Actors Who Will Think Twice Before Filming These Famous Scenes Again
It’s tough to be actors in Hollywood. More often than not, young and impressionable stars can be pressured into taking roles they may not like. What’s worse, sometimes their character has to something unimaginable.
This could be a moral deviation or an act of nudity – either way, we sometimes forget how actors are real people with real thoughts and concerns. This list aims to highlight some of the scenes that actors have regretted filming over the years. Each reason is different – but all share the same feeling of regret.
Burt Reynolds’ Stunt in Deliverance
We all remember the famous scene in 1972’s Deliverance when Burt Reynolds paddles a canoe over a waterfall. More than 45 years have passed and we’re still talking about it today.
Burt Reynolds in “Deliverance” | Warner Bros.
However, Reynolds has admitted that if he could do it again, he would opt for a dummy doll to be used instead. It turns out that the actor broke his tailbone in the process and made the rest of the shoot incredibly difficult. Ouch!
Nicole Kidman in Big Little Lies
When HBO’s Big Little Lies premiered in 2017, it captivated audiences everywhere. HBO is known for pushing boundaries and this is no exception. Kidman plays Celeste, a woman who is constantly abused by her husband (played by Alexander Skarsgard).
Nicole Kidman in “Big Little Lies” | HBO
It turns out those scenes aren’t just hard to watch – Nicole Kidman has admitted that she was completely drained emotionally from them. Despite her Golden Globe win from the role, she said she was often left feeling humiliated and angry after each scene.
Jennifer Lawrence in Passengers
Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence didn’t appear in her first sex scene until 2016’s Passengers alongside Chris Pratt. She doesn’t regret filming the scene as much as she regrets her unconventional prep for it. Lawrence admits to getting drunk to ease the nerves, but that this only led to more anxiety afterward.
Credit: Sony Pictures
She didn’t remember what she had done during filming as waited impatiently until the film’s release to find out! Not very professional of her, since she’s considered one of Hollywood’s brightest actors.
Gordon Ramsay in Hotel Hell
Even though celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey has made a fortune shouting and screaming at people in the kitchen, it was a scene outside the kitchen that gained notoriety. In one scene of Hotel Hell, Ransey stripped off and went for a swim in one of the hotel’s bathtubs.
Gordon Ramsay | Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images
No one really wanted to see his private parts and the moment sparked complaints from viewers. Ultimately, Ramsey released a statement apologizing for the act and he has admitted to regretting it.
Dakota Johnson in Fifty Shades of Grey
In perhaps the least surprising news to come out of Hollywood since Harvey Weinstein, it turns out Dakota Johnson regrets her scenes in the 50 Shades series. The books were a sensation when they dropped and a movie franchise was quickly greenlit.
Fifty Shades Darker I Focus Features
However, it should have been clear that no actors in their right mind would agree to appear in bondage scenes, however kinky they may be. Ultimately, the duo had no chemistry and both actors regret being in the films.
Sean Connery in all the James Bonds
We all have our iconic Bond actors – it all depends on which generation you belong. The freshman actor to don the character was Sean Connery, who had little good to say about his tenure as 007.
Sean Connery as James Bond | United Artists
Despite playing James Bond for the first seven outings, the actor frequently feuded with Producer Albert R. Broccoli for years. He said the character had no development and relied on seducing women and a care-free attitude. Find out which duo regretted their famous kiss over the page…
Jim Carrey in Kick-Ass 2
Funnyman Jim Carrey surprised fans and critics alike when he appeared as Colonel Stars and Stripes in 2012’s Kick-Ass 2. After a strong performance, he ultimately denounced his performance – and the entire film – after the Sandy Hook tragedy.
Jim Carrey in “Kick Ass 2” | Universal Pictures
He is a firm gun control advocate and blames films like this for increased gun crime. Carrey publicly condemned the “level of violence” in it and requested people don’t support the film. This was mainly because it glorifies the use of guns and death.
Kate Winslet in Titanic
Even though Titanic would go on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time, its main star would live to regret one of its most famous scenes.
Kate Winslet in “Titanic” | Paramount Pictures
The famous ‘paint me like one of your French girls’ scene made Winslet uncomfortable, particularly since she was only 21 years old at the time of filming. Looking back, she doesn’t believe it was necessary even though she did it to prove herself as an actress at the time.
