Famous Actors Who Refuse To Work With Each Other

Acting can be hard work, and the pressure is high when so much relies on the dynamic between the cast in a given stage, television, or film project. Between these working conditions and the larger-than-life personalities and egos that actors sometimes are notorious for, this can lead to personal conflicts behind-the-scenes. After a particularly toxic working relationship or private breakdown between actors, this occasionally results in actors refusing to work with each other again (Ryan Reynolds and Wesley Snipes were in that boat for awhile before “Deadpool & Wolverine” came around). In many instances, these feuds spill out into a war of words in the public eye, fueling that shared animosity.

Here are some notable instances of famous actors who refuse to work with each other again on any future projects. The causes of these professional ruptures range from squabbling between actors on set during a difficult project or comments made openly after a previous collaboration. Any workplace is going to have some bad blood between coworkers, and the entertainment industry is certainly no different, but that also makes it somewhat more entertaining. These actors have made their feelings about their co-stars clear, and we shouldn’t look for future collaborations any time soon.

Perhaps the longest-running (and still active) feud in television history, “Star Trek” actors William Shatner and George Takei haven’t gotten along since production on the original series in the ’60s. Shatner starred as the series lead, Captain Kirk, while Takei played the starship’s dedicated helmsman Lieutenant Sulu. The two actors worked together on all three seasons of “Star Trek,” as well as the first six feature films in the iconic science fiction franchise. In the years since, Takei has been the most openly vocal cast member of his resentment towards Shatner.

On numerous occasions, including interviews, Takei has referred to Shatner as a “prima donna” on set during their time together on “Star Trek,” causing friction with his co-stars. Takei’s 1994 autobiography, “To the Stars,” contained several unflattering anecdotes about working with Shatner over the years. As recently as 2022, Takei has continued to disparage Shatner about his ego and how he treated the cast and crew on “Star Trek.” In response, Shatner has referred to Takei’s constant needling, over 50 years after they started working together, as “a psychosis.”

Before Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere found success in their respective acting careers, they were both cast in 1974’s coming-of-age story “The Lords of Flatbush.” The movie is set in 1958 Brooklyn, following a group of teenagers emulating greaser culture while forced to mature as one of them prepares to marry his sweetheart. Stallone played lead character Stanley Rosiello while Gere was originally tapped to play his friend Chico Tyrell. A falling out between Stallone and Gere during filming led to an altercation, and Gere was replaced completely.

In a 2006 interview, Stallone recalled that he and Gere never quite got along, with Stallone feeling Gere was full of himself and got carried away during rehearsals. The breaking point between the two actors occurred during a lunch break, when Gere accidentally spilled mustard on Stallone, despite Stallone’s warnings. Things quickly got physical, with Stallone cuffing Gere’s head and pushing him outside of the parked car they were eating in. The production retained Stallone and recast Gere’s part with Perry King, with Stallone observing that he and Gere never reconciled.

The title of the 1994 romantic comedy “I Love Trouble” proved to be prophetic behind-the-scenes, particularly for the movie’s lead actors Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte. Roberts and Nolte play Sabrina and Peter, two rival Chicago investigative reporters. When the two reluctantly work together on news of a train derailment, they stumble upon a sinister conspiracy that puts both of their lives in danger. As the two reporters try to break the news while avoiding danger, they find themselves falling in love with each other.

News of Roberts and Nolte clashing on set, reportedly due to personality conflicts between them, surfaced before “I Love Trouble” opened in theaters. Midway during production, Roberts labeled Nolte as “completely disgusting” in an interview promoting another project, noting they naturally got on each other’s nerves. Years later, Roberts elaborated about her co-star, alleging Nolte threw a hissy fit on set. For his part, Nolte remarked that Roberts was “not a nice person,” downplaying the feud in a 2022 interview, though the two have never worked together since.

After the success of Tim Burton’s “Batman” movies with Michael Keaton, the franchise went in a different direction in 1995 with “Batman Forever,” recasting the titular superhero role with Val Kilmer, this time joined by a teen sidekick in Robin (Chris O’Donnell). Squaring against Batman and Robin were the maniacal supervillains Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey). At the time, Jones had recently won an Academy Award for “The Fugitive” while Carrey was fresh off a line of comedy movie hits. However, this success and the teamwork exhibited by their characters on-screen did not translate to their behind-the-scenes relationship.

