Actors Everyone Can't Stand Working With

Let's face it, Hollywood is filled with divas. Showbiz is littered with stars who simply can't stop from making life difficult for everyone on set. Sometimes, actors take things too far and have a one-off blowup (we're looking at you "Terminator Salvation" Christian Bale). This happens; shooting a movie or TV series ain't easy. When you're away from family and loved ones for long periods of time, constantly chasing that perfect shot while the studio is breathing down your neck, things understandably get tense.

However, there are a great many performers who just seem to have an unbreakable knack for making the filming experience (an already laborious process) a hundred times more taxing and awkward. From having a laundry list of absurdly weird and random demands to frequently starting trouble with their castmates, there are just too many actors in Hollywood who like making things impossible for everyone. So, here is a list of actors you likely wouldn't want to be on set with for months on end.

The following article includes allegations of addiction, child abuse, and sexual assault.

From stuntmen to other actors, Steven Seagal made it an absolute habit to upset literally everyone throughout his career. His hosting of "Saturday Night Live" in 1991 infamously and perfectly encapsulated just how difficult and rigid of a performer he could be. He frequently talked down to the cast and writers, and a Hans and Franz skit had to be changed to revolve around how tough he was; the "Marked for Death" star also pitched an idea for a sketch that involved him playing a therapist who sexually assaults his patient. The experience led to Lorne Michaels — along with many fans — referring to Seagal as the worst "SNL" host of all time.

Over the years, multiple actors have gone on record to describe how Seagal took his role as an action star way too seriously, taking extreme physical liberties with his costars and stuntmen. "Steven Seagal hits the s*** out of people," Michael Jai White, an accomplished martial artist, explained in a 2021 interview with VladTV. "He's known for that." According to the "Spawn" star, Seagal's bullying antics drove those on set with him crazy to the point that a director and producer both blatantly asked White to hurt Seagal for real when filming a fight scene. White refused.

As White puts it, the "Under Siege" actor was always strategic about who he got physical with on set. If Hollywood gossip is to be believed, maybe Seagal learned the hard way after being humiliated by a legendary martial artist.

Chevy Chase's comedic fame has often been eclipsed by just how much of a pain he can be to work with. The actor's notorious relationship with "Saturday Night Live," where he was one of the original castmates, was nothing short of a toxic rollercoaster. From fighting with Bill Murray moments before going live to reportedly hurling homophobic comments at Terry Sweeney upon his 1985 return as host, Chase's contentious "SNL" tenure is practically a how-to manual on how to be a terrible coworker. 

Later in his career, when he seemed to be going through something of a resurgence thanks to his incredible performance as Pierce Hawthorne in "Community," the actor once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Even at the height of the show's popularity, Chase could not refrain from talking badly about the NBC sitcom. His heated relationship with the series, its creator Dan Harmon, and his castmates culminated in his dramatic exit in 2012.

As "Community" geared up for its Peacock revival film, series star Joel McHale plainly admitted that fans should not expect a Pierce Hawthorne return, directly pointing to Chase's chaotic exit in 2012. "I don't think he's allowed to. I don't think it would happen ... Obviously his unceremonious departure in Season 4 pretty much did that in" (via the New York Post).

Once upon a time, Charlie Sheen was the sitcom king, earning record-breaking millions for his run on CBS' "Two and a Half Men." However, things came crashing down in 2011, when the actor's personal troubles and animosity with series creator Chuck Lorre culminated in his abrupt departure. 

Following his shocking exit, by 2012 Sheen was already starring in another sitcom, FX's "Anger Management." It didn't take long for trouble to start brewing again. Halfway into the second season, Sheen's co-star Selma Blair was let go from the show after the two reportedly quarreled over the former's work ethic (or lack thereof). Sheen allegedly dismissed Blair through an expletive-filled text and threatened to walk from the FX series if she was not let go.