Roger Moore with Grace Jones in A View to Kill
By the time A View To Kill hit our screens in 1985, Roger Moore was already 57 years old. His vintage age was one of the reasons he didn’t want to act alongside a 35-year-old Grace Jones in a love scene together.
Roger Moore and Grace Jones in “A View To Kill” | MGM
The actor admitted to being in bad shape when filming came around and he couldn’t keep up with the star. It has also been reported that the two stars clashed off stage, so that wouldn’t help!
Michael Fassbender in X-Men: Days of Future Past
Fassbender is widely praised for portraying the villain Magneto in the X-Men franchise. However, he appears to be his biggest critics when it comes to certain scenes.
Michael Fassbender in X-Men: Days of Future Past | Fox
He has confessed to hating a specific scene in which Magneto loses his temper on a plane, causing it to rattle and shake. Fassbender has admitted that he hates the scene since it just looks like a normal man screaming with nothing unique. Don’t worry, Michael, fans around the world loved it!
Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad
This Ozzie beauty wowed audiences with her 2016 performance as Harley Quinn in the supervillain film Suicide Squad. Her iconic take on the role would inspire Halloween outfits for years to come. Unfortunately, one scene was pretty horrible for the star, and she regrets doing it.
Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad | Warner Bros.
When Harley Quinn is dunked into white bleach by The Joker (played by Jared Leto), it caused quite a few headaches. Robbie explains how the goo got into her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, and it was the worst thing she had ever done!
Taylor Lautner in Twilight
Even though Taylor Lautner rose to worldwide fame with his role as Jacob the werewolf in the Twilight franchise, it appears there are moments of the franchise he regrets. He doesn’t feel comfortable with the number of topless scenes that took place over the years and often hated appearing shirtless on camera.
Taylor Lautner in Twilight
Lautner has been quoted as confessing that if he could do it again, he wouldn’t have agreed to so many scenes without clothes. Coincidentally, the actor has disappeared from Hollywood in recent years.
Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead II
Evil Dead wasn’t just a bloodbath on camera, but the behind-the-scenes tell a similar story. Apparently, Bruce Campell was pretty miserable when he kept getting covered in the famous red blood.
In an interview about the franchise, he admits it was largely his fault: he insisted on using the same iconic mixture in the sequel that made it so memorable. Throughout the shoot, director Sam Raimi shot Campell with a whopping 55 gallons of the stuff!
Maria Schneider in Last Tango In Paris
The famous butter scene between Maria Schneider and Marlon Brando in Last Tango In Paris is just as frightening off the screen as it was on screen. According to an interview with the actress before her death in 2011, Schneider admits she had no idea the scene would take place.
Maria Schneider and Marlon Brando in “Last Tango In Paris” | United Artists
Director Bernardo Bertolucci admitted to misleading the actress and subsequently caused her emotional trauma for months after the shoot. The story gained more attention during the 2017 Time’s Up movement.
Denzel Washington in The Equalizer
A gangster in the rain might look cool, but for Denzel Washington, it was a nightmare. The actor has been candid about the 2014 film and his experience filming the movie. There’s a moment when an explosion sets off the store’s sprinkler system making for an awesome set piece.
However, Washington admits that 13 hours in the cold water was less than desirable. Still, he starred in 2018’s sequel – so it couldn’t have been that bad!
Emma Watson and Rupert Grint Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
It was a moment that fans had waited for across seven books and 10 years. Little did the fans know it filled the actors with dread! Watson and Grint had grown up together as Ron and Hermione, so when their kiss came in the last film outing, they both admitted to cringing during shooting.
Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” | Warner Bros.
They have been on record to state the two actors consider each other brother and sister, which would indeed make the shoot awkward!
Ellen Page in Juno
2007’s Juno was the indie film that became a cult classic enjoyed to this day. Overall, Ellen Page plays the pregnant teen with love and care as she prepares to give her baby to Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. However, one specific scene causes her to cringe today.
When discussing baby names, Page’s character describes ‘Madison’ as ‘a little gay’. In 2014, Page would herself come out as gay and has fought against homophobia and in favor of LGBT rights.
Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones
Any fan of Game of Thrones will tell you that Emilia Clarke has had her fair share of nudity on the show. HBO doesn’t shy away from the R-rated content and it has helped turn the show into the iconic programming we enjoy today.
Emilia Clarke in “Game of Thrones” | HBO
Unfortunately, Clarke has admitted she often finds her nude scenes with other actors uncomfortable. Her character, Daenerys Targaryen the Mother of Dragons, is no stranger to showing her bare body. This caused some awkward viewing since her parents are fans!
Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman can be named responsible for catapulting Julia Roberts to worldwide fame. At the young age of just 21, Roberts captured audiences hearts and minds with her charming performance. So, what about it does she regret?
Well, it turns out her first love scene caused quite the problem on set. Due to nerves, she developed a rash and broke out in hives! Production had to be stalled while she recovered and prepared for the scene.
George Reeves in Superman
George Reeves captured the hearts and minds of young children in the 1950s during his stint at Superman. He loved playing the part except for one crucial part: showing that Superman was bulletproof. Famously, a young child would one day approach the actor with a loaded gun threatening to shoot him to test his strength.
George Reeves in “The Adventures of Superman” | Warner Bros. TV
Immediately after, Reeves refused to appear on screen as bulletproof again. He made sure children knew no human was invincible like Superman.
Terence Stamp with Natalie Portman in The Phantom Menace
According to reports, Terence Stamp only agreed to appear in Episode I: The Phantom Menace because he wanted to work alongside Natalie Portman. Unfortunately, his career dreams were quickly left in ashes when director George Lucas informed him he would be acting opposite a strip of paper.
Terence Stamp in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” |20th Century Fox
He has described the entire experience as ‘boring’ and was horrified by the final product of the film. Overall, the entire trilogy was met with a luke-warm reception.
Zooey Deutch in Set It Up
If you haven’t heard of it, we don’t blame you. This 2018 Netflix kind of came and went, but it DID introduce us to Zooey Deutch and her charming performance. For a romantic comedy, there was definitely something a little off.
It turns out there is one scene that Deutch regrets filming. The scene where she’s sitting down eating pizza was taken multiple times. This made her completely sick at the time and can’t look back without feeling the same way each time.
Tony Curtis Kissing Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot
You might think it’s most men’s dream to kiss the 1950 sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Well, Tony Curtis is not most men! During the filming of Some Like It Hot, Curtis and Monroe had to share a kiss on set. Let’s just say it didn’t go well.
Curtis allegedly compared kissing Monroe to ‘kissing Hitler’. Since this was back in 1959, it was far easier to dismiss the rumor as hearsay. Briefly before his death, Curtis vaguely confirmed the truth in the comment.
Eva Mendes in Once Upon A Time In Mexico
When Eva Mendes was given the opportunity to kiss her crush, Johnny Depp, she didn’t regret doing it. In fact, she regrets how she did it. It seems that anyone gets nervous before kissing their crush and celebrities are no different.
According to interviews, Mendes has said how she wished she had more opportunities to ‘get it right’ with Depp and that the actual kiss was longer. Doesn’t sound like such a regret to us!
Helen Mirren in Age of Consent
For years, actress Helen Mirren was adamant that she was ok with her nude scenes in Age of Consent. You might even say that she was happy to give her own consent about performing those scenes.
It was only years later that Mirren would confess how she was always uncomfortable about what she did and why. It turns out that she never liked it and regrets it to this day. Still, the veteran actress has proven she’s more than just her nude scenes!
Mary-Louise Parker in Weeds
Weeds was a successful television drama that ran between 2005-2012 on Showtime. Well, Parker was happy to be the show’s star for the most part: all except for one scene where she appeared nude in the shower.
Apparently, the star fought with the director about it but she eventually gave in and performed the scene as the script desired. Mary-Louise Parker would go on to say how she regretted not sticking up for herself more, since she’s aware of the Internet.
David Spade in Grown Ups
Well, it seems it’s not just female actors who regret their body scenes in film! Comedian David Spade was faced with a decision about how far to take a role in 2010’s Grown Ups. According to the script, Spade had to show his behind to the audience. It turns out he wasn’t so keen on the idea.
‘So, this is how female actors feel?’ he laughed after it was shot. To this day, he admits he would have preferred to have a body double.
Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly
It seems that funnyman Ben Stiller feels the same way about showing his behind as David Spade. In 2004’s Along Came Polly, Ben Stiller was asked to show his behind for a specific scene. How did one of Hollywood’s biggest actors react?
It turns out that there was a deal with the director: if no one laughed at the pre-screening, then they would cut the scene. Sadly for Stiller, people DID laugh and it stayed in the film. Today, he admits he wished he’d used a butt double.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
When you’re actors in a long-running franchise, it’s not necessarily scenes you regret. For some actors, they can look at entire films and see a performance they’d rather forget about. Just look at Daniel Radcliffe and his take on Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince.