The production of “Batman Forever” was a difficult affair for some of the cast and crew, with director Schumacher clashing with Kilmer. Things between Jones and Carrey also saw considerable friction, with Jones reportedly detesting his comedic co-star. In a 2014 interview, Carrey recalled running into Jones at a restaurant during the production of “Batman Forever.” According to Carrey, Jones paled seeing his co-star and admitted to him “I hate you. I really don’t like you.” Jones added, “I cannot sanction your buffoonery.” This, of course, makes rewatching scenes in “Batman Forever” with Two-Face and the Riddler all the more awkwardly amusing.

When the hit ’70s television series “Charlie’s Angels” was repurposed for the big screen in 2000, Lucy Liu completed the heroic trifecta, joining Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore. The team’s handler, Bosley, was played by comedy legend Bill Murray, working on behalf of the trio’s benefactor Charlie Townsend. However, while Murray may have developed a reputation for being a rascally oddball, both Liu and director McG found his on-set antics less than humorous during production. In at least one of these strained dynamics, physical violence allegedly came into play.

According to McG, Murray headbutted the director while filming “Charlie’s Angels,” an accusation which Murray has since denied. Rumors of conflicts between Liu and Murray during their time together on “Charlie’s Angels” circled the pair for years. Liu publicly confirmed the strife between her and Murray in 2021, noting he insulted her during rehearsal after rewrites to the script. Though Liu claims she and Murray reconciled, the two haven’t worked together since, and Murray was replaced by Bernie Mac in the 2003 sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”

Before working with Tyrese Gibson and Jordana Brewster in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, director Justin Lin worked with them in the 2006 drama “Annapolis.” The coming-of-age boxing story was led by James Franco playing Jake Huard, a cadet in the U.S. Naval Academy. Huard clashes with his company commander, Matthew Cole (Gibson), who deems him unworthy of attending the prestigious academy. This culminates in a grueling boxing match between the two men before the entire academy that only marginally rips off better boxing movies.

According to Franco and Gibson, separately, Franco’s penchant for method acting put a deep strain on their working relationship in real-life. In a 2008 interview, Franco admitted he treated Gibson poorly during production on “Annapolis,” half-joking that his co-star “wants to blow up my hotel room.” Gibson was much more sanguine and direct about his experience working with Franco, noting, “I never want to work with him again, and I’m sure he feels the same way.” For as self-aware as Franco is about his past treatment of Gibson, the two actors have not reunited in any professional capacity.

The popular action thriller “24” successfully resumed in 2009 with its seventh season after its well-received television film the preceding year. The show starred Kiefer Sutherland as counter-terrorism operative Jack Bauer, with each season unfolding in relative real-time across a 24-hour period. Freddie Prinze, Jr. joined the series for its eighth season, appearing in all 24 episodes as Bauer’s New York-based associate Cole Ortiz. Prinze did not enjoy the experience, becoming quite sanguine about working with Sutherland in interviews years after his one-season role.

“I hated every moment of it,” Prinze declared in an interview with ABC News. “Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world.” One detail Prinze shared is that the production had him take off his shoes when acting opposite Sutherland to make Bauer appear taller. Prinze went on to claim that the experience was so bad it led him to strongly contemplate quitting acting altogether. A statement through Sutherland’s publicist claimed this was the first he heard of Prinze’s complaints, noting that he enjoyed working with Prinze and wished him the best.

While Kevin Smith may be better known for writing and directing movies, starting with 1994’s indie comedy “Clerks,” he has a robust acting career too. This includes a small role in the 2007’s “Live Free or Die Hard,” sharing scenes with iconic action hero Bruce Willis in his fourth turn as world-weary cop John McClane. After this experience, Smith reunited with Willis on the 2010 buddy-cop comedy “Cop Out,” this time working as the movie’s director. However, this collaboration proved to be far less positive for the two men than their previous project together.

Shortly after the movie’s disastrous theatrical run, Smith lambasted Willis’ work ethic during the production, claiming the experience was “soul-crushing.” Smith accused Willis of being uncooperative, going as far as to claim the actor wouldn’t even sit to take photographs for the movie’s poster. In a response, a representative for Willis claimed that Smith “smokes too much pot” and didn’t interact with the actors, with Smith defending his marijuana use during the production. After Willis’ diagnosis with aphasia became public in 2022, Smith apologized for his “petty complaints” and paid respect to Willis as the actor retired.