While Sheen has successfully managed to turn a new leaf (the actor has been sober since 2017) and mended his relationship with Lorre, that doesn't mean his previous costars are lining up to work with him again. In a February interview with "The View," actor Jon Cryer explained that while he wished Sheen nothing but the best, restarting a working relationship was simply out of the question. "The thing for me is, when 'Two and a Half Men' was happening, Charlie was the highest-paid actor in television, probably ever ... And yet, he blew it up," Cryer said (via Entertainment Tonight). "So, you kind of have to think — I love him. I wish him the best. He should live in good health for the rest of his life, but I don't want to get in business with him for any length of time."

From 2009 to 2015, Lea Michele earned her fame for portraying Rachel Berry in "Glee," the show's resident good-natured and loveable protagonist. However, years after the show's conclusion, allegations arose that painted the performer in a not-so-good-natured light. In her 2016 memoir, the late Naya Rivera wrote about her experience working with Michele, describing how polar opposite they were and how by the show's end the two were no longer on speaking terms. "If I'd complained about anyone or anything, she'd assumed I was bi***ing about her. Soon, she started to ignore me, and eventually it got to the point where she didn't say a word to me for all of Season Six" (via The Daily Beast).

In June 2020, Samantha Marie Ware, who joined "Glee" for its sixth and final season, posted in a since-deleted post on then-Twitter (now called X) tweet that Michele tormented her on set. The accusation was an apparent reply to Michele's tweeting support for the Black Lives Matter movement. "LMAO REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE MY FIRST TELEVISON GIG A LIVING HELL?!?! CAUSE ILL NEVER FORGET. I BELIEVE YOU TOLD EVERYONE THAT IF TOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY YOU WOULD "S*** IN MY WIG!" AMONGST OTHER TRAUMATIC MICROAGRESSIONS THAT MADE ME QUESTION A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD..." (via CBS).

An avalanche of allegations soon followed, with each spotlighting accounts of Michele treating some of her fellow "Glee" costars, along with the show's background extras, horribly. 

Over the years, Mike Myers hasn't developed the most stellar reputation when it comes to his behavior on set. According to "Wayne's World" director Penelope Spheeris, the actor was not the easiest to deal with. "He was emotionally needy and got more difficult as the shoot went along" (per Entertainment Weekly).

In a 2016 A.V. Club interview (via Vulture), actor Amy Hill recalled how strange and reclusive Myers was while filming 2003's "The Cat in the Hat." According to Hill, the "Austin Powers" star was able to exercise firm creative control over filming, frequently taking the reins from director Bo Welch, and refrained from interacting with the rest of the cast, going so far as to cover his trailer with tenting. Allegedly, Myers even had his own personal chocolate-getter. "There was a guy who held his chocolates in a little Tupperware. Whenever he needed chocolate, he'd come running over and give him a chocolate," Hill explained. 

In early 2023, Myers' name was once again brought to the forefront for all the wrong reasons. Canadian radio host Jay Brody claimed to have previously worked on the set of 2008's "The Love Guru" as security and that it was the movie's main star that got him fired. According to Brody, he was let go after making eye contact with Myers, an apparent hard rule that loomed over the set.

Yeah, you probably guessed Jared Leto — who has his own bizarre cult – was going to appear on this list sooner or later. When fans think of "method actors who go way too overboard," a picture of Leto's face probably floats around in their minds.

The most glaring examples of Leto's "eccentric" behavior on set occurred when he stepped up to play the Joker in 2016's "Suicide Squad." The actor's take on the Clown Prince of Crime allegedly involved him sending a rat to Margot Robbie and a dead pig to Viola Davis. Years later, when Leto jumped into the superhero realm once more with "Morbius," the actor made it a habit during filming to limp his way toward restrooms while on crutches, in an apparent effort to mirror and embrace his titular character's medical condition. This burdened production to the point where a compromise had to be made; someone — probably a horribly underpaid production assistant — had to eventually start pushing Leto to the bathroom in a wheelchair.

Interestingly, it seems Leto is very particular — almost strategic — about who he goes full method actor with. Denzel Washington plainly admitted that Leto didn't pull anything strange with him. "He didn't do any of that with me," the "Training Day" star explained prior to the film's release (per USA Today). "Nah. He'd have been paid a visit. That wouldn't happen."

