That's a Wrap on These Celeb Friendships: Actors Who Refuse to Work Together Again
| LAST UPDATE 11/07/2022
Sometimes the best drama happens when the cameras stop rolling. From verbal disputes to physical fights, some of these stars had so much tension that we doubt they'll be working together anytime soon.
Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore
These two Hollywood icons starred together in the 2007 romantic comedy, Music & Lyrics. But it seems that behind the scenes, there may have been very little laughter. "Well, Drew, I think did hate me a bit," Hugh admitted. "We just were very different human beings."
Grant continued, "She was very LA, and I was a grumpy Londoner. The funny thing is, although it was fractionally tense on the set of that film, I think the chemistry is rather good between us. Sometimes tension makes a good crackle." We'll take your word for it, Hugh!
Dwayne Johnson & Vin Diesel
When Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson joined the Fast and Furious franchise, fans were hopeful he would reignite the failing movie series. What some viewers didn't expect was the off-screen drama between two of the movie's biggest stars. Buckle up; this is a wild one.
After a few cryptic social media messages taking shots at one another, Dwyane finally explained what he thought was the root of the problem between the two stars. "We have a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach moviemaking and collaborating," he said.
Lauren Conrad & Heidi Montag
"I wanna forgive you - and I wanna forget you." Those were Lauren Conrad's famous last words. Well, not really, but she made reality TV history with that cold sentence to former bestie turned enemy, Heidy Montag. So what exactly happened between these two co-stars?
All was fine when the two high school graduates moved to Hollywood together to chase their dreams. But when Heidi started dating Spencer Pratt, trouble began brewing between the two besties. From accusations of starting rumors to public fights, this feud made for some very dramatic seasons.
Isaiah Washington & Patrick Dempsey
An off-screen fight between these two former co-stars allegedly led to Washington's Grey's Anatomy contract not being renewed and to a very public feud. It wasn't long before other cast members chose sides, and Katherine Heigl made it clear she was Team Dempsey.
Katherine addressed the incident and the alleged slurs Isaiah directed at Patrick in an interview with Access Hollywood. The star said, "I'm going to be really honest right now, he [Isaiah Washington] needs to just not speak in public. Period. I'm sorry, that did not need to be said, I'm not okay with it."
Julianna Margulies & Archie Panjabi
Although it's unclear what exactly went down between these two actresses, we know that they didn't share any screen time after the fourteenth episode of Season 4. It seems that the drama may have been too much to bear, as Panjabi announced her character would be leaving the show after Season 6.
"In terms of anything that happened on The Good Wife, I think it's only respectful for it to stay on The Good Wife," Panjabi said during a panel for her new gig on the series Blindspot. "It was time for me, for many reasons, to unzip the boots and step into another show."
Terrence Howard & Robert Downey Jr.
When the Iron Man franchise allegedly refused to pay Terrance Howard what he claimed was promised to him, drama erupted between the former co-stars. "They came to me with the second [contract] and said, 'Look, we will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you,'" Terrance shared.
Howard continued, "It turns out that the person that I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to re-up for the second one, took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out." But years later, the feud was resolved as the actor said, "Life is too short" to fight over money.
Bruce Willis & Kevin Smith
After Smith and Willis worked together on the 2010 film Cop Out, the director did not hold back from expressing his feelings about the action icon. "Were it not for Tracy [Morgan], I might've killed myself or someone else in the making of that movie," Smith said on Marc Maron's podcast.
"It was difficult. I've never been involved in a situation like that where one component is not in the box at all. It was f***in' soul-crushing," Smith revealed. "I mean, a lot of people are gonna be like, 'Oh, you're just trying to blame the movie on him.' No, but I had no f***ing help from this dude whatsoever."
Lucas Grabeel & Ashley Tisdale
These two Disney Channel stars may have been as catty with each other as their High School Musical characters. The castmates got off on the wrong foot after Ashley overstepped a boundary and gave Lucas line readings during a screen testing. "It's not an actor thing to do," she explained.
"We were not close," Tisdale revealed. "We were not good friends; let's just be honest. It's been 10 years... We can totally talk about this now. We hated each other. Like, I'm not kidding." Well, we guess they weren't All In This Together after all!
