SHOW STROPPERS
Film stars’ most shocking on-set meltdowns – from Tom Cruise’s Covid rant to Christian Bale’s foul-mouthed outburst
TENSIONS can run high when you're filming a movie 24-7 - but when you throw in strict social-distancing rules, they can really boil over.
And Tom Cruise proved just how heated it can get when he lost his cool on the set of the latest Mission: Impossible, by tearing into workers who had broken Covid rules.
23
The star, 58, had worked tirelessly to enforce tight social-distancing rules, so when he saw two of the crew standing within two metres of each other, he flew into a rage.
An audio tape captured Cruise shouting: “If I see you do it again, you’re f***ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it, that’s it — and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f***ing do it again.”
However, while his outburst was for the greater good, some stars have been caught in much more embarrassing rants on set over the years.
From Christian Bale's infamous Terminator meltdown, to Ewan McGregor 'storming off set' and Lindsay Lohan flying into a rage, we look at some of the most memorable tantrums in Hollywood...
23
Christian Bale vs director of photography
Perhaps one of the most memorable outbursts came from Christian Bale, 46, on the set of Terminator Salvation.
A notorious audio tape leaked in 2009 of his expletive-laden rant at director of photography, Shane Hurlbut, who had walked on mid-filming.
23
The actor was heard shouting: “Am I going to walk around and rip your f***ing lights down, in the middle of a scene? Then why the f*** are you walking right through? What the f*** is it with you? What don’t you f***ing understand? I’m going to f***ing kick your f***ing ass if you don’t shut up for a second.”
Bale later apologised "unreservedly" for the shocking behaviour, and admitted he "acted like a punk".
He told Los Angeles radio station KROQ: "I was out of order beyond belief. I make no excuses for it."
23
23
The actor added that he'd been immersed in the "craziness" of his character at the time, and said: "There is nobody who has heard that tape who has been hit harder than me."
Christian maintained he had patched things up with Shane.
Ewan McGregor vs paparazzi
Just weeks ago, Scottish actor Ewan McGregor was caught on video launching a foul-mouthed outburst while filming his new Netflix show.
The 49-year-old star was on the set of miniseries Halston, filming scenes in New York’s Central Park, when he appeared to fly into a rage at paparazzi photographer Steve Sands, 64, who was taking snaps.
23
23
23
In the clip, the Star Wars actor stormed towards the snapper and shouted: “Stop talking to me.”
He then appeared to add: “I’m walking behind this f**king flag!”
A source close to McGregor claimed the pap was being a nuisance and the star was trying to protect the crew.
David O. Russell vs Lily Tomlin... AND George Clooney
American film director David O. Russell, 62, was left red-faced in 2004 when a video of him shouting at Lily Tomlin, 81, on I Heart Huckabees went viral.
The footage showed him throwing papers and other items to the ground as he screamed at Tomlin.
23
23
23
However, the pair have put their issues to bed and Tomlin later told : "[David and I] made up in just a few hours, and then we had a second fracas. By then, I was like stoic in my suffering. But we've overcome it. It dissipates and it's gone."
Russell himself has since told : "Lily Tomlin and I love each other, and we would work together tomorrow."
He also made headlines after allegedly getting into an actual brawl with George Clooney on his film Three Kings.
The film's producer Charles Roven told : "We've got George, who's having trouble remembering his lines because he's working seven days a week, and we've got David, who's falling behind schedule.
23
23
"Now we're shooting the climax of the movie. Helicopters, explosions, gunfire. It's chaos, madness. And George sees David talking to the extras' [assistant director], and it looks like he's yelling at him.
"But he's yelling to be heard. And George comes running over and goes, 'I told you, motherf***er, if you're going to pick on somebody, pick on me'.
"And David goes, 'Why don't you just f***ing remember your lines for once?' And boom! They grab each other, and they're tussling."
The pair have since spoken of the incident in rival interviews, with Clooney claiming Russell "headbutted him", while Russell has insisted the actor came at him first.
Lindsay Lohan vs James Deen
There's no escaping an on-set rant when there's audio footage of it happening, and Lindsay Lohan, 34, was caught out in a clip in 2013, after appearing to lose her cool at at co-star James Deen, 34, on The Canyons set.
23
The footage, posted on US gossip website , reveals how the actress pleaded with him to take the scene seriously.
"Let’s actually do the scene," she is heard saying. "Go like this, yeah I know it’s not fun for you, but let’s do it.
