10 Pettiest On Set Movie Feuds
4. A War In Iraq
With a filmography that includes Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter, and American Hustle, it’s fair to say that David O Russell is a talented filmmaker. With a list of enemies that includes Lily Tomlin and George Clooney, it’s also fair to say that he’s a difficult man.
His beef with Tomlin took place during I Heart Huckabees; the two fought but quickly patched things up and speak highly of one another, at least professionally.
Clooney, meanwhile, remains absent from Russell’s Christmas card list after a blow up on the set of Three Kings. The stress of the production left the auteur a raw nerve, and he pushed crew members to their limits, insisting on long days and an improvisational shooting style which left everyone on edge.
Russell instructed a driver to pull off a stunt Clooney felt was unsafe, and was criticised for not coming to the aid of a man having a fit. Eventually, a miscommunication led to a physical scrap between the two, with Clooney defending the put-upon crew against Russell’s demanding ways.
Clooney expressed his respect for Russell’s abilities, but in no uncertain terms stated that this was a one and done deal.