10 Times Actors Revealed Backstage Secrets Decades Later
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at behind-the-scenes dramas that actors didn’t reveal until years later.
Kim Cattrall’s Relationship with Her Co-Stars
If the spinoff “And Just Like That…” proved anything, it’s that Carrie Bradshaw just wasn’t the same without her sex-positive bestie Samantha Jones. But Kim Cattrall’s comments in recent years put the lid on any rumors of a real reunion. Rumors swirled for years that pay discrepancies came between Cattrall and her co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristen Davis, and Cynthia Nixon. However, these reports were often contested by everyone involved. But Cattrall lifted the veil on “Sex and the City’s” onscreen friendships for good in 2017, revealing that she and her co-stars were never friends. In fact, she’s openly rebuffed Parker in interviews and on social media several times since.
Barry Williams’ “Growing Up Brady” Memoir
Nearly two decades after the blended family sitcom ended, “The Brady Bunch’s” squeaky-clean reputation got a major modern shakeup. Greg Brady actor Barry Williams released a memoir of his time on the show. Published in 1992, “Growing Up Brady” was a salacious look at the behind-the-scenes crushes and romantic hijinks that went into making such a family-friendly show. Williams even copped to asking his onscreen mother, actress Florence Henderson, on a date. It certainly added a layer of ick over the show’s wholesomeness, and probably set the scene for the irreverent take on the family in the two movie adaptations released just a few years later.
Janet Hubert’s Exit from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”
Fans of the Will Smith-led sitcom tuned in to its fourth season to find a major change. Janet Hubert, the actress who originated the role of Aunt Viv, had been replaced. While the show makes a lighthearted joke out of it, the real story was not truly known for years. Hubert later came out with the full story. While she left the show of her own volition, a huge pay cut and her own personal struggles made “The Fresh Prince” an untenable situation. It didn’t help matters that she and Smith clashed repeatedly on set over what she termed his “egomaniacal” behavior. The two have since made up, and even talked at length about that period of time on the show’s 2020 reunion special.
Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford’s Affair
In her final book, released in 2016, the actress and writer behind Princess Leia dropped a bomb that shook the entire galaxy. “The Princess Diarist” presents Carrie Fisher’s diaries from the time she made the first “Star Wars” film. It also reveals, for the first time, that she and on-screen lover Harrison Ford engaged in a passionate romance that no one on set seemed to know about. Though brief, the extra-marital affair was intense and came at a time when Fisher was still finding herself. It’s rare that such a bombshell could rock such a popular movie nearly forty years after its release.
Sally Field & Burt Reynolds
Although the romance between the “Smokey and the Bandit” co-stars was routinely covered in the press, their feelings about it seemed to differ dramatically. In his 2015 memoir, Burt Reynolds said Sally Field was the one who got away. Field, who dated Reynolds for a few years after meeting on the set of their first collaboration, remembers their relationship with more clarity. His jealousy over Field’s first Oscar nomination and win for 1979’s “Norma Rae” saw him refusing to even attend the ceremony with her. Field is honest in her appraisal. Reynolds was not good for her, and she denies that she was the love of his life.
Linda Blair’s Experience on “The Exorcist”
Her performance as the demonically-possessed girl was so terrifying she became one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever. But even years after the making of “The Exorcist,” there are things Linda Blair won’t talk about. Warner Brothers actually had to hire bodyguards to protect her from death threats. People seemed to believe she was genuinely possessed. However, she has been open in the years since about an on-set injury. The stunt where she is tossed around above a bed actually severely injured her back, leading to complications well into adulthood. Blair returned to the franchise for 2023’s “Exorcist: Believer” to advise and advocate for the two young stars of that film.
Shannen Doherty’s Firing
The supernatural WB show “Charmed” saw a major cast shakeup midway through its run. Star Shannen Doherty left the show ahead of its fourth season. Rose McGowan joined the cast in her place. Because of Doherty’s past history being fired from “Beverly Hills 90210” for unprofessional behavior, the prevailing rumor was that the same had happened again. But Doherty clarified the reasoning years later. Relations became so bad between her and co-star Alyssa Milano that Milano gave producers of “Charmed” an ultimatum. If they didn’t fire Doherty, Milano would sue. Producers chose Milano, and Doherty was written out. This version of events was cosigned by Doherty and Milano’s co-star, Holly Marie Combs on a 2023 episode of Doherty’s podcast, “Let’s Be Clear.”
The Reason Brendan Fraser Left Hollywood
Despite starring in a successful franchise and being a major star of the 90s, Brendan Fraser all but disappeared from showbusiness in the 2000s. For years, speculation was rampant. It wasn’t until his 2018 interview with GQ that he disclosed a traumatic and deeply personal event that saw him turning his back on his stardom. An incident of unwanted physical contact by former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk in 2003 began a chain reaction for Fraser. The traumatic moment only added to various health and professional setbacks that led to a career slowdown. His comeback story culminated with an Oscar win for “The Whale” in 2023.
Tippi Hedren’s Experience with Alfred Hitchcock
The master of suspense was one of the most famous directors in Hollywood when he spotted Tippi Hedren in a TV commercial. Hedren had never even played a lead role before Alfred Hitchcock decided she was his next star. He signed her to an exclusive contract, seeming to believe he could control her life as well as her career. The harassment she endured only worsened on the set of their second and final film together. When she refused his advances, he promised to ruin her career. He kept that promise. Hedren kept things cordial with Hitchcock while he was alive. She even saluted him at public tributes. But as times changed, she was able to tell the world her story.
Nickelodeon Actors Reveal Their Mistreatment
Millennials everywhere were scandalized by the Investigation Discovery docuseries, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.” Detailing various inappropriate situations, it was a devastating and damning expose of Nickelodeon. Actors who had spent many of their formative years at the network gave interviews to attest to the often disturbing work environment there. Performers like Drake Bell, “All That” stars Kyle Sullivan and Bryan Hearne were among the former child stars who shared their stories. The five-part series was a shocker. It gave credence to longstanding rumors about executive producer Dan Schneider’s abhorrent behavior. However, it also made us realize that things were even worse than the wildest Internet rumors could imagine.
What behind-the-scenes secrets changed the way you thought about a movie or TV show? Tell us in the comments.
“Nightline” (1979-)