Diva Alert! Actors Who Made Insane On-Set Demands That Got Approved
It's no secret that some actors can be divas, especially if they happen to be mega-stars of a popular franchise, blockbuster, or series. To make their leads happy, some studios and directors give in to actors' bizarre and insane demands, such as Tom Cruise not allowing co-stars to run alongside him in the Mission Impossible films. Ironically, his excessive demand isn't even the strangest.
George Clooney Asked For A Garden, Among Other Things
George Clooney is a very sought-after actor, having been in many, many hit films and being worth over $500 million. As such, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor has asked for some pretty insane things, particularly during his time on the set of the 2013 film Gravity.
While filming the movie, Clooney not only asked for a private landscaped garden to enjoy on his lot but also a basketball court, hot tub, and even a custom-made beach hut! Amazingly, all of his demands were met, costing the studio an extra $125,000.
All Celtics Sports Memorabilia Was Banned For Jack Nicholson
When Martin Scorsese asked Jack Nicholson to be in his upcoming mob movie The Departed, the actor shook his head. Yes, he wanted to work with the famed director, but he didn't really like the character of Frank Costello. So, Scorsese made a few concessions for the two-time Academy Award winner.
First off, he rewrote the part, making Frank a more interesting character and evil villain. But the biggest demand the director actually went with was Nicholson asking that all sports memorabilia having to do with the Boston Celtics be removed from the set. It's not like the film took place in Boston or anything.
Sharon Stone Requested A Private Luxury Train
Actress Sharon Stone doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to working relationships. In fact, it's been said that's she can be pretty difficult to work with with all of her crazy demands. Some of those bizarre requests came while filming the Italian picture Golden Boy.
While working on the film, Stone requested a private train bring her to and from the set! Talk about a diva move. And that demand was only topped by her asking for a production credit card to purchase all of her character's clothing for the film. Apparently, someone forgot to tell her there was a costume department.
Ben Affleck Requested A Mets Hat Instead Of A Yankees Hat
It's no secret that Ben Affleck is a Boston native and a die-hard Red Sox fan. In fact, he's such a fan that while he was shooting the 2014 film Gone Girl, he told director David Fincher that his character would not be donning a New York Yankees baseball cap.
According to the actor, his refusal was pretty much a whole "I'll never hear the end of it" situation. Even though it was in the script, Fincher allowed Affleck to forgo the Yankees ball cap and wear a New York Mets hat instead.
Will Smith Requested A $2 Million Trailer
Will Smith was one of the original cast members of the Men in Black franchise. As a well-liked guy in Hollywood, it might come as a surprise that he asked for something pretty outlandish once Men in Black II rolled around.
Apparently, the actor requested a whopping $2 million trailer, complete with two bedrooms, a movie theater, and two bathrooms. The best part about the demand has to be the fact that, at the time, the actor lived only minutes from the set! But, hey, the studio wanted to keep their star happy.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Pretty Much Took Over Terminator
When the third Terminator film rolled around, the franchise's star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, pretty much took over. He literally demanded to be in charge of basically everything that had to do with hiring.
The actor went and hand-selected not only his co-stars but also the director, crew, make-up artists, costume designers, drivers, the publicist, and even the chef who'd be making each meal throughout the duration of production. It was Schwarzenegger's way or it was "hasta la vista, baby!"
Johnny Depp Requested His Lines Be Fed To Him Via Earpiece
There is really no Pirates of the Caribbean franchise without Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. Sorry, Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow. The character is now an iconic member of the Disney catalog. And it might be because of Sparrow's popularity that Depp was able to get away with an absurd demand.
While filming the movie, Depp allegedly refused to learn his lines. Instead, he paid a sound engineer to feed him his lines through an earpiece. He does realize that part of being an actor is memorizing lines, right?
Gary Busey Made The Crew Change The Entire Set Design
Academy Award-nominated actor Gary Busey made one of the stranger requests on this list while he was working on the 2003 film Quigley. Apparently, at one point in the actor's life, he had a near-death experience. He's gone on record saying he'd "seen heaven."
Because of this, Busey absolutely refused to shoot a scene in the movie. It was set in heaven. He told the crew that he wouldn't do the shot unless they re-designed the entire set in his image. So, clearly, the professional thing to do was completely re-do the entire set.
Samuel L. Jackson Demanded A Purple Lightsaber
Fans of the Star Wars franchise have long since known that the Sith Lords fight with red lightsabers while the Jedi knights fight with blue and green lightsabers. Well, that all changed with the release of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and actor Samuel L. Jackson's epic demand.
In order to stand out during the final fight scene on Geonosis, Jackson requested his character, Jedi Master Mace Windu, fight with a purple lightsaber. He's the only Jedi to carry that color lightsaber so, clearly, the demand paid off, even though it's ridiculous.
Bill Murray Asked For A Budget For Another Movie
Bill Murray was one of the biggest comedic actors in the '80s, so it's no wonder Columbia Pictures wanted him for one of the lead roles in Ghostbusters. The thing is, the studio had to make a deal with Murray to get him on board.
Instead of just saying "yes" to a really good job, Murray told former Columbia Pictures chairman Frank Price that the only way he'd take the part is if the studio would also finance his upcoming film, The Razor's Edge. Talk about a cut-throat demand.
Two Game Of Thrones Actors Were Never Onscreen Together
There are so many characters in Game of Thrones that viewers might have missed the fact that two people were never in the same scene together, Cersei Lannister and Bronn. It's interesting, too, considering Bronn worked for the Lannister family in one way or another throughout the series. Either way, there is a reason why the two are never on screen together.
