In the world of showbiz, not every actor plays nice with their co-stars. In fact, here are some notable instances where on-set tensions escalated so much that stars made it their mission to get their fellow actors fired.
- Back in 2013, Charlie Sheen was producing and starring in Anger Management when he found himself at odds with Selma Blair. Sheen reportedly threatened to walk off the show unless Blair was dismissed due to her doubts about his dedication. Within hours, Sheen sent her a furious text, effectively ending her role. Blair acknowledged her dismissal with a tweet thanking her supporters, while Sheen publicly tried to downplay the situation, saying the plot simply wasn’t centered around their characters.
2. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ intense feud on the set of The Notebook was legendary. Director Nick Cassavetes recounted a moment when Gosling asked him to bring in another actress to read lines opposite him due to their struggles to connect. After a heated confrontation, the two cooled off and ultimately found their chemistry, leading to a successful romance both on and off screen for a while.
3. Sylvester Stallone had tough encounters with Richard Gere while filming The Lords of Flatbush. Gere’s intense approach led to a lunchroom incident involving a spilled condiment that resulted in Stallone suggesting that one of them needed to go. Gere was let go, leaving Perry King to take over the role.
4. During the filming of Full House, John Stamos confessed that he genuinely wanted to banish the Olsen twins temporarily because they were often crying and making shooting difficult. Fortunately for the show, the producers ultimately decided to bring the twins back after experimenting with other child actors.
5. Tori Spelling revealed on Celebrity Lie Detector that there was a strong push to have Shannen Doherty removed from the Beverly Hills, 90210 cast. A heated altercation between Doherty and Ian Ziering prompted Spelling to involve her father, executive producer Aaron Spelling, to make it happen, a decision she felt regretful about later.
6. On Seinfeld, Lawrence Tierney’s participation as Elaine’s father became a one-time affair due to his frightening demeanor, which unsettled the cast. It got to the point where the actors considered his behavior too intense for future appearances.
7. After suffering an injury, Sean Young was replaced in Batman by Kim Basinger. However, Michael Keaton was reportedly against Michelle Pfeiffer stepping in for Young because she was his former girlfriend. The production team had to work around Keaton’s concerns, ultimately casting Basinger.
8. Tensions erupted during rehearsals for the Broadway production of Orphans when Alec Baldwin and Shia LaBeouf found themselves in constant conflict. LaBeouf prepared in advance while Baldwin preferred a spontaneous approach. After one confrontation escalated, Baldwin stepped in demanding either he or LaBeouf be removed from the production, leading to LaBeouf’s dismissal.
9. Samantha Ware spoke out about her experiences filming Glee, claiming Lea Michele sought to have her dismissed after a misunderstanding on set. Michele allegedly threatened to contact the showrunner to have Ware removed, which left her feeling vulnerable and intimidated.
10. In an alarming revelation, Elizabeth Aldrich, who served as Lea Michele’s understudy in the Broadway show Ragtime, described a nightmarish experience under Michele’s manipulative behavior, claiming Michele often threatened to have others fired if she was unhappy.
Drama behind the scenes is often as riveting as the shows themselves. These instances reflect the high stakes and intense personalities that define Hollywood.