The post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” was completely revitalized in 2015 with the acclaimed “Mad Max: Fury Road,” with Tom Hardy playing the eponymous hardened drifter. Max meets Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who leads a dangerous escape from the despot Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) with his wives. Though Max and Furiosa initially butt heads, they learn how to work together and eventually overthrow Immortan Joe, freeing themselves and his people. However, while Max and Furiosa became an effective, cooperative team, Hardy and Theron’s own dynamic was far less amicable.

Filmmaker George Miller observed Hardy and Theron had very different approaches to the work, with Theron known for being punctual in arriving and working on set. By contrast, Hardy was habitually hours-late in showing up, leading to arguments between the two, worsened by the long and grueling filming experience. According to first assistant director P.J. Voeten, the tension was palpable from Theron and Hardy’s first meeting, while Theron recalled “things kind of came to blows” between her and Hardy. In response, Theron requested a producer present on set, with Denise di Novi keeping the peace between the feuding co-stars. Though both sides acknowledged the friction and mutual antagonism, they have remained apart ever since, even after apologizing to Miller.

After leaving “NCIS,” actor Michael Weatherly starred in another CBS drama series, “Bull,” which launched in 2016. Weatherly played Jason Bull, a psychologist specializing in analyzing and helping assemble trial juries and plan his lawyer clients’ courtroom strategies. Weatherly was joined by Eliza Dushku, playing J.P. Nunnelly, who appeared in three episodes in the first season. However, Dushku was released from her recurring role, with the ensuing blow-up between her and Weatherly eventually making it all the way to Capitol Hill.

Dushku, who was planned to be promoted to a series regular in subsequent seasons, was fired from “Bull” after claiming sexual harrassment from Weatherly. Weatherly was reportedly recorded on video joking about assaulting Dushku in his “rape van” along with other inappropriate jokes. Dushku sued CBS after being dismissed, receiving $9.5 million in the settlement and testifying before Congress about her experiences on “Bull.” After Weatherly issued a public apology, Dushku accused it of being “more deflection, denial, and spin,” consistent with his toxic behavior.

Unfortunately, Michael Weatherly isn’t the only “NCIS” alum to face allegations of on-set bad behavior, with co-star Mark Harmon also mired in behind-the-scenes drama. While series regulars Mark Harmon and Pauley Perrette worked together for the first 15 seasons of “NCIS,” their relationship wasn’t as amicable as their characters. Perrette left the series after its 15th season, with fans repeatedly asking her if she had any intention of returning to the show. After a year of enduring these questions, Perrette firmly set the record straight, pointing to Harmon for her desire to stay away from “NCIS.”

In a post on her social media accounts, Perrette refused to ever return to “NCIS,” claiming she was “terrified of Harmon and him attacking me.” Perrette elaborated that she was protecting the crew from Harmon, resulting in alleged physical assault and her losing her job. Around the time of her departure, Perrette previously alluded to enduring “multiple physical assaults” without providing more details. This corroborates reports that Harmon and Perrette worked separately since 2016 after Harmon’s dog reportedly bit a crew member, resulting in Perrette stepping in. Harmon has not commented publicly on the matter, and the two have never worked together again.

With both of their wry, self-deprecating senses of humor, Ryan Reynolds and T.J. Miller seemed like a comedic match made in heaven. The two actors worked together on the first two “Deadpool” movies, with Miller playing Deadpool’s best friend and bartender confidante Weasel. This camaraderie didn’t apparently extend to real-life, with Miller recalling Reynolds bad-mouthing his character to his face in an awkward improv take. Miller went as far as to assume that “he hates me,” and that he would “not work with him again.”

It’s unclear how much of this perceived animosity was informed by Miller’s own legal issues and sexual assault allegations, which surfaced in 2017. These allegations came to light after filming wrapped on “Deadpool 2,” though Miller was retained in the final film. According to Miller, Reynolds reached out to him privately via email, after he aired his grievances, to clear the air between them. Miller did not reprise his role as Weasel in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which brought back much of the preceding films’ supporting casts.