The 5 Most Dramatic Actor-Director Feuds Of All Time
Somewhere in a smoky room filled with only male friends, Olivia Wilde is heaving a sigh of relief. At long last, Don’t Worry Darling is not the only recent mediocre romantic drama to be recognized more for its cast drama than its actual content. She has Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds to thank for that.
By piecing together various reports, it’s possible to perceive a “feud” between Lively and her It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. The two have avoided doing press together and even snubbed each other at their film’s New York premiere, seemingly refusing to be in the same room. Moreover, sources have since come forward to acknowledge that there was, indeed, tension on set during filming. Of course, there are always three sides to every story; and yet, Lively has received the brunt of the negative press.
But before we delve into that, let’s revisit some other actor-director feuds that have rocked Hollywood in the past. I will also determine the definitive winner of each feud.
Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
The feud: Director Olivia Wilde wasn’t very supportive of her female lead, Florence Pugh; she even dubbed her “Miss Flo” behind her back. That’s not a great leadership strategy. In return, Pugh snubbed Wilde on social media and generally avoided promoting Wilde’s movie. Also, Harry Styles may or may not have spit on Chris Pine.
What the actual movie was about: Feminism, or something?
Who won: Florence Pugh. She’s a lot busier than Wilde these days.
I Heart Huckabees (2004)
The feud: The famously mercurial David O. Russell felt that comedy legend Lily Tomlin was not giving a performance worthy of his vision, and thus proceeded to verbally berate her, even calling her a bitch and, at one point, hurling props at a crew member. The video leaked to the press, causing an Internet uproar in an age before TikTok and Twitter. The pair later publicly downplayed the incident, despite never working together again.
What the actual movie was about: Huckabees and the people who heart them, I think
Who won: Lily Tomlin. She never lost her likeability and later scored a hit with Grace and Frankie alongside Jane Fonda.
Transformers (2007)
The feud: In an otherwise innocuous interview, Megan Fox called her Transformers director Michael Bay “Hitler” for acting like an “insane” “tyrant” on set. He responded by rallying his entire crew to publish an open letter calling Fox a “trailer trash” “porn star.” Finally, Bay fired Fox from all future Transformers films.
What the actual movie was about: A group of robots become sentient and decide to host a regular fight club in an attempt to imbue their lives with meaning. I mean … right? I haven’t actually seen this movie.
Who won: No one, not even the viewing public. These days, Bay is unsuccessfully making a career pivot into action comedies. Fox is publishing her teenage diaries under the guise of poetry.
The Shining (1980)
The feud: Director Stanley Kubrick verbally abused his star Shelley Duvall on an almost daily basis and forced her to reshoot scenes dozens of times for no discernible reason. Duvall later told the film critic Roger Ebert that the filming process was “unbearable.”
What the actual movie was about: This is the only movie in this listicle I’ve actually seen, but I still couldn’t tell you what it’s about. Creepy twins? And murder.
Who won: Duvall, but years later. Sadly, this feud happened at a time when people were even less kind to women. However, decades later, Internet sleuths eventually revisited Kubrick’s poor behavior on The Shining and gave Duvall the redemption that she deserved.
It Ends With Us (2024)
The feud: In addition to the details we’ve already discussed, this movie has culminated in a slew of bad press for Lively. Apparently, Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds tried to take over the creative direction of the movie, seemingly butting heads with director Justin Baldoni along the way. Additionally, Lively has seemingly used the movie’s press cycle as an opportunity to hock her personal brand and haircare line, despite her movie being about sexual abuse. Oh, and this old interview with Lively just resurfaced, in which Lively snarkily argues with her interviewer after zero provocation.
What the actual movie was about: A topic that very much should not have been overshadowed by a discussion about baby bumps and hair care lines.
Who won: Baldoni. I’ll call it now. Lively and Reynolds have had their time in the sun. Now it’s time for them to check their egos and launch a charity or a joint Etsy or something. That is, until the next mediocre romantic drama with a buzzy actor-director feud comes around! And judging by this list, there will be many more.