Clayne Crawford & Damon Wayans
When Variety reported on-set fights between these two stars after some leaked footage was revealed, the drama erupted. Crawford was accused of purposely hurting Wayans during a scene he was directing. "It was an unfortunate event that happened in spite of all precautions," Clayne claimed.
In response, Wayans posted a video of the incident on Twitter and wrote, "How does the shrapnel from this hit me on the opposite side of the head? #directedby @claynecrawford." Damon then tweeted, "He [Crawford] became UNINSURABLE! Relished in making female cry. And stuck fear in cast and crew."
Charlie Sheen & Selma Blair
The feud between these former co-stars ended with one of them being, well, excused from the show. "We are confirming that Selma Blair will not be returning to Anger Management, and we wish her the very best," Lionsgate said in a 2013 statement following on-set fighting between Sheen and Blair.
So what led to bad blood between the talented actors? Selma allegedly had a problem with Charlie's work ethic. So Sheen, who was also an executive producer on the show, sent his co-star a series of expletive texts telling her she was fired. Sounds tough!
Shannen Doherty & Alyssa Milano
These on-screen sisters started as off-screen besties until things got sour. "There were times when I'd come in and say, 'Good morning, Shannen,' and she didn't say anything to me," Milano admitted. "And there were times when she'd come in and say, 'Good morning, Alyssa,' and I wouldn't say anything to her."
Doherty wasn't one to keep her mouth shut after leaving the show at the end of Season 3. "There was too much drama on the set and not enough passion for the work," she told Entertainment Tonight. "I want to work with actors who really, really care and that want to be there every single day." Shots fired!
Betty White & Bea Arthur
The cast of The Golden Girls could often be seen smiling and laughing on the classic sitcom. Sadly, there was actually some major beef between stars Betty White and Bea Arthur. The two were far from friends in real life, as Betty shared in a 2011 interview.
"She was not that fond of me," White explained. "She found me a pain in the neck sometimes." But the star clarified that she wasn't the only one disliked by Bea. "If you were chewing gum on the set, Arthur would try to have you fired," White said. We wouldn't want to be there for that showdown!
Shia LaBeouf & Tom Hardy
When these Hollywood icons got together to film 2012's Lawless, tensions on set were high. Reports surfaced of an on-set argument between the two stars, and director John Hillcoat later confirmed the rumors. "There was definitely a fight between them," he said.
Hillcoat continued, "It escalated to the point where they had to both be restrained." The director said he was grateful the altercation was stopped before someone got hurt. "I was very pleased to hear it didn't go that way because I would hate to see the outcome," John added.
Sarah Jessica Parker & Kim Cattrall
For years, rumors of a feud between castmates Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall swirled around Hollywood. If there was ever any doubt, Kim confirmed the beef in an Instagram post in 2018. "Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now," she wrote.
The Sex and the City star continued, "Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven't already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your 'nice girl' persona." Ouch!
Dwayne Johnson & Tyrese Gibson
When Johnson joined the Fast and Furious franchise, Gibson didn't initially take issue. But when The Rock's appearance brought life back to the film series and he later accepted a spin-off movie, Tyrese wasn't happy. The actor took to Twitter to share his thoughts.
"They offered but YOU didn't have to agree with a solo #HobbsMovie," Gibson wrote. "#OriginalFastFamily we salute you and stand on your shoulders #VinDiesel #PaulWalker #RobCohen #RomanTej were offered a spin off we TURNED IT DOWN!!!" Years later, Tyrese said there was no longer beef between them.
Rachel McAdams & Ryan Gosling
Many hearts were practically wrenched from their chests with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams' legendary performances in The Notebook. But for a while, the off-screen chemistry between the two actors was far from romantic, as director Nick Cassavetes revealed.
"Maybe I'm not supposed to tell this story," the director began. "Ryan came to me... and he says, 'Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?' I said, 'What?' He says, 'I can't. I can't do it with her. I'm just not getting anything from this."
Victoria Justice & Ariana Grande
The former Nickelodeon stars have confirmed they were not besties during the filming of Victorious, and it's unlikely they'll be working together again. "I think we're kind of both on our own separate paths right now. I've been more focused on acting, and she's doing her singing thing," Victoria told Entertainment Tonight.
