom while we madeAmerican Made… Working with Tom demands seven days a week. No matter how hard you work, I consider myself a hard worker, but nothing compares to Tom.

Forty or fifty days passed until the July 4 weekend. His birthday is July 3. Since his birthday falls on a holiday, Tom might want a long weekend off. I asked Tom, “Are you thinking of going away for your birthday?” Tom replied, “No. Since we have July 3 off, we can use that time for the eight-hour aviation meeting we keep struggling to schedule.” I felt tired. I asked, “You want an eight-hour meeting on your birthday?” He answered, “Yes, that is what I want for my birthday. I want to make a movie. That is the best birthday present.” No candles were blown out.

”I hate the monkey. I wish it were dead,”David Schwimmer said in 1995about one capuchin that played Marcel inFriends. ”The trainers won't let me bond with it. They are really possessive. They say, 'Land on your marks, do your job, don't touch or bond with the monkey.' It's a bummer."

He was not exaggerating. At aFriendsreunion 25 years later, Schwimmer kept talking about the monkey:

My problem is this: The monkey was trained. It had to hit its mark and perform its task at the exact time. What started happening was our choreographed moments would get messed up because the monkey failed its job. We had to reset; we had to try again because the monkey missed the mark.

Trainer Mike Morris admitted he discouraged monkey-human bonding ("An actor is a prop to the monkey and has to work with that prop"), but he thinks Schwimmer wasjealous of the attentionpaid to his non-human co-star:

Schwimmer was okay with the monkeys for the first few episodes and happy to be there. But people laughed at the monkey, and I think he felt jealous because he wasn't getting the laughs.

Rob Lowe said Tom Cruise acted like a movie star before he became one. He appeared in two feature films when he auditioned for a role in the 1983 coming-of-age filmThe Outsiders.

Lowe was also a young actor then. He wrote about checking into the Plaza Hotel for the auditionin his memoir,Stories I Only Tell My Friends:

The lobby's luxury and spectacle surprise me. Last time in New York, Dad and I stayed at the Sheraton. The front desk informs us we will share rooms. Suddenly, Cruise calls his agent, Paula Wagner. "Paula, they are making us share," he states. He believes this is wrong and demands a quick fix. The others look like happy goofs, but this guy shows traits that will make him famous; he focuses intensely—all business and very serious. He says, "OK, then. Thank you very much," sounding like a 50-year-old businessman ending a call with his stockbroker. Paula says it is fine.

Lowe againlaughed about the incidentduring an appearance on Dax Shepard'sArmchair Expertpodcast:

We check in, and Tom learns we share a room, and he goes ballistic... The good part of the story is that some people stay who they are. That quality powered them to where they are now; the rest is history. The idea that an 18-year-old actor with a walk-on role inEndless Loveand, like, a seventh lead inTapscould have that kind of ability. I said, "Wow, this guy is the real deal." It made me laugh—it was intense. But at the end, you cannot argue with the outcome. He has aimed for success since day one.