RSS Feeds
Who Are the Difficult Actors Missing From the All-Strop Team?
Posted by Defamer Hollywood at 10:15 AM on June 17, 2008
Temperamental and/or difficult actors are nothing new, of course, but as alluded to earlier today in our glimpse at the new-and-slightly-spiritually-improved Mike Myers, it takes a special kind of difficult to make the "stroppy" cut. To wit, does your rep for tantrums, whining and/or demanding final cut equal or exceed your rep for such actions making your films better? Then you might be headed for the All-Strop Team, as laid out today by Guardian contributor Andrea Hubert: Folks like Edward Norton (the captain), Eddie Murphy (the leadoff hitter, if only for knowing when to take a walk on Pluto Nash), Gwyneth Paltrow (the cleanup hitter, for publicly referring to her film View From the Top as View From My Ass) and others.
But who else should make the cut? A few more possible draftees — plus your own recommendations — after the jump.
Jake Gyllenhaal: Infamously clashed with David Fincher on the set of Zodiac and cried in the press afterward, to which co-star Mark Ruffalo responded with little sympathy. More recently was reported to be dreamily whimpering around the set of David O. Russell's stop-start satire Nailed.
Katherine Heigl: Last week withdrew herself from consideration for an Emmy repeat for Grey's Anatomy, arguing that her role didn't benefit from "the material this season to warrant [a] nomination." As you can imagine, the show's staff supported her zero percent.
Jim Carrey: After early run of hits, managed to alienate studios and directors alike with excessive salary demands and minor on-set idiosyncrasies like pissing in the middle of scenes. For the dual suicides of overbudgeted projects Used Guys and Ripley's Believe it Or Not, we're starting him in front of Paltrow (and he'll probably bitch about that, too).
Debra Winger: Never met a co-star in the early '80s about whom she couldn't find something to hate, from Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman to her fart-target screen mom Shirley Maclaine in Terms of Endearment. But she can laugh about it now! Sort of!
Mike Myers: Made Penelope Spheeris cry. That's stroppy.
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
- The Incredible Sulk [Guardian]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Little Mintz Sunshine
Posted 11:19 AM 17/6/08
@L.A.Guy: "What's worse is I don't think Myers even enjoys his success. He seems too preoccupied with being miserable and disappointed with everyone around him."
Well, he is Canadian...
Little Mintz Sunshine
L.A.Guy
Posted 11:11 AM 17/6/08
Just worked on a couple of shows with Myers and can't disagree with anything written aside from the "gay" thing... overheard him talking to someone he's friends with about his girl friend of 18 months. I know that doesn't disqualify him, but I don't get the "gay" vibe from him. Who knows...
I usually cut these stars some slack because it is their face out there for the public to ridicule, but that's no excuse for being a dick. What's worse is I don't think Myers even enjoys his success. He seems too preoccupied with being miserable and disappointed with everyone around him.
On the flip side let me mention "stars" I have worked who have a great attitude and are a joy to work with:
Jack Black, Samuel Jackson, Will Smith, Adam Sandler, Justin Timberlake and (surprisingly) Quentin Tarentino.
They always show up on time, are professional and make working on a show fun. Black and Jackson in particular are the kind of people you would love to hang out with. There are others but that's off the top of my head.
L.A.Guy
moseskitty
Posted 11:42 AM 17/6/08
HOW DARE YOU FORGET FAY DUNAWAY!
moseskitty
hummingpenguin
Posted 11:38 AM 17/6/08
Except that Norton didn't refuse to do press for Hulk. Universal decided not to put him out in front of it because they wanted to sell the creature, instead, but, whatever. I haven't seen anything that looks like a hissy fit and wow I'm obsessing about this.
Val Kilmer, Chevy Chase are your All-Stars.
hummingpenguin
flidget
Posted 11:31 AM 17/6/08
Kristen Bell!
flidget
DrFeelgood
Posted 12:21 PM 17/6/08
And yet everyone works, again and again...
DrFeelgood
hummingpenguin
Posted 12:11 PM 17/6/08
Terry Gilliam
hummingpenguin
Losin_it
Posted 12:07 PM 17/6/08
Brittany Murphy must have her p.b.&j. sandwiches cut a certain way on the set or the show doesn't go on. Madonna refuses direction, even though few others have needed it more. Winona Ryder is a never ending pain in the ass. Barbara Luna was a nightmare, if anyone remembers her.
Natalie Portman. No, she isn't really a bitch. I just love typing her name for some reason. Natalie Portman. It's fun.
Losin_it
Allie Anne
Posted 1:06 PM 17/6/08
@L.A.Guy: Thank you for reaffirming my faith in Quentin Tarantino! The man seems to genuinely LOVE movies and if he was miserable and cynical about his profession, then all hope would be lost.
