NEWSSlammed By The Stars: Kim Cattrall, George Clooney, More Spill The Tea On Toxic Work Environments, Horrible Costars, Terrible Projects
May 23 2021, Published 12:01 a.m. ET
Behind the glitz and glamour, being a Hollywood A-lister isn't always the picture perfect job one may think.
Despite the fame and massive paychecks, celebrities sometimes find themselves in toxic work environments. From disagreeable co-stars to cringe-worthy scripts, even the best on screen opportunities can be ruined.
Scroll through the gallery below to check out just a few stars who spilled the tea on some of their worst work experiences in Hollywood.
MEGAN FOX ON 'TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN'
The actress, 35, had some choice words for both the 2009 film and its director. Even though she read the script and went on to star in the action flick, "I still didn't know what was happening [in it]," she confessed before going on to bash Michael Bay as a tyrant. "He's like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous madman reputation," she said. "He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he's a nightmare to work for." No surprise, she was axed from the franchise.
CHANNING TATUM ON 'G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA'
The actor, 41, made his feelings about the 2009 action film crystal clear when he flatly told Howard Stern: "I f**king hate that movie." Tatum, better known for producing and starring in the sexy 2012 striptease film Magic Mike, insisted, "I was pushed into doing that movie… [After] Coach Carter, they signed me for a three-picture deal… And as a young [actor], you're like, 'Oh, my God, that sounds amazing, I'm doing that!'
KATHERINE HEIGL ON 'GREY’S ANATOMY'
There was more drama on the set than in the O.R. after the star, 42, infamously withdrew her name from the Emmy Awards ballot in 2008 because she didn't think she was "given the material… to warrant a nomination" for her work on the long-running medical drama. Showrunner Shonda Rhimes' seemed to confirm that the actress was difficult to work with. When asked about the cast after Heigl left in 2010, Rhimes said, "There are no Heigls in this situation." Ouch.
JENNIFER GARNER ON 'ELEKTRA'
The 2005 superhero film was both a commercial and a critical flop, and even the actress playing the titular comic book character knew it. Shortly after the film's release, her Alias costar (and ex boyfriend) Michael Vartan dished to reporters that Garner, 49, bad-mouthed the project: "[Jennifer] called me and told me it was awful. She had to do it because of Daredevil. It was in her contract."
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RUTH WILSON ON 'THE AFFAIR'
Things were toxic between Wilson and Sarah Treem, the showrunner of the program that earned the actress a Golden Globe. After the 39-year-old abruptly left The Affair— and told press she was "not really allowed to talk about'' the reason why — details leaked about the Showtime drama's "hostile" work environment. It was reported that Wilson took issue with the number of nude scenes she was asked to do and how she felt pressured by Treem to disrobe.
BRAD PITT ON 'THE DEVIL'S OWN'
Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt on set of ' The Devil's Own' 1997
Shooting the 1997 crime drama was the pits for the A-lister. Pitt, who had to learn an Irish accent for the film (and received mixed reviews on his brogue), later slammed its sloppy script, calling it a "disaster." The 57-year-old Oscar winner added that it was "the most irresponsible bit of filmmaking — if you can even call it that — that I've ever seen. I couldn't believe it."
GEORGE CLOONEY ON 'BATMAN & ROBIN'
To ensure he'd never forget just how poor a decision it was to take the title role in Batman & Robin, Clooney, 60, revealed he keeps a photo of himself as Batman "prominently displayed" on his office wall "as a cautionary reminder of what can happen when you make movies solely for commercial reasons." He also dissed the 1997 flop, adding: "It was a difficult film to be good in."
CONSTANCE WU ON 'FRESH OFF THE BOAT'
While most actors would be thrilled to be working on long-running shows, there was one who was devastated by her sitcom's renewal. When ABC announced Fresh Off the Boat would be returning for a sixth season, Wu, 39, reportedly commented "dislike" on a 2019 post sharing the news.
Shortly thereafter she tweeted: "So upset right now that I'm literally crying. Ugh. F**k." She later walked back her rage, explaining that she was "dismayed" that the renewal meant she'd have to pull out of a project she was "really passionate" about.
KIM CATTRALL ON 'SEX AND THE CITY'
Back in 2017, when Sex and the City fans couldn't help but wonder if there would be a third film of the hit HBO franchise, Cattrall prematurely quashed their hopes, saying, "Never. It's a no from me." She and co-star Sarah Jessica Parker were never simpatico, a fact the 64-year-old made abundantly — and publicly — clear when SJP sent her condolences to Cattrall after her brother's 2018 death.
"My Mom asked me today, 'When will that [Sarah], that hypocrite, leave you alone?'" Cattrall wrote in an Instagram post, tagging the actress. "Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now."
