Hollywood is a gathering place of big egos and even bigger personalities, and being nice is not a characteristic that most people in the town are known for. Along with creating stars out of fame and fortune, the combination of these two has also given rise to those stars with a thin living and big characters who have managed to stir the industry behind the scenes. While some celebrities are adored for their kind and supportive nature, others have such a reputation that their coworkers hesitate to approach them.
The list of those celebrities who, at one time, behaved like divas up to the point of engaging in physical violence is not a small one; these actors have chosen not to accept the rule that with fame comes grace. Here are 10 of the biggest ruffians among Hollywood stars, in no particular order, ranging from somewhat known to really notorious ones.
10. Lea Michele
Lea Michele was amazing on Glee with her powerful voice, but her showbiz persona was untold. Several of the people working with her have mentioned her toxic behavior, among whom one of the victims, Samantha Ware, is noted to have said that she went through “traumatic microaggressions” while working with Michele. Later, Heather Morris also confirmed these statements. Michele did make a public statement of regret, but the stain on her image had already spread widely by then.
9. Edward Norton
Edward Norton is an actor whom people are talking about only in good terms because of his incomparable talent. However, he has also been dubbed “The Perfectionist” and not positively, failing to be ‘collaborative’ with other artists. He was replaced as The Hulk in 2008 by Mark Ruffalo, who said that the decision was made because of Norton’s lack of ‘collaborative spirit.’ There were several reports about Norton reworking the scripts of the movies he was in and getting into disagreements with directors. In that way, the narrative about Norton as a ‘complex’ creative is only bolstered further.
8. Julia Roberts
Though the term “America’s Sweetheart” was coined for Julia Roberts, she hasn’t always been that nice in the past. Allegedly, she had quite a few mood swings on the set of Hook, and thus, the cast of Steven Spielberg’s team came up with the nickname “Tinkerhell” for her. Much later, Spielberg expressed that it was just the wrong time for them to cooperate; however, the story remained intact, giving a glimpse that even adored movie stars can have their less-than-sweet moments.
7. Bill Murray
Bill Murray’s comedic talent is undeniable, but he hasn’t escaped several on-set fights. For instance, he had a long-time dispute with co-star Harold Ramis from Ghostbusters, was involved in a heated altercation with Lucy Liu on the set of Charlie’s Angels, and insulted Richard Dreyfuss in What About Bob? with no shortage of bad manners. Sometimes, Murray’s charisma is a saving grace, but his temper has always been a source of discomfort around him.
6. Bruce Willis
During the later years of his career, Bruce Willis was known as a person of difficulty. The people who worked with him characterized Bruce as a grumpy, impatient, and indifferent type. Quite a lot of the negative stuff was later attributed to the decline of his speech caused by a disease called aphasia, which led to his retirement. While some of them complained at the time, most people now sympathize with Bruce when they see his past behavior.
5. Chevy Chase
Chase is hilarious in his way, and his attitude is also well-known. Members of the cast of Saturday Night Live alleged that he was verbally and physically aggressive toward them. Donald Glover remembered that Chase was making racist remarks during Community rehearsals, and some have referred to him as being mean with no intention of hiding it. The comedian’s name is still talked about, but mostly accompanied by grimacing rather than smiling.
4. Thomas Gibson
Thomas Gibson lost the show Criminal Minds because of his anger issues. After a heated argument, he exited the show following being terminated for kicking a crew member. But this incident was not enough to say that he was only angry once; he had a history of pushing an assistant director, as well as going for anger management classes. He unfortunately allowed his outbursts to overwhelm him, and thus he had to say goodbye to his long-time role, as well as a tarnished image, permanently.
3. Christian Bale
The actor’s infamous meltdown while shooting Terminator Salvation turned into one of Hollywood’s most frequently cited examples of on-set rage and was captured practically live. The outburst was recorded by a witness, and later on, Bale went on to publicly admit that he had completely lost control and offered his apology. Fan forgiveness is the most effective, although the tirade still stands as a classic instance of anger in the movie industry.
2. Teri Hatcher
Among other things, the Desperate Housewives set was famous for its offstage conflicts, and Teri Hatcher was typically considered the one who stirred the pot most. It is said that members of the cast did not invite her to join group activities and even went so far as to say that she was “the meanest woman in the world.” The incident that reportedly escalated the conflict was a Vanity Fair shoot where, as in many other situations, the misunderstanding over getting the right pose for the photo unravelled, and on top of that, they saw her diva-like behavior.
1. Chris Noth
Christ Noth’s rumors about his inappropriate behavior on the set had been going around for quite a long time, even before the allegations were made public. When multiple women accused him of assault, his career rapidly turned downhill. His agent dropped him, and The Equalizer, in which he was written out, marked the end of his career with the last controversial incident.
Hollywood is not always harsh with its beloved stars, and some may eventually restore their public image. But for the ten of them, their reputation is still overshadowed by the wrong behavior of the past. There is a legacy that reminds us that sometimes the off-stage happenings are even more dramatic than those we see in the movies.