Dwayne Johnson publicly aired his frustrations during the making of The Fate of the Furious, calling out unnamed male co-stars as “candy asses” on social media. The post quickly turned into a very real feud with Vin Diesel, intense enough that the two avoided each other by filming most of their scenes separately. The fallout eventually pushed Johnson toward a spin-off path, while Diesel stayed anchored to the main franchise. | © Universal Studios
Bruce Willis reportedly clashed with director Kevin Smith during the making of Cop Out. Smith later claimed Willis resisted direction and frequently argued with the crew, creating a tense, unproductive atmosphere on set. He went on to describe the experience as the most difficult of his career, while Willis never publicly addressed the accusations. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Robert Pattinson had an awkward experience working with Reese Witherspoon on Water for Elephants. Pattinson was battling a bad cold during their romantic scenes, which made close contact uncomfortable and, by Witherspoon’s account, less than hygienic. She reportedly voiced her frustration at the time, while Pattinson later laughed it off in interviews, admitting the whole situation was painfully awkward. | © 20th Century Studios
Alec Baldwin ran into serious trouble with Shia LaBeouf during rehearsals for the Broadway play Orphans. Baldwin felt LaBeouf was openly disrespectful and impossible to collaborate with in a professional setting, turning rehearsals into a daily grind. The tension escalated so quickly that LaBeouf was fired before the show even opened, an experience Baldwin later described as exhausting and completely avoidable. | © Republic Pictures
Channing Tatum reportedly clashed with Alex Pettyfer while working on Magic Mike. Tatum felt Pettyfer came off as arrogant on set, with a bad attitude that rubbed people the wrong way during production. As a producer, Tatum had the final say, and Pettyfer wasn’t asked back for the sequel, something he later confirmed after admitting they had several confrontations. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Jamie Dornan reportedly struggled to connect with Dakota Johnson while filming Fifty Shades of Grey. The lack of natural chemistry made the intimate scenes especially uncomfortable, turning already delicate moments into stiff, uneasy workdays. That distance was hard to ignore during the press tour as well, though things reportedly eased up by the time the sequels rolled around. | © Universal Studios
Robert De Niro reportedly kept his distance from Mickey Rourke during the filming of Angel Heart. De Niro felt Rourke was too unpredictable and chose not to engage at all, treating the silence as part of protecting his own process. Rourke took the snub personally, and the tension lingered on set, following them long after the movie wrapped. | © TriStar Pictures
James Franco butted heads with Tyrese Gibson while filming Annapolis. Gibson claimed Franco was actually landing punches during sparring scenes and refused to pull back, while Franco brushed it off as staying in character through method acting. The experience left Gibson openly bitter, and he’s since spoken publicly about his lasting dislike for Franco. | © Touchstone Pictures
Harrison Ford reportedly had a strained working relationship with Josh Hartnett during the filming of Hollywood Homicide. Between takes, the two were said to sit in silence, barely speaking, with Ford allegedly dismissing Hartnett as a punk and Hartnett firing back by calling Ford an old guy. That disconnect didn’t stay behind the scenes, critics later pointed out the lack of chemistry when the film hit theaters. | © Sony Pictures Releasing
Dustin Hoffman crossed a line while working with Meryl Streep on Kramer vs. Kramer. He reportedly used aggressive, unannounced tactics on set, including slapping Streep during a scene, believing it would provoke a more real reaction. Streep later described his behavior as cruel and unprofessional, while Hoffman admitted years later that personal turmoil, including a painful divorce, fueled his actions. | © Columbia Pictures
Bill Murray clashed with Lucy Liu during the filming of Charlie's Angels. He reportedly stopped a scene to criticize her performance, which quickly turned into a heated verbal exchange on set. The dispute was serious enough to pause production for a time, and Murray ultimately didn’t return for the sequel, where he was replaced. | © Sony Pictures Releasing
Will Smith had a very public falling-out with Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Hubert accused Smith of using his growing power to push her off the show, while Smith argued that she wanted the series to revolve around her character. The resentment ran so deep that they didn’t speak for more than twenty years, only clearing the air during the show’s reunion special. | © NBC
Sylvester Stallone developed an intense rivalry with Richard Gere while working on The Lords of Flatbush. Things reportedly boiled over during a break when Stallone accused Gere of deliberately dripping greasy food onto his pants inside a car they were sharing. The tension escalated so badly that Gere was ultimately replaced, bringing their short-lived collaboration to a definitive end. | © Columbia Pictures
Ryan Gosling openly struggled working with Rachel McAdams during the early days of The Notebook. At one point, he even asked the director to replace her for a private rehearsal, convinced their on-screen chemistry just wasn’t there. The irony came later, once filming ended, that friction flipped into a real-life relationship neither of them saw coming. | © New Line Cinema
Tom Hardy clashed heavily with Charlize Theron during the grueling shoot of Mad Max: Fury Road. Endless delays, brutal desert conditions, and very different working styles turned day-to-day filming into a constant source of tension. Theron later said they barely functioned as partners on set, only reaching mutual respect once the production was finally over. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Sometimes the drama didn’t stop when the cameras cut. These actors didn’t just struggle with their roles, they struggled with each other, turning famous productions into tense workplaces. Here are the on-set feuds and clashes that nearly overshadowed the movies.
