7 Actors Who Really Messed Up Their First Day Of Filming
3. Sergio Leone Orders Henry Fonda To Lose Bad Moustache - Once Upon A Time In The West
Nothing establishes a big bad film or TV villain quite like the sight of a thick, thin or flamboyant moustache.
Thinking along these same lines, screen legend Henry Fonda decided that he needed to equip himself with a glorious bit of lip fuzz - along with some brown contact lenses - in preparation for his role as the ruthless Frank in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).
Yet, in another case of an actor not quite sharing the same vision as his director coming into a production, Leone wasn't at all pleased with the version of Fonda which turned up to perform on his first day of shooting.
Knowing exactly what he wanted to capture when it came to Frank's chilling entrance in the feature, the director ordered Fonda to immediately shave his moustache and remove his contact lenses so the audience could clearly see his crystal blue eyes and distinct face in the planned close-up. Leone wanted people to instantly recognise the typical 'good guy' Fonda and for them to be shocked at him playing a role as wicked as Frank.
Even Hollywood legends can have a bad first day on the job, but after this early hiccup Fonda would then go on to produce one of the most greatest performances of his career...moustache-free.