Ariana couldn't seem to agree more. When the famous singer invited her former Victorious castmates to star in her Thank U, Next music video, Justice was the only one notably missing. Later that year, Victoria left Coachella before Grande's set began.
Chad Michael Murray & Sophia Bush
These two stars' behind-the-scenes romance led to a short-lived marriage. The pair wed in April of 2005 and separated five months later. Years later, Bush said she felt pressured into the whole affair and that it "was not a thing I actually really wanted to do."
When asked why she married Murray if she didn't want to, Sophia said, "Because how do you let everybody down... when you have bosses telling you that you're the only person who gets a person to work on time, and 200 people either get to see their kids at night or they don't because our days start on time ... ?"
Eva Longoria & Teri Hatcher
The fictional drama on Desperate Housewives may have transferred into the real world, too. "You know, Teri was just a loner," Longoria said of her former co-star. "Me and Marcia [Cross] and Felicity [Huffman] were a lot closer because we are just girlie girls who like to be in each other's company. Teri didn't."
Eva wasn't the only one who had something to say about Teri. The show's creator, Cherry, said that Nicolette Sheridan "Pulled me aside and told me that Teri Hatcher was the meanest woman in the world because of how she was acting." Something tells us Hatcher won't be reuniting with her old co-workers.
Kiefer Sutherland & Freddie Prinze Jr.
24 was already on its eighth season when Freddi Prinze Jr. joined the cast. The new star joined the series' protagonist, Kiefer Sutherland, on the screen. But Prinze left after only one season, and let's say he didn't have the best impression of his former castmate.
"I did 24; it was terrible," Prinze told ABC News. "I hated every moment of it. Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That's not me talking trash; I'd say it to his face. I think everyone that's worked with him has said that." The man did not hold back!
Leighton Meester & Blake Lively
Blair and Serena had a complicated relationship with their on-again-off-again BFF title. Things were a bit more simple behind the scenes, as Lively and Meester were not friends at all. Executive producer Joshua Safran explained that the castmates didn't have much in common.
"Blake and Leighton were not friends," Safran admitted to Vanity Fair. "They were not friends like Serena and Blair. Yet the second they'd be on set together, it's as if they were." We couldn't agree more; they sure fooled us! A legendary duo, regardless of the off-screen circumstances.
Clint Eastwood & Leonardo DiCaprio
Clint and Leonardo are two of Hollywood's most legendary creators. Sadly, it's possible we won't see them collaborating on a project again. The two stars did not get along during the filming of 2011's J. Edgar, directed and produced by Eastwood and starring DiCaprio.
"You coulda heard a pin drop when Leonardo DiCaprio suddenly got feisty with Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood on the set of J. Edgar and demanded a retake on a scene where he reacts to a bomb explosion on a Washington, D.C., street," reported Mike Walker of The National Enquirer.
Claire Danes & Leonardo DiCaprio
Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio were both young when they graced our screens in the 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. But that didn't stop the fresh-faced actors from engaging in some on-set drama. The co-stars did not get along, and DiCaprio called Danes "too uptight."
Claire was later offered a role in Titanic and turned it down. "Honestly, I had just made this romantic epic with Leo in Mexico City, which is where they were going to shoot Titanic, and I just didn't have it in me," she said on the podcast Armchair Expert.
Shenae Grimes & Annalyne McCord
The relationship between the 90210 stars was complicated both on and off the screen. "I just was removed from everything. I had social anxiety, and I didn't know it, so it makes you seem like a real little piece of work," McCord said. This led to some tension with her castmate.
"Shenae and I, who played Annie [Wilson], we were literally at each other's throats for five years, and the day before we wrapped, Shenae calls me and was like, 'Hey, I can't believe it's over.' I'm like, '[Expletive]?!'" AnnaLynne shared in an interview.
Julia Roberts & Nick Nolte
After Roberts and Nolte starred in 1994's I Love Trouble, it became clear the two were a troublesome pair. "From the moment I met him, we sort of gave each other a hard time... and naturally we got on each other's nerves," Julia revealed. But that's not all she had to say...
