10 Actors Who Stole Important Props From Movie Sets

The real reason Ben Affleck stopped playing Batman: he was caught thieving stuff.

Spider-Man Andrew Garfield
Sony

One of the most overlooked elements of any film is the ridiculous amount of props that have been used to dress each set, making the world of the movie feel more lived-in and visually engrossing.

Your average scene will contain dozens of items that have been carefully placed throughout the set - or costumes that have been painstakingly hand-crafted - in order to evoke a certain mood or atmosphere, but once shooting is over and the film is ready to screen for audiences, what happens to all of these potentially valuable items?

It really depends on the prop in question: some are auctioned off, some are saved for sequels, and others are donated to museums or public displays, and very occasionally, some are stolen by the actors and taken home to use as ornaments.

Theft is generally, y'know, frowned upon, and realistically, the actors have no valid claim to this stuff, but hell, if you were forced to swing a hammer around for six months, wear a prosthetic penis, or dress up in spandex all day, you might also feel like you deserved to take home a souvenir. And these cheeky rascals did just that.

10. Chris Hemsworth - Mjolnir

Spider-Man Andrew Garfield
Marvel Studios

Thor may no longer be in possession of his mighty hammer in the movies, but the man who plays him has several at home. Hemsworth has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011's Thor, so it's not really surprising to learn that he managed to nab something in all that time.

The actor appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in early 2018, where the host questioned him about any props he may have stolen from the Avengers and Thor movie sets. Hemsworth replied with "about five", hammers, stating that he keeps one in the bathroom next to the toilet - as you do - and one on the mantelpiece.

He also mentioned that the hammers are quite heavy, which makes it all the more impressive that he managed to sneak off with more than one. Presumably, a large amount of Mjolnir replicas would have been built for his many appearances as Thor, so it's doubtful Marvel Studios will be bothered about missing a couple.

Contributor
Contributor

WhoCulture Channel Manager/Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture. Can confirm that bow ties are cool.