10 Times Actors Had ZERO Idea What Movie They Were Making

Stanley Kubrick is infamous for overworking his actors, especially while directing The Shining. By deliberately antagonising the cast, Kubrick reduced Scatman Crothers to tears and Shelley Duvall left psychologically shaken for years.

However, Kubrick went out of his way to protect Danny Lloyd, who portrayed Jack Torrance's son, Danny. Because Lloyd was seven years old during filming, Kubrick was concerned the unsettling plot could traumatise him.

As a result, the visionary filmmaker told Lloyd he was working on a family drama, not one of the scariest horrors ever made! To ensure Lloyd was none the wiser, he wasn't on-set for any of the disturbing scenes. For the sequence where Wendy Torrance is fleeing in terror while holding Danny, the actress was actually holding a mannequin.

As arduous as the 200-day production was for the cast and crew, Lloyd said he had nothing but good memories of his time making The Shining. In-between takes, he'd eat peanut butter-and-jam sandwiches and play catch with the director.

The disturbing elements of The Shining were hidden so well from Lloyd, he didn't realise he'd been working on a horror film until many years later.