"No, can you do it… Please James, say your line as you’re walking over. ”Cause we’re doing rehearsal… do your f***ing job."
Talking to TMZ about the recording, James later said: “Hours before the rant she asked why I was doing this movie and I said ‘for fun'. I meant for personal experience and enjoyment of working on a Bret Easton Ellis movie.
23
“I don’t think she understood my intention behind saying ‘for fun’ and thought it meant that I wasn’t going to try.”
'Joaquin Phoenix vs crew member'
He plays the terrifying Joker in the hit 2019 movie, but Joaquin Phoenix shocked fans when a clip revealed him appearing to lose his cool off camera too.
The actor was thrown into a very awkward situation when footage of the alleged outburst was aired on .
23
He was heard talking about a cinematographer and saying: "The constant whispering, just shut the f**k up, dude."
The crew member had called him "Cher", in an apparent dig at him being a diva, and Joaquin is heard saying: "I know you started the f***ing Cher thing, Larry … making fun of me. Like I’m a f***ing diva.
"It’s not even an insult. Cher, really? Singer, actor, dancer, fashion icon - how’s that a f***ing insult?"
23
Phoenix said on the show after watching it: "That was supposed to be private. I’m embarrassed, I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry you guys had to see that."
However, his publicist later told Entertainment Weekly the whole thing "was a joke outtake".
'Lucy Liu vs Bill Murray'
Lucy Liu, 52, and Bill Murray, 70, may seem like an unlikely pair to get into a spat, but it was sensationally claimed in a dubious post online that they rubbed each other up the wrong way on the set of Charlie's Angels.
23
23
It was initially claimed Murray accused Liu of not being able to act in the 2000 movie.
“At that, Liu blew her lid and attacked Murray, wildly throwing punches. The actors had to be separated to opposite corners of the room while they lobbed verbal hand grenades at each other," a 2008 post on claimed.
Russell Crowe vs his bodyguard
Gladiator star Russell Crowe, 56, has hit headlines several times thanks to some fiery outbursts over the years.
He was first forced to apologise over a backstage spat with a BBC producer at the 2002 BAFTAs.
23
When his speech was apparently cut short, he's alleged to have lost it off camera, 'pinned a producer against the wall', and told him he'd "never work in Hollywood".
According to , he later called him to apologise for the tirade.
Then two years later, in 2004, Crowe got into a row with his bodyguard, Mark 'Spud' Carroll, on the set of the boxing drama Cinderella Man.
"Spud and I had a push around after work on a Friday night," Crowe wrote to Australian paper The Sunday Herald Sun, according to the .
23
"The misunderstanding arose when Spud came over to tell me what he thought other people in the room might have been thinking of my conversation."
He added: "I thought he was accusing me specifically of something and I took offence to it.
"It doesn't surprise me that I'm overly sensitive to gossip and speculation and heartily sick of other people's 'perceptions'. Spud was passing on other people's 'perceptions' and I shot the messenger."
The actor said he and Carroll made up the next day.
Tom Hardy vs assistant director
Mad Max star Tom Hardy, 43, was forced to write a letter of apology after having an on-set meltdown at assistant director Scott Robertson while filming The Revenant.
23
The film's director Alejandro G. Iñárritu apparently told guests at the 2016 BAFTAs: "You didn’t see what happened between Tom and Scott.
“It was really something to see. It was crazy. But the next day, before we can shoot anything, Tom has written this most beautiful letter and absolutely poured his heart out.
“For me, it showed the true heart of the man - that he could write something like that after an incident like that.”
23
It’s wasn't the first time Hardy had begged forgiveness after a stroppy moment.
He previously confessed to a “scuffle” with Alejandro - then made jokey T-shirts showing him throttling the Oscar-winning Birdman director.
Most read in Celebrity
He said at the time: “When things get a bit too serious, I go, ‘Why don’t we have a cuddle in front of all these people here?’ It ends with both of us falling down in the snow.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“I think that’s a good thing. If I’m the naughty boy for doing that then I’d
rather be the naughty boy and release that tension.”
Elsewhere, there have been several rumours of fights between Hardy and actor Shia LaBeouf on the set of Lawless - but the later later confirmed they were only playful wrestles between them.
Ewan McGregor's extraordinary four-letter blast at a paparazzi photographer for TALKING on set in Central Park
Topics