14 Behind-The-Scenes Stories That Turned Out to Be More Intense Than the Plot Twists
Shooting films and TV series doesn’t always go smoothly. Despite the scripted feelings of their characters, the actors sometimes feel very differently about their partners on set, making the work process more complicated. Then there are also those stars who don’t tone down their creative nature outside the set, either, entertaining and sometimes infuriating their colleagues.
Jim Parsons didn’t warn his on-set partners that he wanted to leave the show
Jim Parsons, whose role as Sheldon Cooper brought him international fame, decided that Season 12 of The Big Bang Theory would be his last. He told the creators of the show, who, in turn, offered to arrange a meeting for everyone involved in the filming process. Once the actors gathered, Parsons was given the floor, which Chuck Lorre would later come to regret. After Jim’s speech, a real drama erupted.
Many cast members couldn’t hold back tears, and Johnny Galecki got genuinely offended. After all, Jim could have somehow warned the others of his plans, as after so many years of working together, the crew had become almost like a family. But the actors were able to overcome their hurt and disappointment to not let this ruin their relationship. Instead, they decided to turn the filming of the final season into a real celebration.
Sean Bean had to break a sweat more than once on the set of Lord of the Rings
Some of the scenes in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had to be filmed in the mountains. The entire crew was flown there in helicopters. That’s when it became known that Sean Bean has a serious phobia of using this mode of transport. So, the actor said he would make his way up to the filming spot partially in the lift, and partially on foot. This task wasn’t easy, and Bean usually showed up at the set location a couple of hours later than everyone else. But even after all that, he still had enough energy to convincingly portray Boromir.
Working with birds was a real challenge for Lisa Kudrow
In the third season of Friends, Lisa Kudrow’s character had to spend a lot of time with birds. Although these scenes looked cute enough, the actress herself was not thrilled about this collaboration. This is all due to the fact that Kudrow suffers from ornithophobia — a fear of birds. She tolerated the presence of her feathery colleagues with great difficulty, being particularly scared of the duck. So, when the two birds ceased to play such an important role in the plot, the actress breathed a big sigh of relief.
Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher got involved romantically during the filming of Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope
Many fans have noted that it was the relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia that seemed the most natural in the entire trilogy. Their dialogue didn’t seem strained, and there seemed to be sparks flying between the two characters.
In her memoirs, Carrie Fisher admitted that a romance did break out between her and Ford during the filming of the first film. The pair kept the relationship carefully hidden and until the actress’ autobiography was published, no one had even guessed that there had been something between them.
Nicolas Cage seriously frightened the crew of Ghost Rider
During the filming of Ghost Rider, Nicolas Cage decided to get into character as best as he could. To do this, he tried to convince everyone else on set that he had supernatural powers and could talk to spirits.
Cage painted his face with white and black face paints, put in black contact lenses, and pinned patches with images of ancient Egyptian artefacts to his jacket. Looking like this, the actor appeared on set and wandered around silently, soulfully looking into everyone’s eyes. With this kind of behavior, he successfully scared the entire crew.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were quite cold towards each other
On screen, Sherlock and Watson have a strong friendship, but the real relationship between the two actors was far from ideal. They were consistently polite and courteous to each other, but never really communicated outside of the set. Their communication could closely be described as professional but cold. Martin Freeman could have ended up not being on the show at all, as he almost failed the audition. On that day, the actor had his wallet stolen, so he was emotional when he showed up at the audition.
George Clooney made fun of Ryan Gosling on the set of Ides of March
Gosling recalled that on the set of Ides of March, George Clooney didn’t let him get bored. He often approached Ryan with a very serious look and engaged in some clever conversation. And when Clooney walked away, Gosling realized that he was left standing in wet trousers. George always carried a small spray bottle filled with water, with which he would gently spray Ryan’s clothes while masterfully distracting him.
Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor became real friends during the filming of the Star Wars franchise
Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor became close friends during the filming of the first three parts of the Star Wars franchise. The actors recalled that they were both away from home and had to spend a lot of time training together, so soon Hayden and Ewan started to hang out off set as well. Their relationship quickly evolved into a true friendship, and so Christensen and McGregor were delighted when fate brought them back together for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
Josh Hutcherson scared Jennifer Lawrence half to death
The Hunger Games actors were constantly making fun of each other. Jennifer Lawrence mercilessly made her partners laugh right “under the nose” of the cameras. And her on-screen partner, Josh Hutcherson, decided to give Lawrence a good scare. He “borrowed” a mannequin from the props depicting one of the deceased game participants and put it in the actress’ bathtub. When Jennifer saw the motionless body, she was beside herself with horror. After that, she struggled to come up with a way to get back at Hutcherson.
Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp sometimes wouldn’t start filming for two hours
When Penelope Cruz moved to the US, she knew only two phrases in English: “How do you do?” and “I want to act with Johnny Depp.” Her dream ended up coming true and as a result, she and Johnny became good friends. That’s exactly why Cruz agreed to be in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Depp has an exceptional sense of humor, and he literally drove the actress to hysterics. Once they couldn’t start filming for two whole hours just because they were laughing uncontrollably. Another time, Johnny made a costume from South Park especially for his friend. Cruz had lost a bet, so she had to show up in front of everyone in the outfit.
Chris Pine convinced Benedict Cumberbatch to use protective cream on set
One of the scenes in Star Trek Into Darkness was filmed in a lab, full of all sorts of high-tech equipment. Lasers and other gadgets looked very impressive, so when Chris Pine told Benedict Cumberbatch that the latter needed a special “neutron cream” for protection, he immediately believed him. The cream was dotted all over the actor’s face and body, and that’s how he remained on-set. It was only later that Benedict was told that it was all just a practical joke.
Alyson Hannigan could hardly stand kissing Jason Segel
Marshall and Lily, the characters in How I Met Your Mother, have consistently delighted fans with their on-screen chemistry. The sincerity of their love was not hard to believe. However, actress Alyson Hannigan tried to limit the number of their scripted kisses as much as possible. Because of Jason Segel’s smoking habit, such displays of affection were unpleasant to Alyson. Hannigan even tried to rid her scene partner of the harmful habit, but all her attempts failed.
David Harbour sometimes compares the cast of Stranger Things to “a very dysfunctional family”
The actor really enjoys filming the series, but admits that the set is chaotic at times. In the first season, the young actors were very attentive to each other, but soon they relaxed and started acting like real siblings. They constantly quarrel and tease each other, with arguments arising over the silliest things. Harbour himself often acts like a mean uncle, even though he will do anything to protect the kids.
Zoe Saldaña nearly quit the world of cinema after Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Zoe less-than-fondly recalls filming the first movie of the franchise. She says there was not a very pleasant atmosphere on the set. Though the cast was great, and she had no complaints about them, the higher-ups, who made all the decisions behind closed doors, behaved very unpleasantly at times. At one point, all this backstage intrigue got so tiring that Zoe even talked about leaving the movie business. But her later collaboration with Steven Spielberg made her change her mind.
What behind-the-scenes dramas from TV and film sets do you know of?