12 Actors Who Immersed Themselves Too Far In Movie Scenes
2. Robert Shaw - Jaws
Although The Method is a useful tool to make a performance more authentic, it should never be used to depict a drunk. And The Method DEFINITELY shouldn't be used if the actor in question is an alcoholic.
And that was exactly what happened to Robert Shaw during the production of Jaws. His co-star, Richard Dreyfuss, got so sick of him drinking in-between takes, he once hurled his drink into the ocean in mid-scene. According to Roy Scheider, Shaw was "a perfect gentleman whenever he was sober. All he needed was one drink and then he turned into a competitive son-of-a-b*tch."
When Shaw had to perform a monologue while his character was tipsy, he thought it would be sensible to get drunk for the scene. Unfortunately, he got so hammered, he couldn't stand for it. His dialogue was so unintelligible, the footage was deemed unusable.
Shaw was so ashamed of his behaviour, he asked the director, Steven Spielberg, if he could perform the monologue again the following day. The next morning, Shaw came in sober and did the scene perfectly in one take.