The actress added that while her co-star could be "completely charming and very nice... he's also completely disgusting." Nolte fired back at his co-star, saying, "It's not nice to call someone 'disgusting.' But she's not a nice person. Everyone knows that." The tea is piping hot here!
James Franco & Tyrese Gibson
When James Franco and Tyrese Gibson acted together in the 2006 film Annapolis, things took a turn for the worse. It's safe to say they're not likely to be castmates again after what transpired on set. The famous actors were feuding so hard that it got physical.
"Actually, I didn't get along with James Franco, but that's some other s***. We fought," Gibson revealed. "We actually got in a full-on fight. It was a situation. They had to shut down production for a whole day. That s*** was crazy." It seems that the most intense drama was happening when the cameras weren't rolling!
Mark Harmon & Pauley Perette
Mark and Pauley had a father-daughter like closeness on-screen, but beef between the stars eventually led to the latter leaving the show. Perette was inconsolable after Harmon brought his pit bull mix to set, and the dog, unfortunately, bit a crew member.
When Perette returned to CBS with a new show, some fans wondered if she would appear again on NCIS. The actress quickly shot down the idea. "NO I AM NOT COMING BACK! EVER! (Please stop asking?) I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me. I have nightmares about it," she tweeted.
Robert Pattinson & Reese Witherspoon
Water for Elephants may have been heart-meltingly romantic, but the reality was far from that. "I was doing it when I had a really bad cold," Pattinson explained. "Reese had this wig on, and literally, I was wiping my nose on her wig." His co-star later made it clear she wasn't a fan of the experience.
"Rob possibly had the most hideous horrible cold of any co-star I've ever had to do a love scene with ever in my entire life," Reese told In Touch magazine. "He was literally snorting and snotting through every second of it - and it was not appealing. I'm talking green, infectious, disgusting."
LL Cool J & Jamie Foxx
When Jamie Foxx and LL Cool J starred in the 1999 sports drama Any Given Sunday, things got heated. The tension between the castmates led to an on-set brawl and a feud that lasted for years. But let's leave it to Cool J to tell the story in his own words.
"So, we did another take, and I was rough with him again," LL explained. "And, then, I don't know why, but he thought it was a good idea to punch me in my face. This wasn't scripted. I'ma keep it 100 with you. You want me to keep it 100 - I'm gonna keep it 100. He punched me in my face."
Mariah Carey & Nicki Minaj
Artists Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey rocked the airwaves with their collaborative 2010 song, Up Out My Face. Sadly, things have gone downhill since. When the Hollywood icons both became judges on American Idol, it seemed that they needed to be out of each other's faces ASAP.
In 2012, footage of a verbal fight between the judges confirmed the two weren't getting along. "[Carey's] admitted that she did not want another female doing the show, thinking somebody's coming to steal her shine," Minaj later said during her TV special, My Truth.
Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan
Perhaps Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are much better actors than we already thought. The two starred alongside each other in the frisky franchise of Fifty Shades of Grey, playing the roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. While the pair had racy chemistry on screen, it wasn't always the perfect relationship off-set.
Some audiences could tell there was a lack of empathy between the couple, and an interview with Today somewhat confirmed this. Natalie Morales interviewed the stars at the second film's masquerade ball premiere and acknowledged their friendship was "built on trust," while Johnson confirmed they were "forced into being best friends."
Lea Michele & Naya Rivera
When there's not enough spotlight for two, it can get a little heated. Glee stars Lea Michele and Naya Rivera allegedly were "rivals onscreen and rivals off," reported Zimbio. While this tension could have been kept to a minimum, it, unfortunately, affected the show and Naya's screen time.
Following "on-set confrontations," Michele allegedly wanted Rivera off the show. So, when the cast jetted off to NYC for season 5, Naya was allegedly written off the last two episodes. While Ryan Murphy said he was "devastated" to learn about the feud - according to toofab - Rivera was not a series regular for the final season.
Marilyn Monroe & Laurence Olivier
Although Monroe might have been an 'it girl,' it seems not everyone liked her. While there was a confirmed feud between Monroe and Tony Curtis during the production Some Like It Hot (1959), she clashed with Laurence Olivier two years before. According to Slashfilm, Olivier did not hide his "distaste" for Monroe's "method acting."
