It takes a village to be successful in show business – just ask any actor or actress out there. Whether on the small screen (TV series) or big screen (movies), talent alone isn’t enough. One has to get along with co-stars, directors, writers, and crew.
Just like any other profession out there, even the rich and famous are not immune to asshole colleagues. Sometimes the bad blood becomes too much to bear and something had to give way. Here are some of the celebs who either quit or got fired from their projects.
1. Lucy Liu vs Bill Murray
- Movie: “Charlie’s Angels”
- The drama: “You can’t act,” Bill Murray allegedly told Lucy Liu while on set. Things apparently got physical where they had to be pulled apart.
- What happened next: Murray declined to reprise his role as Bosley and he was replaced by Bernie Mac for the sequel, “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle”.
2. Sarah Jessica Parker vs Kim Cattrall
- Movie: “Sex And The City 1 & 2”
- The drama: Kim Cattrall claimed that the cast didn’t have as much offscreen chemistry as it appeared onscreen. She also noted that her salary was significantly lower than Sarah Jessica Parker.
- What happened next: SJP blamed Cattrall for keeping the 3rd movie from happening.
3. Leonardo DiCaprio vs Mel Gibson
- Movie: “Berserker”
- The drama: Leonardo DiCaprio changed his mind about starring in Mel Gibson’s Viking film after the latter’s infamous leaked audio (that was racist, sexist and violent) went viral online.
- What happened next: The movie was shelved but Gibson is apparently still trying to make “Berserker” happen.
4. Richard Gere vs Sylvester Stallone
- Movie: “The Lords of Flatbush”
- The drama: The duo had friction on set and just didn’t click.
- What happened next: One of them had to go and Richard Gere exited the project.
5. Naya Rivera vs Lea Michele
- TV: “Glee”
- The drama: “One of the ‘Glee’ writers once said that Lea and I were like two sides of the same battery and that about sums us up. We are both strong willed and competitive—not just with each other but with everyone—and that’s not a good mixture. As the show progressed, though, that friendship started to break down, especially as Santana moved from a background character to one with bigger plot lines and more screen time. I think Rachel—erm, I mean Lea—didn’t like sharing the spotlight,” Naya Rivera wrote in her book, “Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up”.
- What happened next: Rivera’s role was reduced to recurring guest star. She didn’t quit “Glee” because it ended just in time. According to the actress, her and Lea Michele didn’t speak during the final season.
6. Alyssa Milano vs Shannen Doherty
- TV: “Charmed”
- The drama: Alyssa Milano and Shannen Doherty’s behind-the-scenes drama played a huge part in the WB’s decision in letting the latter go after 3 seasons. “There were times when I’d come in and say, ‘Good morning, Shannen,’ and she didn’t say anything to me,” Milano admitted. “And there were times when she’d come in and say, ‘Good morning, Alyssa,’ and I wouldn’t say anything to her.”
- What happened next: The witchy series introduced Rose McGowan as the new half-sister witch in season 4, and it ran for 5 more seasons.
7. Taylor Momsen vs co-stars
- TV: “Gossip Girl”
- The drama: Taylor Momsen, who played Jenny Humphrey on the show, got called out for holding up production. Co-stars and producers were understandably fed up with her brattiness.
- What happened next: Tim Gunn publicly commented on her bad behaviour and when it made headlines, she left shortly after.
8. Janet Hubert vs Will Smith
- TV: “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air”
- The drama: Jealous that Will Smith had his own show, Janet Hubert (who played Aunt Viv) called the actor “antichrist” and “a snotty-nosed punk”.
- What happened next: She was replaced by actress Daphne Reid after the show’s 3rd season.
9. Christopher Abbott vs Lena Dunham
- TV: “Girls”
- The drama: Lena Dunham has been criticised for perpetuating white feminism.
- What happened next: Christopher Abbott claimed that he left the HBO series because he felt that Dunham’s writing and direction didn’t make sense to him anymore.
