15 Actors Who Are Allegedly A Nightmare To Work With On Set—Ranked!

Remember that whole Lea Michele fiasco in June 2020?

Sophia

• Published in Film & TV
• February 8, 2023

“First impressions don’t last,” and most of the time, it rings true, especially when you have only started working with people you have just met. You never really know someone until you have worked with them.

A-list actors, for example, are well-known individuals who are considered by many to be “the best of the best” because they are the masters of their craft. Due to this image, they are also perceived to be nice people.

Actors have two sides–one they show to the public and the other hidden behind closed curtains. It can be a hard pill to swallow that your favorite actors are not really what they seem.

The people who have worked with them–co-stars and set employees–are the ones who can attest to that. They have been with these artists when the cameras are not running and when the stage lights are off.

It is not uncommon that many are shocked when news breaks out about the “real” nature of these actors. They can be very entitled and abusive towards their fellow cast members, the filming crew, and even their own staff.

Do you want to find out which A-list actors are like this? See if your favs are among the top 15 horrible artists in the list below.

1. At the top of the list is American action star and producer Tom Cruise–booming in Hollywood for more than 35 years, he is respected and looked up to in his field. Apparently, behind his outstanding image as an actor is infamous for his altercations with co-stars, as well as his strange requests on set.

2. Amber Heard, aside from being an actress, is a humanitarian and social activist. Testifying at her infamous defamation trial in 2022 is her assistant Kate James who said she was abusive–the actor would yell at her in the middle of the night over a phone call and text her offensive statements.

3. Next is volatile actor Charlie Sheen. Co-stars like Jon Cryers and Selma Blair have expressed their remarks about him, as well as accusations ranging from being drunk on set to being verbally abusive.

4. Lea Michele is renowned for taking on the role of Rachel Berry in the musical series Glee. However, her co-workers from different projects have said not-so-good things about her on-set behavior–June 2020, in particular, was a time when her Glee co-star replied to her tweet about Lea making work a “living hell.”

5. While he is considered to be one of the most talented directors, Woody Allen is not someone who people want to work with. He is known to be demanding and abusive, which is why many actors whom he has worked with have openly expressed that they do not want to act for him again.

6. Although known to have a history of violent offenses, Shia LaBeouf is still cast on many films. Similar to his personal life, his onscreen characters are also volatile–a notable on-set behavior he did was removing his molar to fit a role.

7. Jennifer Lopez is one of the names in showbusiness that always come up when the discussion is about Hollywood’s biggest divas. Co-star Cameron Diaz allegedly said that it was a nightmare working with J.Lo.

8. Oscar winner Ben Affleck was approached by Hilarie Burton to which Affleck apologized for “acting inappropriately” on a 2017 Twitter incident. Hours after this apology, however, more women voiced out their accusations on the actor’s inappropriate behavior which includes inappropriate touching without consent.

9. Gwyneth Paltrow’s worst trait is not necessarily similar to what the aforementioned actors have an issue about–it’s more of a privilege problem. Too much of it, that she keeps herself disconnected from the rest of humanity–it is definitely not easy to work with her.

10. In July 2006, Lindsay Lohan’s lack of professionalism has caused Morgan Creek Productions CEO James G. Robinson to threaten her with a lawsuit–she was at the set of Georgia Rule (2007).

11. “Not all actors are nice,” and Jada Pinkett Smith is a living example of that. One might think that with age comes realization, but she is 50, has gone through multiple chefs, security guards and trainers, and recently had staff walk out on her.

12. Barbra Streisand, especially at the time where she was transitioning from an actress to a director, has been said to be difficult to work with–it started with Yentl 1983. She did not deny that she was tough and controlling, in fact, she admitted it–her Yentl experience led her to be an advocate in film for women.

13. Sarah Silverman is not hard to work with, however, she is still included in this list because of her insensitive behaviors. One of which is her wearing blackface make-up for a sketch in 2007–she was fired from a film after this was found out.

14. Whoopi Goldberg is also not difficult to work with, but she made insensitive racial remarks on a show. This led to her suspension but has since returned in mid-February after two weeks.

15. Honestly, Kristen Stewart is actually one of the few actors whom her co-workers have nothing bad to say. Instead, they would praise her with nothing but kind words.

Judging a person based on a first impression can be the worst mistake someone can make. While we can correct it over time, it is still something one should consider as it is–a first impression and not the whole defining character of an individual.

People should learn to be aware that people are unpredictable and should not be blinded by what image of them the media is presenting to the world. There are layers to how much we know a person–especially an actor–we’ll never know who they really are until we’ve seen them off camera.

Comment below if your favorite actor is included in the list! And don’t forget to share this with your family and friends!

Sophia