Things weren't always smooth sailing with the CBS police procedural "Criminal Minds." The show debuted in 2005 and ran until 2020, before coming back two years later on Paramount+, and had an incredibly demanding shooting schedule. However, whenever things got difficult on set, there appeared to often be one recurring name at the center of things: Thomas Gibson, who played Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner from 2005 to 2016. 

Gibson was fired from the series after he reportedly kicked producer Virgil Williams in the shin. This was the last straw, as it wasn't the first time the actor was involved in a physical altercation on set. In 2010, it was reported that Gibson shoved assistant director Ian Woolf. Aside from these two instances, the actor's presence on set burdened the show in other ways. Filming reportedly had to allocate time for Gibson to travel home to San Antonio, and in 2013, after receiving a DUI and getting his license revoked, it suddenly became the responsibility of staffers to drive him to and from set.

Few shows have garnered as much gossip and controversy as ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." The show debuted in early 2005, and at its peak there seemed to always be some type of drama unfolding behind the scenes. Ellen Pompeo, who played Doctor Meredith Grey, is not afraid to admit as much. "The first 10 years we had serious culture issues, very bad behavior, really toxic work environment," Pompeo explained in 2019 to Variety.

Patrick Dempsey, who played Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd for eleven seasons before being killed off, often has his name brought up next to the word "diva" whenever "Grey's Anatomy" drama is brought up. According to Lynette Rice's book "How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy" (via The Hollywood Reporter), James D. Parriott, a former executive producer on the show, described Dempsey as an absolute terror on set, saying, "He sort of was terrorizing the set. Some cast members had all sorts of PTSD with him ... He had this hold on the set where he knew he could stop production and scare people."

Dempsey reportedly clashed frequently with Pompeo and series creator Shonda Rhimes, with his actions and attitude on set often dumbfounding the cast and crew, as "McDreamy" was the highest-paid actor on the show during his tenure, a move that inevitably created friction with the show's main star. According to Pompeo, she was rejected multiple times when she asked Dempsey that they negotiate their salaries together. "There were many times where I reached out about joining together to negotiate, but he was never interested in that" (per The Hollywood Reporter).

Bill Murray may have made a career out of playing affable protagonists in some heartwarming comedies, but behind the scenes, the "Ghostbusters" star has consistently cemented a reputation of being a difficult actor to work with. In 2022, Murray's inappropriate actions toward a female crew member led to production of Aziz Ansari's film "Being Mortal" getting suspended. That same year, Geena Davis, who starred alongside Murray in 1990's "Quick Change," recalled how much of a terror the latter was in her book, "Dying of Politeness: A Memoir" (via People). According to the Oscar winner, Murray not only incessantly pressured her into using a massage device on her back despite her multiple objections, he also yelled at her in front of the entire crew while she was delayed waiting for the wardrobe department.

Murray was allegedly so condescending and rude to Lucy Liu during a rehearsal on "Charlie's Angels" that the latter fought back — literally — with some punches. Even a nine-year-old Seth Green apparently wasn't safe from Murray's erratic behavior. According to the "Family Guy" star, Murray dangled him by the ankles over a trash can during an episode of "Saturday Night Live" when a young Green refused to get off a couch.

Klaus Kinski's name should be considered one of the most infamous in the history of cinema. Decades after the German actor's death in 1991, his daughter Pola published an autobiography — "Kindermund" ("Child's Mouth") — that horrifically describes how her father frequently sexually abused her throughout her childhood and up until she was 19. On set, Kinski was a terrible, volatile, and downright dangerous presence throughout his career, and his acting legacy is arguably more famous for the countless times he plagued every production he was a part of.

During filming of "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," he shot his rifle into a hut where some extras were staying up to play cards; a bullet ended up ripping through an extra's middle finger. Kinski's atrocious behavior in "Crawlspace" — which consisted of starting fistfights with everyone and refusing to stick to the script — allegedly led to a producer wanting to have the actor killed. Even Kinski's most frequent collaborator, Werner Herzog, desired to have the former killed. Herzog famously and aptly summarized Kinski as "a monster and a great pestilence," and the pair's relationship is one of the most notorious Old Hollywood feuds that got out of hand. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, may be the victim of child abuse, or has been a victim of sexual assault, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).