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The magic of film and TV can make you believe just about anything. It can make you buy that an actor truly embraced the role of a serial killer or a romantic lead. It can also make you believe that two actors enjoy each other’s company when that couldn’t be further from the truth. As these people are just human, it’s no surprise that they all don’t like each other. Let’s face it: how many people out there enjoy the company of all their coworkers? As for actors, some clash on set for strange to downright bizarre reasons, leading to sometimes lifelong arguments and discourse.
Passing Wind Goes Too Far – Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine
The mother-daughter connection in the 1983 Term of Endearment didn’t bleed through behind the scenes for actresses Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine (People.com). MacLaine promptly found herself at odds with Winger. There are reports Winger even farted in MacLaine’s face. And that was just one of the many strange occurrences that caused these two to clash.
In large part, much of the blame fell on Winger’s drug addiction issues at the time. It led her to commit some unsavory antics on set, which MacLaine still spoke about years after the fact.
The Chicken – Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere
This strange actor clash on set boils down to a greasy chicken meal that escalated beyond a mere argument. In 1974, Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere were set up to film The Lords of Flatbush. Everything broke down over a simple lunch break (Aint It Cool News). Stallone mentioned how Gere climbed into the back of the car with him to eat, but rather than the simple meal Stallone had, Gere carried in a greasy chicken meal.
After ignoring the warning from Stallone, Gere went in on his meal, subsequently spilling greasy mustard over Stallone’s pants. Here’s where this went from a simple actor clash to physical violence on set as Stallone elbowed Gere, forcing him out of the car. It led to Gere being replaced in the role by Perry King.
A Case of Buffoonery – Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones
“Silly” should be Jim Carrey’s middle name, especially in the early stages of his career. But that knowledge is exactly what turned Tommy Lee Jones off of the comedian during their time filming 1995’s Batman Forever. Carrey mentioned how delighted he felt to know he would work with the famed actor. Feelings were not returned, which led to a bit of a one-sided actor clash on set between them.
Carrey learned that Jones downright hated him (Vulture). Nothing was due to anything Carrey did to him. On the contrary, he seemingly hated everything the comedian was, noting that he didn’t care for Carrey’s “buffoonery.” And that was it for any potential friendship or respect between the pair.
The Skirt – Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty
Fans of the iconic Beverly Hills, 90210 have probably heard about the many behind-the-scenes drama. It seemed like at any moment, Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty either cared deeply for each other or despised one another. But what was the reason for this actor clash and argument on set? A skirt lift.
Garth spoke about it on Watch What Happens Live (People.com). She explained how the pair mutually teased one another, but things took a sharp turn when Doherty raised Garth’s skirt. And that helped transform the innocent back-and-forth into something more nerve-wracking.
Snotgate – Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany
So, if the nickname for these actors’ issues doesn’t indicate it, the magic in Disney+’s hit show WandaVision didn’t always translate on set. Lead actors Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany found themselves in quite the pickle, leading to a brief clash. All because no one would take the blame for snot (Daily Mail).
During one of their many romantic scenes, the cut ended with snot over Olsen’s face. She initially claimed to make a joke about it seeing as it was post-COVID time. But Bettany took it to heart and promptly threw the blame back at her. Where’s the truth? No one but the culprit knows.
