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

4. Tony Kaye Only Hired Edward Norton After Running Out Of Time To Audition Anyone Else (American History X)

American History X is one of the best films of the late 1990s, though that brilliance was forged through an increasingly acrimonious relationship between director Tony Kaye - in his filmmaking debut no less - and star Edward Norton.

It all stems from the fact that Kaye didn't want Norton to play neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard, initially attempting to snag Joaquin Phoenix for the role but the actor turned it down.

With precious little time to continue auditioning actors before shooting started, Kaye had no choice but to bring Norton aboard, and though shooting itself wasn't at all problematic, considerable issues arose during post-production.

Norton attempted to help Kaye shape the film in editing, which Kaye wasn't at all receptive to, resulting in the director being locked out of the editing room and Norton helping create a more studio-friendly edit of the film.

The volatile Kaye attempted to have his name removed from the film and publicly trashed the final cut ahead of its world premiere, despite it ultimately earning rave reviews and scoring Norton a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

Kaye continues to be a controversial figure in the industry, bristling with Bryan Cranston on his 2011 film Detachment, and he hasn't directed a film since.