The young star, who was cast as the boy wizard at the age of 11, explains that he cannot rewatch the sixth film in the franchise. “My acting is very one-note and I can see I got complacent and what I was trying to do just didn’t come across,” he told Playboy.
Megan Fox in all of the Transformers
You might think that starring in a billion-dollar franchise would be a smart move for any actress. Well, Megan Fox, who appeared in the first two outings, seems to disagree. Fox previously described working with director Michael Bay as ‘working with Hitler’. She was not invited back for the third film.
Looking back, Megan Fox has admitted to feeling regret over her whole participation in the Transformers films. Would you like to see her back in the franchise?
Idris Elba in The Wire
The Wire is widely considered to be one of the best shows ever made, making stars out of many of its cast members. Idris Elba is no exception starring as Stringer Bell. Well, it turns out the actor had quite a few reservations about portraying a drug dealer on screen.
“Are we idolising a smart drug dealer or a dumb narcotics dealer? What are we saying here? Is it OK to pump a community full of heroin but because you’re smart at it, that makes you cool? That was a problem for me.”
Daniel Craig in all future James Bond films
Anyone who has picked up a magazine in the last few years is aware of Daniel Craig’s hatred for playing the MI5 spy. And that’s putting it lightly. During the press tour for 2015’s Spectre, Craig admitted that he’s rather ‘slit my wrists’ than play Bond again. The only problem? He was contracted for one more appearance.
Craig’s final outing is currently in production expected to hit cinemas in 2020. Fans can only imagine that he’ll be happy to fold up the tux and no longer have to play Britain’s coolest spy.
Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Bringing Jessica Alba back to reprise her role as Sue Storm wasn’t so easy. All we have to do is look back at some of the interviews from Alba from around that time. Apparently, she hated having to look pretty all the time and found the whole thing rather sexist.
Speaking to Elle Magazine, Alba recalls: “I hated it. I really hated it. I remember when I was dying in Silver Surfer. The director was like, ‘It looks too real. It looks too painful. Can you be prettier when you cry? Cry pretty, Jessica’.”
Halle Berry in Catwoman
Halle Berry made cinematic ‘history’ when she accepted her Raspberry award for Worst Actress only three years after her Oscar for Best Actress. As one of the few actors to actually turn up to the award show, Berry climbed the stage and thanked her manager for setting up her role in Catwoman.
“Thank you so much. I never in my life thought I would be up here. [My manager] loves me so much that he convinces me to do projects even when he knows that it is sh*t.” Even though she laughed off the experience, Berry has admitted to regretting her time as the superhero.
Sally Field in The Amazing Spider-Man
When two-time Oscar winner Sally Field was cast as Aunt May in the Spider-Man rebooted franchise fans everywhere rejoiced. They all knew what a big deal it was to have such a talent, even if Field herself didn’t!
It turns out that Field was a bit underwhelmed by the amount of character depth in Aunt May and complained that it wasn’t the usual stuff she was familiar with. Later, Field described it as “trying to put 10 pounds of s**t in a five-pound bag.” That’s actors for you!
Bill Murray in Garfield
Can you imagine signing up to a film simply because of a misunderstanding? When Bill Murray decided to voice the comic cat, he understood that it was because the script was written by Joel Cohen. Well, he was half right.
Joel Cohen WAS writing Garfield, but he was thinking of Joel Coen, from The Coen Brothers. It turns out that the Joels make quite different films from each other and Murray was caught completely off guard. Still, it didn’t stop him from returning for a sequel.
Alec Baldwin in Rock of Ages
If you think Baldwin’s career has slowed down since playing Donald Trump on SNL, then you might want to consider why. Well, in 2012 he starred in Rock of Ages against British funnyman Russell Brand. Let’s just say it wasn’t well received.
Baldwin has confessed that he knew the film was going to be a disaster at the time. Only after one week into production he asked himself, “What have I done?”. Most agree that his career has never recovered from his mistake.
Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum
Damon’s original outing as Jason Bourne wowed critics upon its initial release. While it’s widely agreed that the second entry was an improvement on the first, the third outing was faced with less-than-stellar reviews.
It turns out that even Hollywood’s biggest actors describe the film as a ‘career-ender’. He skipped the fourth film entirely before reprising his role in Jason Bourne. Critics don’t think the later films lived up to the original ones.
