10 Actor Feuds That Delayed a Production

Sylvester Stallone & Richard Gere

“The Lords of Flatbush” (1974)

Before they were major stars, Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere were both hungry young actors looking for their big break. In “The Lords of Flatbush,” they were cast as rough-and-ready 50s Greasers. But the tough guy attitudes weren’t acting. Stallone disliked Gere’s attitude from the jump. Things blew up when Gere refused to stop eating a messy lunch in the back of a car. Stallone fought him, Gere was fired, and the production was forced to find another actor to replace him. In a 2006 interview, Stallone claimed that Gere still held a grudge over the entire incident.

Kevin Costner & Wes Bentley

“Yellowstone” (2018-24)

Kevin Costner played John Dutton III until halfway through the western’s fifth season. His time on set came to an end ahead of the second half of its final season. According to Costner, he wanted to return to making his own projects. But all was not well on the hit series. He got into a heated argument with co-star Wes Bentley, who portrayed his son on the show. In 2025, a source disclosed that a disagreement over Costner’s direction to disregard writer-creator Taylor Sheridan’s script irritated Bentley. The two then allegedly entered into a shoving match. Production on “Yellowstone” was halted, although it’s unclear for how long.

Lucy Liu & Bill Murray

“Charlie’s Angels” (2000)

A movie set can be a frantic, fast-paced, and contentious workplace. Bill Murray played Bosley to Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu’s “angels,” and things were anything but angelic. One contentious day, Murray and Liu got into an argument that made headlines. Things got heated, and production was shut down for an entire day. Although initial reports of their feud put the blame on Liu, years later, she contended that Murray’s frustration with the writing in a scene sparked the incident. She says he came on set hurling insults at her specifically for some unknown reason. It isn’t the first or last time Murray displayed questionable on-set behavior. He was replaced by Bernie Mac in the film’s sequel, “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”

Vin Diesel & Dwayne Johnson

“Fast & Furious” franchise (2001-)

There’s way more muscle and testosterone in this beloved film series than your average franchise. Needless to say, things sometimes got a little testy on set. Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson both alleged unprofessional behavior while filming 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious.” Sources appeared right away to help clear the air. Diesel, who also produced, apparently gave Johnson acting tips that the latter didn’t appreciate. He also accused Johnson of lateness, though some sources say it was Diesel who wasn’t punctual; either way, this reportedly led to several delayed production days. Their continued feud was fodder for the media, following them through sequels, even after Johnson refused to appear in another one. Though it’s hard to officially confirm if the feud actually shut down filming, it most likely caused at least some delays on set.

Damon Wayans & Clayne Crawford

“Lethal Weapon” (2016-19)

The actors who played Murtaugh and Riggs were anything but partners on the set of the small screen adaptation of the famous action series. Production had to slow down frequently due to their many, many verbal dust-ups. Things came to a head during an episode Crawford directed. Wayans was injured during an on-set explosion that was just another nail in the coffin of his co-star’s involvement with the show. Crawford berated him, and the audio hit the tabloids soon after. In the end, Crawford was fired. The show continued for another season with Seann William Scott, but ended once Wayans left the show himself.

Kim Cattrall & Sarah Jessica Parker

Abandoned “Sex and the City 3” Project

Was there a plan to do a third “Sex and the City” movie? Kim Cattrall says there was never even a script. Co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis say otherwise. But in 2017, the third movie was officially dead without her involvement. Cattrall’s refusal to return was firm and inspired a lot of media attention. Rumors persisted that she and her castmates didn’t get along. Although contract negotiations were said to have led to her refusal, Cattrall insisted she didn’t want to come back because of her co-stars, namely Sarah Jessica Parker. Their feud continued on social media from there. Even when the other three came back for “And Just Like That…” Cattrall made a one-off appearance and didn’t even film with them.

Marlon Brando & Val Kilmer

“The Island of Dr. Moreau” (1996)

There’s an old adage, “Don’t meet your heroes.” Val Kilmer later said he was grateful for the notoriously difficult shoot of the box office bomb, “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” The entire production might have been cursed. Weather and Kilmer’s behavior on set was bad enough. But Brando was also dealing with the tragic death of his daughter and was also not at his best as a performer. The two clashed repeatedly. In fact, hours would go by where neither would even leave their trailers when time was of the essence. Kilmer later denied there was a feud. The punchline is that Kilmer says he and Brando had one scene together, and it was cut.

Bette Davis & Joan Crawford

“Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte” (1964)

Some of the claims about the feud between the stars of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” seem to have been exaggerated throughout the years. But the animosity between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford nearly sank their second movie together. Davis was reportedly doing her best to undermine Crawford’s sense of security, criticizing her acting on “Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte.” A few weeks into filming, Crawford allegedly became ill, halting production. Director Robert Aldrich actually had her followed by a private investigator, uncertain if her condition was for real or if it was all a ploy. In the end, he fired Crawford to keep the film from getting canceled. All her scenes had to be reshot with new hire Olivia de Havilland.

Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams

“The Notebook” (2004)

Ryan Gosling was not exactly thrilled with the actress cast as his love interest in the 2004 epic romance, “The Notebook.” In fact, at one point, Gosling stopped the filming of a big set piece to ask director Nick Cassavetes for a favor. Could he please bring in a stand-in to replace Rachel McAdams? He was adamant that he couldn’t do the scene with her. It took what the director called an “intervention” to get the stars, and the entire production, back on track. Clearly, things thawed between the two later on, as they later dated for several years.

Tom Hardy & Charlize Theron

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015)

Between the desert heat and the intricate action scenes, the cast and crew were pushed to the brink on the 2015 “Mad Max” sequel. Charlize Theron's problems with Tom Hardy began due to his unprofessional lateness. Their working relationship got worse, with some sources even implying that Hardy began to show up late on purpose, leaving Theron to wait in full costume and makeup. Not only did it hold up shooting, but when she had had enough, she berated Hardy. The actor allegedly charged at her and the two had an argument. Director George Miller later expressed regret over how the situation was handled.

Did any of these feuding co-stars surprise you? Tell us in the comments.