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Actors Who Despised Their On-Screen Partners

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Nazarii Verbitskiy

Entertainment - July 22nd 2026, 00:00 GMT+2

1. The Fate of the Furious (2017): Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel

The *Fast & Furious* family talk sounded slightly less convincing after Dwayne Johnson publicly blasted unnamed male co-stars for behaving unprofessionally. He later confirmed that his anger was aimed at Vin Diesel, explaining that they had fundamentally different philosophies about filmmaking and barely worked together during the production. Diesel described his own behavior as a form of “tough love,” which probably did not improve the mood inside Johnson’s trailer. The two eventually called a truce, but their blockbuster cold war lasted longer than several characters in the franchise. | © Universal Pictures

Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte I Love Trouble cropped processed by imagy — 2. I Love Trouble (1994): Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte

Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte were supposed to generate the fizzy irritation of two rival reporters slowly falling for each other. Instead, the irritation required almost no acting whatsoever. Roberts later described Nolte as completely disgusting and accused him of deliberately repelling people, while Nolte fired back that she was not a nice person. Their mutual dislike became the most memorable element of a romantic comedy otherwise largely forgotten, perhaps because audiences can sense when flirtatious bickering is one sarcastic remark away from a call to human resources. | © Touchstone Pictures

3. Magic Mike (2012): Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer

Alex Pettyfer has been unusually honest about why Channing Tatum disliked him, and his explanation does not make him look particularly good. Pettyfer said Tatum initially considered him a professional risk, while his own decision to remain quiet and withdrawn on set made him appear unfriendly. Matters deteriorated further when Pettyfer failed to promptly repay rent owed to one of Tatum’s friends. The relationship never recovered, Pettyfer was absent from the sequel, and even he has admitted that Tatum had legitimate reasons to be angry. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

Batman Forever Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey — 4. Batman Forever (1995): Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones

Jim Carrey’s Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face spend much of *Batman Forever* competing to see who can chew the scenery faster, but Jones apparently wanted no part of that contest off-camera. Carrey recalled approaching his co-star at a restaurant, only for Jones to embrace him and then announce that he hated him and could not “sanction” his buffoonery. Director Joel Schumacher later suggested that Jones felt threatened by Carrey’s explosive rise and scene-stealing energy. Gotham City had two supervillains, yet only one considered elastic facial expressions a punishable offense. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

5. Angel Heart (1987): Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke entered *Angel Heart* deeply admiring Robert De Niro, but that respect gradually curdled into one of Hollywood’s longest-running grudges. Rourke claimed De Niro insisted that they avoid speaking or physically interacting outside what was strictly necessary for their scenes, an approach he considered needlessly hostile rather than brilliantly Method. Decades later, Rourke publicly accused De Niro of helping block him from a role in *The Irishman*, an allegation De Niro’s representatives denied. Whatever happened backstage, their chilly encounters gave the film’s supernatural interrogation scenes an extra layer of genuine discomfort. | © Tri-Star Pictures

Terms of Endearment 1983 shirley maclaine 1 — 6. Terms of Endearment (1983): Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine

Playing a complicated mother and daughter did not require Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine to manufacture much emotional friction. Winger later acknowledged that the two fought, while director James L. Brooks described their relationship during production as about as rocky as it gets. Their radically different temperaments kept the set tense, and both eventually competed for the same Best Actress Oscar, which MacLaine won. The finished film remains painfully intimate and beautifully acted, proving that family drama becomes remarkably persuasive when its stars are already testing each other’s last nerve. | © Paramount Pictures

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford what ever happened to baby jane cropped processed by imagy — 7. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962): Bette Davis and Joan Crawford

Hollywood has embellished so many details about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford that separating history from studio-approved blood sport can be difficult. The actresses worked more professionally on set than legend often suggests, but their rivalry, contrasting personalities, and competition for recognition were genuine. The bitterness intensified after Davis received an Oscar nomination and Crawford arranged to accept the award for another nominee if Davis lost—which is exactly what happened. Their resentment became part of the film’s marketing mythology, turning two fading stars into box-office dynamite and making every venomous glance feel dangerously personal. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

8. Annapolis (2006): James Franco and Tyrese Gibson

James Franco’s commitment to Method acting became painfully literal for Tyrese Gibson during the boxing scenes in *Annapolis*. Gibson said Franco continued hitting him with real force even after being asked to pull his punches, transforming choreographed sparring into an exhausting exercise in workplace hostility. Gibson subsequently declared that he never wanted to work with Franco again, while Franco later conceded that he may have taken his immersion too far. Method acting can produce extraordinary performances, but repeatedly punching a co-star in the face remains a fairly ambitious interpretation of staying in character. | © Touchstone Pictures