Actors Lena Headey and Jerome Flynn used to date. And after they broke up on pretty bad terms, they demanded the writers should never set their characters in the same room. Yikes.
Daniel Day-Lewis Was Fed By The Crew
Considered by many to be one of the greatest actors of his generation, Daniel Day-Lewis had climbed the ranks of Hollywood before retiring. Perhaps his super-star status was a good enough reason for crew members to agree to his extreme method acting on the set of My Left Foot.
Day-Lewis portrayed someone with severe cerebral palsy who was wheelchair-bound, and he stayed in character regardless of whether the camera was rolling or not. This meant crew members were in charge of wheeling him around the studio and to and from his trailer. They even spoon-fed him! No one denied Day-Lewis because they didn't want to ruin his performance.
Mike Myers' Request Added $5 Million To The Budget
Aside from Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, actor Mike Myers pretty much heads the entire Shrek franchise. As the title character, he had a few things to say after seeing the original rough cut of the film. And what he had to say wound up costing the studio a whopping extra $5 million.
After watching the rough cut of Shrek, Myers decided the character would be better off with a Scottish accent. That meant he'd go back into the recording studio and re-do every single part he'd already voiced. It's insane that studio boss Jeffrey Katzenberg agreed to the demand.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Had A 33-Page Contract Of Demands
In the '80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the most in-demand actors around. So, when Terminator 3 was being filmed, he was in a position to make some pretty insane demands. And, being the lead actor of a mega-franchise, the studio went ahead and said yes to each and every one.
His contract stated that the actor would be booked in a three-bedroom deluxe suite in each filming location. Not only that, but he also requested a limousine always be on call and his trailer to be stocked with gym equipment. Oh, and he also asked for a team of bodyguards even though he was a bodybuilder.
Samuel L. Jackson Gets To Play Golf Twice A Week
Samuel L. Jackson is the star of many movie franchises, including Star Wars, the MCU, and even the Unbreakable trilogy. Due to his mega-star status, he's able to get away with a quirky little demand in all of his contracts. Apparently, there is a clause that states Jackson is allowed to take off at least twice a week to play a round of golf.
During an interview with CNN, he said, "They have to let me play at least twice a week. Generally, they either move me onto a golf course or I join a club so I can play there."
Wesley Snipes Only Communicated Via Post-It Notes
Wesley Snipes is the face of the Blade franchise. As such, he became a bit of a diva on set and began making some outrageous demands and communicating in a very odd way. According to his Blade: Trinity co-star, Patton Oswalt, Snipes requested to be left alone in his trailer so he could smoke.
On top of that, he refused to communicate with the director, of all people, after a little argument. Instead of being a professional and talking through their disagreement, Snipes communicated via post-it notes for the rest of the production!
Tom Cruise Initially Refused To Let His Co-Star Run With Him
Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, and that means he's made some big demands over the years. Turns out that there's pretty much no request that's "impossible" for him!
According to his Mummy co-star Annabelle Wallis, Cruise refuses to let anyone run with him In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said he finally relented and allowed her to run alongside him. "[H]e told me no at first. He said, 'Nobody runs on-screen [with me],' and I said, ‘But I’m a really good runner,’" she said. "So, I would time my treadmill so that he’d walk in and see me run. And then he added all these running scenes. So, that was it.”
Robert Downey Jr. Ditched The Iron Man Suit
As one of the original six Avengers in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. has earned the right to make some outrageous demands. Interestingly, the only concession he's asked of the studio and costume department makes perfect sense -- not having to wear his super suit.
After the first Iron Man film, Downey Jr. asked if they could move his suit over to CGI, as it was annoying, cumbersome, and just an overall pain to get in and out of. Everyone agreed with the actor, and the suit was added in the post-production of each subsequent film.
Jamie Foxx Made More Than One Request On Miami Vice
While filming the 2006 adaptation of Miami Vice, Jamie Foxx evidently turned into a grade-A diva. The actor had more than one outrageous demand during production, with the least costly being the fact that he wanted to be paid more than his co-star.
It's not too strange that the studio agreed to the pay bump, but the fact that they agreed to a private jet for him and his entourage is a whole other matter. Oh, and he demanded director Michael Mann move production from the Dominican Republic to Miami, making it so the entire ending had to be reworked.
Daniel Day-Lewis, Aka "Mr. President"
While he was making movies, Daniel Day-Lewis was very well-known for his intense method acting, something he didn't sway from while filming Lincoln. As the title character, Day-Lewis would embody the former president even when the cameras weren't rolling. To do this, he requested a few strange things from director Steven Spielberg.
First off, Day-Lewis refused to use any form of electricity, wanting to transport himself back in time. He even demanded everyone on set refer to him as "Mr. President." Everyone probably learned the latter demand quite quickly once he stopped responding to his actual name.
Will Ferrell Had A Few Demands While Shooting Semi-Pro
Apparently, comedic actor Will Ferrell has made some strange requests on the sets of films. One such set being Semi-Pro. Honestly, the film didn't do so well but learning about the behind-the-scenes antics of Ferrell is worth the flop of a film.
While filming the movie, Ferrell made a few outrageous requests of the studio. He asked for a mobility scooter, a Janet Jackson-style headset microphone, and a rainbow on wheels. What all of these items were for exactly will remain a mystery.
