1.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Justin Bieber
In a 2018 appearance on What Watch Happens Live, Bill Hader and Jay Pharoah both admitted that the singer was the “worst” guest they’ve ever had to work with on SNL. “It was rough,” Hader said, also adding that he felt Bieber was in a “bad place” at the time: “He just seemed exhausted or [at] the end of the rope.”
Hader went more in-depth on the difficulty working with the star backstage, who hosted SNL in February 2013, in an interview with Howard Stern on the SiriusXM radio show, saying, “Justin Bieber showed up with like 20 guys and every time — backstage is a very small constructed place — he had a guy holding a slice of pizza, a guy holding a Diet Coke. You were trying to fight around all these people to get dressed.” On a more positive note, Hader also shared, “I had nice chats with [Bieber] when he was doing the scenes… he was a nice guy. He would try to do the best that he can.”
2.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Jennifer Lopez
The singer and actor has been accused of having a list of demands while working on set and at previous events. When she performed at the 2010 World Video Music Awards, she reportedly “insisted on a custom-fitted speed boat,” requested a pair of diamond-encrusted headphones, and a helicopter on “stand-by.” And in 2012, it was reported that J.Lo banned staff that were working on her new home from speaking to her or making eye contact with her.
3.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Jimmy Fallon
In a 2023 report from Rolling Stone, the actor and TV host has been accused by current and former employees of The Tonight Show of creating a toxic work environment and displaying “erratic” behavior behind the scenes. Employees described working on the show as an “ugly environment” and a “pretty glum atmosphere,” and they even shared being afraid of Fallon’s “outbursts.” Some revealed they were “belittled and intimidated” by their bosses, including Fallon himself. Seven employees also opened up in the report about how working on the show impacted their mental health due to the alleged mistreatment.
Fallon reportedly apologized to employees for his behavior in a Zoom call after the article was published. Representatives for Fallon did not comment on the record, but a spokesperson for NBC released a statement saying, “We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority. As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate. As is always the case, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.”
4.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Mike Myers
The Austin Powers star apparently has a reputation for being difficult to work with. Fellow actor, Amy Hill, told the AV Club that working with Myers on The Cat in the Hat was a “horrible, nightmarish experience” and commented on his distant behavior on set: “I don’t think he got to know anybody. He’d just be with his people and walk away. People would come and then he’d stand there,” she said. “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. That’s what divas are like, I guess. Or people who need therapy.”
5.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Teri Hatcher
Hatcher apparently clashed with her fellow costars Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, and Nicollette Sheridan when it came to Desperate Housewives. And during a 2005 Vanity Fair photoshoot with the cast, Hatcher wanted to be in the center, which caused drama on the set — and Sheridan even called Hatcher “the meanest woman in the world.” Plus, after the series wrapped in 2012, the actors apparently bought farewell gifts for the cast and crew — but left out Hatcher’s name on the gifts.
6.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Christian Bale
An audio recording leaked in 2009 of Bale’s infamous outburst toward cinematographer Shane Hurlbut on the set of Terminator Salvation. In the audio, Bale is heard yelling at Hurlbut, who supposedly distracted the actor during a scene: “You are trashing my scene. You do it one more f***ing time, and I ain’t walking on this set if you’re still hired. You’re a nice guy, but that don’t f***ing cut it,” he says during part of the clip.
Bale later apologized for the outburst during an interview on the Kevin and Bean radio show on KROQ: “I was out of order beyond belief,” he said. “I was way out of order. I acted like a punk. I regret that.”
7.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Thomas Gibson
Gibson was suspended and later fired from Criminal Minds after kicking a writer in the shin after an argument over the show’s creative direction. Deadline and TMZ also reported that Gibson had to attend anger management classes after shoving an assistant director back in 2010.
8.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Chevy Chase
The comedian was as one of the original cast members of SNL, but he was notoriously difficult to work with. Chase was accused of abusive behavior towards cast members — which included an incident where he slapped the back of Cheri Oteri’s head — and was apparently banned from hosting the show by SNL‘s creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels. In 2018, SNL‘s own Pete Davidson criticized Chase on Howard Stern’s show: “He’s a f—ing douchebag. F— Chevy Chase. I hate that dude,” he said. “He’s just a genuinely bad, racist person, and I don’t like him.”
Also, while filming the fourth season Community in 2012, Chevy reportedly used a racial slur while arguing with showrunner Dan Harmon, leading to the show pausing production. And in a 2018 interview with the New Yorker, former Community costar, Donald Glover, shared that Chase tried disrupting his scenes by making racial jokes between takes to “throw [him] off.”
9.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Bruce Willis
Willis and his Moonlighting costar Cybill Shepherd clashed when they worked on show together in the late ’80s. In an interview with Moonlighting Strangers Fanzine, the show’s producer, Jay Daniel, spoke about the difficulty of working with Willis over time because of his growing fame. “In the beginning, Bruce was just a guy’s guy. Let’s just say he evolved. Over the years, he went from being the crew’s best friend and just being grateful for the work and all of that to realizing that he was going to be a movie star and wanting to move on. Part of that was because of his strained relationship with Cybill. That sometimes made the set a very unpleasant place to be,” he said.
Also, in an interview on the WTF Podcast, director Kevin Smith described working with Bruce in 2009 on the set of Cop Out as “soul-crushing.” Kevin has since apologized to Bruce after Bruce announced that he’s retiring from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia, a disorder that affects communication and comprehension skills.
10.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Bill Murray
The comedian has a history of causing drama on set, and has clashed with Harold Ramis, Anjelica Huston, Lucy Liu, and others in different films. After working on the 1991 movie, What About Bob?, costar Richard Dreyfuss even called Murray “an Irish drunken bully” due to his behavior.
11.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Julia Roberts
Steven Spielberg worked with Roberts, who played Tinkerbell in his 1991 Peter Pan adaptation, Hook, and claimed she was difficult to work with. At the time of filming, Roberts was going through a breakup with then-fiancé Kiefer Sutherland, which supposedly impacted her behavior on set, and even garnered her the nickname “Tinkerhell” among the crew. When asked about working with Roberts for the movie, Spielberg told 60 Minutes, “It was an unfortunate time for us to work together. But I think Julia is a really, really good actress.”
12.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Edward Norton
The actor is notorious for taking his work seriously — to the point that he’s apparently clashed with those he’s worked with. Norton didn’t reprise his role as the Hulk for future projects after the 2008 film, The Incredible Hulk, and was instead replaced by Mark Ruffalo. Following his departure, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige released a statement, hinting at a lack of “collaborative spirit” on Norton’s part, saying, “We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members.”
Feige also added, “The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.”
13.
REPORTEDLY RUDE: Lea Michele
Michele’s costars famously came forward to share their experiences with the actor on set. In 2020, in response to a tweet Michele made about the death of George Floyd, former Glee costar Samantha Ware accused Michele of “traumatic microaggressions” that made her experience on the show a “living hell.” Other cast and crew members also accused Lea of mistreatment and bullying while working with her.
And in a statement on Twitter, costar Heather Morris said, “Was she unpleasant to work with? Very much so.” After Samantha’s claim, Michele shared a statement on Instagram, apologizing for “any pain” her behavior has caused.
Did any of these experiences surprise you? Which actors would you add to the list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