9. Charlie’s Angels (2000): Bill Murray and Lucy Liu

A rehearsal rewritten while Bill Murray was absent reportedly triggered the confrontation that shattered the cheerful atmosphere of *Charlie’s Angels*. Lucy Liu said Murray began directing relentless, unacceptable insults toward her when he returned, prompting her to confront him in front of the crew. Liu has never regretted defending herself, and Drew Barrymore later said the other Angels supported her. Murray offered a different explanation, suggesting he challenged colleagues when he considered their work unprofessional, but the dispute helped ensure that Bosley returned with a completely different face in the sequel. | © Columbia Pictures

10. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979): Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep

Dustin Hoffman’s pursuit of emotional realism repeatedly crossed Meryl Streep’s boundaries during *Kramer vs. Kramer*. Streep said Hoffman slapped her without warning during her first take and called the decision an overstep, while another improvised moment involved him smashing a wine glass near her without properly alerting her. Their clashing approaches mirrored the hostility of the divorcing couple they portrayed, but that does not excuse turning surprise and discomfort into acting techniques. Both won Oscars for the film, although the production’s celebrated realism came at a much higher personal cost for Streep than audiences initially understood. | © Columbia Pictures

11. Any Given Sunday (1999): Jamie Foxx and LL Cool J

The tackles were scripted in *Any Given Sunday*; the fistfight between Jamie Foxx and LL Cool J most definitely was not. Their antagonism grew through pranks and increasingly aggressive football scenes until a physical exchange continued after the cameras should have stopped. Foxx struck LL in response, production was disrupted, and the dispute became considerably more authentic than anything printed in Oliver Stone’s screenplay. Both men later reconciled and even joked about the incident, but for one chaotic stretch, the fictional Miami Sharks had two performers treating a sports drama like an unsanctioned heavyweight bout. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air — 12. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990): Will Smith and Janet Hubert

Janet Hubert’s departure as the original Aunt Viv began a feud that outlived the sitcom, several fashion trends, and almost every joke about the replacement. Hubert believed Will Smith had helped push her off the series and damage her career, while Smith publicly portrayed her as unhappy and difficult. Their accounts remained bitterly opposed until the reunion special, where Hubert explained the personal turmoil she had been experiencing and Smith acknowledged how immaturely he had judged her. Their eventual reconciliation was moving precisely because neither tried to pretend that nearly three decades of resentment had been a harmless misunderstanding. | © NBC Productions

Tom Hardy for Mad Max Fury Road — 13. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015): Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron

Filming in the Namibian desert was already punishing before Tom Hardy’s repeated lateness left Charlize Theron waiting inside the War Rig for hours. Their tension erupted into a furious confrontation, with Theron later admitting that she felt unsafe and Hardy acknowledging that he had not shown enough empathy toward the pressure she was carrying. A veteran producer was brought in to help manage the deteriorating relationship. The hostility accidentally served the movie—the suspicion between Max and Furiosa feels completely combustible—but Theron has correctly rejected the romantic idea that actors must endure misery to create great art. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

14. The Notebook (2004): Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams sold one of modern cinema’s most swoon-worthy romances while struggling to finish scenes together without an argument. Director Nick Cassavetes recalled Gosling asking him to remove McAdams from the set and bring in another actress to read her lines off-camera. A private screaming match finally cleared enough tension for filming to continue, although the working relationship remained turbulent. The punchline arrived later: Gosling and McAdams began dating after production, proving that the line between romantic chemistry and wanting someone removed from the building can apparently be alarmingly thin. | © New Line Cinema

Star Trek 1966 William Shatner and George Takei — 15. Star Trek (1966): William Shatner and George Takei

*Star Trek* imagined a future in which humanity had overcome its petty differences, although William Shatner and George Takei apparently missed that particular briefing. Takei has repeatedly accused Shatner of monopolizing attention and treating the ensemble like background furniture, while Shatner has dismissed his former co-star as bitter and strangely determined to keep their rivalry alive. Memoirs, interviews, convention appearances, a televised roast, and even a disputed wedding invitation have supplied fresh fuel over the decades. Kirk and Sulu helped save the galaxy together; exchanging pleasantries proved to be the considerably harder mission. | © Paramount Television

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Great chemistry on screen does not always mean the actors involved enjoyed sharing a set. Some famous co-stars traded romantic looks, comic banter, and emotional speeches while barely tolerating each other once the cameras stopped rolling. Personality clashes, bruised egos, difficult working conditions, and years-long feuds turned these supposedly perfect partnerships into professional endurance tests. These actors may have convinced audiences they were inseparable, but behind the scenes, they could hardly wait to say goodbye.

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Great chemistry on screen does not always mean the actors involved enjoyed sharing a set. Some famous co-stars traded romantic looks, comic banter, and emotional speeches while barely tolerating each other once the cameras stopped rolling. Personality clashes, bruised egos, difficult working conditions, and years-long feuds turned these supposedly perfect partnerships into professional endurance tests. These actors may have convinced audiences they were inseparable, but behind the scenes, they could hardly wait to say goodbye.