6 Directors Who Were Lumbered With Actors They Didn’t Even Want

6. Warner Bros. Forced David O. Russell To Hire George Clooney (Three Kings)

The stories of David O. Russell and star George Clooney's animosity on the set of 1999 war comedy Three Kings are the stuff of Hollywood legend, and it apparently all stemmed from the fact that Russell didn't want Clooney to star in the movie.

The director actually liked Nicolas Cage for the role of Major Archie Gates, but when he turned the offer down and Warner Bros. rejected Russell's other picks - namely Dustin Hoffman - he was effectively strong-armed into casting studio fave Clooney.

Not only did Russell think the actor was wrong for the part, he apparently wasn't a fan of his "head-bobbing and mugging" acting style, which combined with Russell's tough, dictatorial directing style, led to increased tensions on set.

This culminated in the two getting into a physical altercation after Clooney defended a cast member who was berated by Russell, and Clooney vowing to never work with the director again.

The resulting movie was pretty great, at least, and though Russell continues to be an infamous hot-head, he did later concede that Clooney was ultimately "perfect for the part."