Arnav Srivastav
Motion pictures and arts are a creative space. The industry thrives on new and innovative ideas, put together by a multitude of heads. But some times, these ideas can conflict with one another and can create problems. Even though these conflicts are juxtaposed and blown out of proportion, not all the purported content is misleading. Stars have an image to carry. As brand ambassadors of various ventures, they tend to be perpetually cognizant of their behavior. Well, frankly speaking my dear, some actors just don’t give a damn! Behind the scenes, some actors can really be a headache to work with. The following catalogues some of the biggest stars, who on the proscenium may seem to be charming and benign, but in reality are not! These are the most difficult to work with actors. You’ll be surprised to find a couple in there!
10. Joan Crawford
Ranked tenth in the American Film Institute’s list of ’10 Greatest Actresses of All time’, Crawford enjoyed a humongous fan following and was a paparazzi darling. But what people don’t know about this femme fatale is her use of manipulation and deceit to disrupt shootings. She used her killer looks and body to sleep around with fellow actors, disrupting production. She also ‘came on’ to directors to change scenes and get favorable lines. Her well documented feud with Bette Davis and taking away the love of her life reflect on a lonely individual. Her envious nature and insecure habits often made working with her excessively difficult.
9. Edward Norton
Norton is a ferociously driven artist. He tends to completely immerse himself in his characters and work an appetite with on-set antics. Indubitably one of the most talented actors of his generation, Norton has been a subject of creative criticism. He has been accused of ‘shadow directing’, controlling scripts and ostracizing promotions for his films. Even though his acts do not reflect the person he is, but they sure make working with him a living nightmare.
8. Charlie Sheen
The diminutive actor is the apotheosis of a rock star. His ever-changing style and breath of swag make him one of the coolest actors around. But Sheen has attracted more negative attention for his behavior on set and in general. Substance abuse and alcohol have been the biggest deterrent in both his personal and professional life. Fired from the popular sit-com ‘Two and a Half Men’ for coming to set drunk and creating a ruckus, Sheen didn’t shy away from engaging in a string of derogatory tirades against the show runner Chuck Lorre, calling him a ‘loser’ and a ‘clown’. He even accepted to have mistakenly shot his wife once in the foot!
7. Lindsay Lohan
Lohan has been a part of the industry since she was three years old. The beautiful actress has been a very popular figure in the media and has been a paparazzi darling. But despite her successful career as a model and an actress, Lohan isn’t professionally liked by her peers. People have complained about her reaching sets grossly late, if she ever arrived. Her lavish lifestyle and constant partying have been blamed for her deteriorating career. She has even been reported to have arrived on set drunk on several occasions.
6. Katherine Heigl
The actress is known as the queen of rom-coms. She has often starred in cute movies in even cuter roles. But behind that efficacious smile and glimmering eyes is a self-absorbed artist, who disregards the comfort of others around her. On multiple occasions, Heigl has been accused of annoying co-actors due to wardrobe grievances and differences in scripts. She even remarked the movie ‘Knocked Up‘ as sexist, a film in which she starred and was brought into the global limelight. Of course, she did this after the film released and she was paid.
5. Shia LaBeouf
The eccentric actor is without doubt one of the most talented actors around. He certainly took me down with his visceral and tangible emotions in ‘Man Down’. But frankly speaking, the actor is a pain in the a** to work with. Constant run-ins with directors over creative differences and disobeying orders on set, LaBeouf has been accused of all there is. No one can forget his bag-cover on the face antics on the red carpet a few years ago. His ego and attitude have isolated him from good work and the industry in general.
4. Bruce Willis
Willis is the quintessential action man. Catapulted into global stardom with his role in ‘Die Hard‘, Willis has gone on to become a]one of the most loved and sought-after actors in the industry. But despite all that, Willis is famous for having a temperament. While shooting ‘Cop Out’, the actor had major fights and differences with the director Kevin Smith. The director in an interview described Willis as a ‘nightmare to work with’ and the experience as ‘soul crushing’. He has also been accused of feeding in misguided inputs of directing styles. Clearly, he takes his tough guy image too far!
3. Sean Penn
Sean Penn has been a global icon ever since he first came on screen. His rough and rugged looks have always managed to woo girls and women alike around the world. But Penn has an image. He has now and again been accused of being incredibly rude and an overall jerk. Penn also had a case of domestic abuse registered against him to which he pleaded guilty. His image on screen transcends into normal life, which makes it an extremely difficult task to work with him.
2. Christian Bale
Bale is without doubt one of the greatest and driven actors ever. Being a method actor, he completely and utterly invests himself in his roles, which often transpire to uncomfortable moments. An eye-opening audio recording came from the sets of ‘Terminator: Salvation’. In the recording, Bale can be clearly heard engaging in shouting profanities and lewd remarks towards the director of photography, Shane Hulbert, for apparently walking into his line of vision during a scene. Not only do the actors and the crew have to face his antics and craziness, but also the craziness of the character he plays!
1. Marlon Brando
The coveted top spot on the list is taken by none other than Marlon Brando. The greatest actor to have ever lived, Brando was always in the news to be a problem on set. He was one of those actors who just didn’t care for other people or the film he was shooting for. Rewriting the whole scripts, delaying productions and getting into physical brawls with fellow actors and crewmen, Brando has been blamed for all. One particular instance comes to mind on the sets of ‘Apocalypse Now‘. Brando was getting paid a handsome sum for coming to shoot for a limited period of days and for a fixed time. When he did arrive, he was grossly overweight, and again brought a whole new script for Coppola to shoot. If it wouldn’t have been for the genius of Coppola, the film would have never featured Brando in the main role.
Read More: Famous Method Actors
