10 Actors Who Only Gave Great Performances Because They Got Drunk

7. Sterling Hayden - The Long Goodbye

Sterling Hayden was not director Robert Altman's first choice to play the drunken Hemingway-esque author Roger Wade in his revisionist noir The Long Goodbye, perhaps to some extent because of Hayden's reputation as a heavy drinker. However, when first choice Dan Blocker died just before filming began, Altman turned to Hayden, and cast him opposite Elliot Gould in a part that would, by necessity, end up being largely improvised. According to Altman, Hayden was drunk and stoned so often during shooting that his scenes opposite Gould had to be ad-libbed. The final result reportedly thrilled Altman, however, and it's clear as to why: Hayden shows uncharacteristic vulnerability in the role, appearing surprisingly wounded underneath all that natural machismo and gruffness. Hayden later got himself 'dry', but his performance in The Long Goodbye still stands out as one of his best.