10 Directors Who Broke Their Stars To Make Famous Movies

9. Alfred Hitchcock Intentionally 'Ruined' Tippi Hedren

Alfred Hitchcock famously said actors "should be treated like cattle", so it's not much of a surprise that he collided with one or two of them in his time. Though with Tippi Hedren, one of Hitch's ultimate icy blondes, the director's possessiveness, harsh indifference and obsessive nature became a thing of legend. As a young newcomer to the game, Hedren was cast as the star of Hitchcock's The Birds and, purportedly after she denied Hitchcock's sexual advances, put through psychological and physical torment, with the real birds (not the fake ones that Hitchcock promised) hurled at her for five days straight eventually putting Hedren in hospital with exhaustion. Hedren worked with Hitchcock again on Marnie, having already agreed to make the film while still filming The Birds, but their relationship crumbled during the shoot, and she vowed to move on. Hedren's career as a star was effectively over after she parted ways with Hitchcock. The director likely didn't help matters, considering he - according to Hedren - promised her "I'll ruin your career", then proceeded to keep her under contract for two years after Marnie, paying her a weekly fee just so no other filmmaker could hire her.