The different approaches to acting would cause tension during the golden age of Hollywood. Monroe allegedly had an "unpredictable work ethic" during filming for The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). She would reportedly show up late, "sometimes as late as three days later," which caused Olivier to become progressively frustrated.
Will Smith & Janet Hubert
Living a fresh life in Bel-Air was not all smooth sailing, especially when there was tension within the family. Janet Hubert worked alongside Smith in The Fresh Prince TV series playing the role of his Aunt Viv. However, the feud was so bad between the two, Hubert refused to do a reunion with the rest of the Banks family.
Questionable names were thrown around, like "snotty-nosed punk." Decades later, the tension had not dissipated. Hubert still blamed Smith for her being fired from the show in 1993. While there is no true confirmation of what happened behind the scenes, she eventually reconciled with Smith during the 2020 Fresh Prince reunion.
Jennifer Grey & Patrick Swayze
The playful production of Dirty Dancing (1987) seemed like most fans' fantasy. Who wouldn't want to be thrown up in the air by Patrick Swayze? While the production included many scripted arguments, it seems that it didn't take much acting for the lead couple - especially Swayze.
While the film was a little goofy, Swayze did not have the patience for it. He revealed in his memoir he had "little patience for Grey." She had the tendency to act carelessly on set. Even in the teaching montage scene, audiences saw Swayze becoming frustrated with Grey, which apparently did not take much acting effort, noted Zimbio.
Bill Murray & Lucy Liu
Good Morning Charlie! These angels made it seem like they had everything figured out. However, according to rumors, Murray would continuously criticize Liu's acting as she played out her role as Alex Munday. This obviously did not sit well with the actress.
During an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Barrymore praised Liu for "standing up to Bill Murray's Charlie's Angels' insults." While she explained comedians could sometimes be "a little dark," this was no excuse for Murray's reported bad moods. The feud continued up to a point where the two had to be separated by the crew.
Alec Baldwin & Shia LaBeouf
Throughout the Broadway production of Orphans, the tension between Baldwin and LaBeouf went to extreme lengths. New York Magazine explains that there was evident strain between the co-stars but blamed it on "a lot of young actors" acting like that today. However, LaBeouf's lack of patience with Baldwin got the better of him.
LaBeouf would reportedly "memorize all of his lines prior to rehearsal and was frustrated waiting for his co-star to catch up." Considering Baldwin's track record, he is not one to slack off. LaBeouf claimed Alec was "slowing him down," resulting in an attack and LaBeouf being taken out of the show. Yikes.
Reese Witherspoon & Vince Vaughn
What is meant to be the most wonderful time of the year turned into the most tense Christmas encounter! When Vaughn and Witherspoon joined festive forces in Four Christmases, things became tense when it came to rehearsal, filming, and acting approaches...
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Witherspoon praised Vaughn for being "exciting" and "constantly thinking of funny things and really bringing everyone into it." However, while Witherspoon preferred to arrive early on set ready, Vaughn walked onto set, "looking like he just came in from a night out," ready to improvise.
Sylvester Stallone & Richard Gere
The 70s was an era that was filled with love. However, while Sylvester Stalone and heartthrob Richard Gere were paired together to star in the 1974 production of The Lords of Flatbush, it was far from happy days. Although, it was not the difference in acting approaches or filming feuds that caused these two to tussle.
The duo allegedly had a bust-up over Princess Diana at a dinner party. It was an ongoing feud that continued during filming, leading Gere to lose his would-be role in the movie. In 2006, Stallone told Ain't It Cool News about his "immediate dislike" to Gere, claiming he "got a little carried away" when he grabbed him in a fight scene.
Lindsay Lohan & America Ferrera
From being the luckiest girl in NYC to re-living her confessions of a teenage drama queen: while Lohan was working alongside Ferrera on the set of her own show, Ugly Betty, the pair did not exactly see eye to eye. The bad tension escalated and even affected Lohan's screen time throughout her cameo.
Lohan and Ferrera clashed, but it was unclear whose fault it truly was. According to HuffPost, Ferrera's team accused Lohan of trashing her dressing room and "power play," while Lohan's defendants shot back, claiming they embarrassed her during scenes. Lohan's gig on the show was consequentially cut from 6 episodes to 4.