Best Way to Handle Difficult Actors 101

Adeimantus

Adeimantus

Director David O. Russell has a small disagreement with actress Lily Tomlin while a camera rolls.

Never seen it before, so sorry if it's a repost.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E4Qls1rAfYs&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E4Qls1rAfYs&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
 
Why would anyone put up with that?
If I have an actor or anyone else not making things easier for me, I simply send em packing so I can get some work done. Hired help is suppose to help, not hender. This lady hired a guy with a sledge hammer to make a brick wall. This is her failure, not the coked out dude insisting on never working again.
 
I LOVE this freakin clip. God...I love it. Intense.

What about the Lily shot in the car? Love that one too. See below (same movie):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/A8NztyYiFxQ&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/A8NztyYiFxQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
 
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Okay, so, these and the Christian Bale clips are kind of funny, to see/hear somebody just completely lose it. Obviously, losing your temper is rarely a good idea, but I can't help wondering who was "right".

Though none of us can actually judge what really happened, cuz we weren't there, if I had to take sides, based on the little bits of information we're given, I think I'd have to side with the actors in both instances (Bale and Tomlinson).
 
Cracker Funk said:
Okay, so, these and the Christian Bale clips are kind of funny, to see/hear somebody just completely lose it. Obviously, losing your temper is rarely a good idea, but I can't help wondering who was "right".

Though none of us can actually judge what really happened, cuz we weren't there, if I had to take sides, based on the little bits of information we're given, I think I'd have to side with the actors in both instances (Bale and Tomlinson).
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Hear, hear to what C-Funk said.

From these clips (including the Bale one that I heard) it seems like the actors are doing their job, in the zone doing their thing and someone (the director or grip/cinematographer) manages to ruin their shot, their flow...knock them off their game so to speak. It's never cool to lose your cool, but after a long day or a long effort that does not feel like it's sticking...I can see how someone can lose it.
 
M1chae1 said:
I LOVE this freakin clip. God...I love it. Intense.

What about the Lily shot in the car? Love that one too. See below (same movie):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/A8NztyYiFxQ&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/A8NztyYiFxQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
Click to expand...

After I saw this thread I went looking for that clip but couldn't find it. Poor Dustin. :(
 
Kosh said:
Hear, hear to what C-Funk said.

From these clips (including the Bale one that I heard) it seems like the actors are doing their job, in the zone doing their thing and someone (the director or grip/cinematographer) manages to ruin their shot, their flow...knock them off their game so to speak. It's never cool to lose your cool, but after a long day or a long effort that does not feel like it's sticking...I can see how someone can lose it.
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It's ridiculous.

The shit that me and my colleagues deal with on indie sets is/are nothing compared to big budget fare. For an actor to freak out like this, and have these issues, on a big budget set with competent directors is ludicrous.

Pshhh. Have they forgotten what it's like in the trenches? The shit we are expected to deal with on a normal basis, and still produce a quality performance, is incredible. And I'm not complaining for the most part...I still love it. I'm in it, because there is no other place I'd rather be.

I can't imagine freaking out on a big name talented director because the 'flow' of my energy on set is disturbed. Pshhh. Get over it. Divas. I'm sorry your 1 million wasn't enough for you to deal with a confusing day or two on set...assholes. There is a difference between being 'in the zone' and disturbed, and being an asshole. Both Bale and Lily crossed that line.

Give me the role, and I'll not only produce a quality performance, but I'll be as pleasant as a penguin.
 
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Oh, I'm not excusing any of these hot-heads from their ill-tempered behaviors. I'm just saying the directors were probably stupid, and did stupid shit.

McG might be a big name, but I'm not sold on his talent.

Also, I imagine I'd have an absolute pleasure working with you, Mike.
 
Bale sounds like his patience digs a hole that his ego won’t let him get out of, so he digs deeper and deeper until it becomes about convincing himself through everyone else that HE isn’t the asshole. And it doesn’t work.

When you stroll out of a trailer and make more in a few weeks or months than many make in a lifetime, you need to regain some perspective and get some people skills, or don’t cash the big check.

On the O’Russle/Tomlin flap, it sadly looks like they’ve both forgotten the multitude of ways to make far less money as well.

-Thanks-
 
The Bale rant cracks me up. My favorite part:

"You're a nice guy. You're a nice guy".

"Seriously, man, you and me, we're fuckin done, professionally. Fuckin ass."

Yes, I know that he is sounding off against a DP, but the buck stops with the director. It doesn't surprise me that McG would hire an idiot DP. If you're not boom-op or camera, you don't fucking move until you hear "cut".

I do find it interesting that in this thread, it is the actor who is chastising the actors, and the director who is chastising the directors.
 
I can understand why Bale rants about it. It seems the guy has really got on Bales nerves and probably has been doing it for some time before he really got pissed an flew of the handle. Just a guess. It is unfortuante things get this ugly but it probably was deserved by the guy that caused this rant. It just should have been more professionally talked about. Bale knew the DP should have known better than to do that. That is why he said that the DP was acting like an amature.
 
Don't get me wrong, the director in I <3 Huck didn't handle it properly either...but then again, Lily is a difficult, slightly mad actress...I can see how it would be easy to loose patience with her (and others like her).

You should always try and keep your cool. And if you want to blow up, take the person aside, in private, and blow up there...but not in front of the other cast and crew. Never.
 
In any normal job people would get fired if they blew up like some of these actors do. If they need the actor in the movie enough they will put up with it. But if it gets too out of control I would expect them not to be asked back for any future films and maybe fired if it happens early in the filming.

I think these blow ups are taken out of context so we can't really judge too much since we were not there.
 
rockerrockstar said:
In any normal job people would get fired if they blew up like some of these actors do. If they need the actor in the movie enough they will put up with it. But if it gets too out of control I would expect them not to be asked back for any future films and maybe fired if it happens early in the filming.

I think these blow ups are taken out of context so we can't really judge too much since we were not there.
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Precisely! Well put rockerrockstar.

It is never cool to lose your cool. Ever. Regardless of how much you make or what you think you are sacrificing for the love of a craft or whatever. That said though, even the most docile of creatures can be provoked into some manner of rage given the right circumstances. We opine about incidents to which we were not privy to their cause. I guess that's easy to do on the internet machine thingy. But it's also a tricky thing because one always ends up injecting their personal bias into the issue (like how much money people make or one's definition of being a pro).

I am not excusing Tomlin or Bale's actions in these episodes. There are better ways to deal with difficult situations. But I am also not prepared to declare them assholes because I saw or heard a snippet of their lives on the internet. All I was saying is I can understand their frustrations. Collaborative efforts are stressful adventures on all levels - from hobby to pro. Some people deal with stress better than others, but even those who deal have a limit. Maybe, just maybe, we caught these two at their limit. Can't say for sure be cause I was not there. Though I fail to see what their paychecks have to do with it.
 
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