Also, Jake Gyllenhaal MAY be a bit of a baby but David Fincher has a bit of a rep himself (although Brad Pitt does seem to be able to work with him repeatedly.) And David O. Russell? Well, "stroppy" reportedly doesn't even BEGIN to describe him - so props to Jake for choosing to work with challenging directors...
Allie Anne
raincoaster
Posted 4:25 PM 17/6/08
@Little Mintz Sunshine: Oh, you disappoint me, Minz.
raincoaster
mothrafairy
Posted 5:41 PM 17/6/08
Queen Latifah is a gem. Truly worthy dame. Alicia Silverstone = Refreshingly Down-To-Earth, like Febreze.
@Losin_it:
You mean to tell me that Brittany Murphy has been bringing King of the Hill "sets" to screeching halts for years now? Over crusts? Luann Platter, we never knew ye.
mothrafairy
Trai_Dep
Posted 2:16 AM 18/6/08
I've heard Val Kilmer horror stories since I was a pup (who even liked his take on Batman (oh the burning shame of childhood)). Yet the Google fails me here.
Yet Val seems to be the gold standard.
So spill, Defamer Commenteratti: how did he earn this? Links?
Trai_Dep
TipsyVonDrinklestein
Posted 3:25 AM 18/6/08
@Trai_Dep: I remember the story about him purposefully burning a cameraman with a cigarette on the set of Dr. Moreau, but this is a little more in depth.
[www.ew.com]
TipsyVonDrinklestein
Decebal
Posted 3:00 AM 18/6/08
From my days of lowly assistant position... Props to Edward James Olmos and Paul Michael Glaser. When they showed up for their meetings they actually took the time to say hello.
The rest just pretended the empty chair arranged for their passes on the lot, got their coffee, set up the appointment, etc.
There is class and there is heads up their ass.
Decebal
Trai_Dep
Posted 4:09 AM 18/6/08
@TipsyVonDrinklestein: Quite the article, lays everything out well, even giving a nod to Val's side. Thanks!
(and more generally to the Defamerverse - wow years of gossipy confusion cleared up with just one question in the comment section. I'm agog!)
Trai_Dep
Colonel Mustard
Posted 5:07 AM 18/6/08
@flidget: I've heard this too. I met her and she was sweet as pie, but she was apparently very prickly on set and had talented people fired from her show for arbitrary, personal reasons.
Catherine O'Hara is gracious and wonderful, however.
Colonel Mustard
StaringatScreen
Posted 6:55 AM 18/6/08
@mothrafairy: I have to agree - when I moved to town (almost 12!) years ago, Alicia Silverstone was one of the first celebrities I met, and she could not have been nicer.
StaringatScreen
IKnowThings
Posted 6:22 AM 18/6/08
We are forgetting about Russell Crowe, which is maybe a good thing. And I know he's not an actor, but Josh Bell can suck it.
Since we're all doing it: people I've worked with that are fantastic: Martin Sheen, Lily Tomlin, Bonnie Raitt, Woody Harrellson (that's not always the case, I heard, but hey, I was pretty then, and female), Vince Vaughn, and the queen of them all: Meryl Streep. That is one effin' classy lady.
IKnowThings
Beef-Supreme
Posted 2:01 PM 17/6/08
Don't forget that stiff from J.A.G.
Wait! I forgot his name already!!!
Beef-Supreme
Cacafuego
Posted 9:19 AM 18/6/08
Has Dustoin Hoffman cooled down from his glory days? I remember the line from "Tootsie", where he was parodying himself by claiming his decision to crouch while dressed like a fruit (I forget which Fruit of the Loom dancing fruits he was supposed to be) was "in line with his character--fruit don't have legs!"
Cacafuego
Trai_Dep
Posted 10:02 AM 18/6/08
I'm actually okay with actors being difficult to better their work. Everyone (except for the execs and agents) benefit from the results.
It's the ego clashes over trailers that are tiresome. Unless blood is spilled, car antenna fights are involved and there's someone there to film it.
Trai_Dep
Little Mintz Sunshine
Posted 12:11 PM 19/6/08
P A T T I L U P O N E
Little Mintz Sunshine
sepiavelvet
Posted 1:11 AM 22/6/08
In the manner of that youtube star Chris - "Leave Brittney alone"whateverthehellhislastnameis:
LEAVE ED ALONE!!!!
LEAVE HIM ALONE!!
HE GIVES AND GIVES AND YOU ALL PICK ON HIM!!!!
HE'S LOVELY (he is) AND HE JUST WANTS TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO CARE AS MUCH AS HE DOES!!!!!!!!!!
HE LOVES HIS FANS!!!!!
Thank You Ladies and Gentlemen tonite you have just seen
"Variations of a Plaintive Voice in the Wilderness on the Behalf of Mr Norton" - a one person tone poem with a touch of pathos, a soupcon of Grand Guignol and cheeky chin up to my favorite Black(read - moody) Irishman.
Y'all quit picking on Ed - he's lovely. ;D
sepiavelvet