Actors and directors have always clashed - it's part of the process of filmmaking to butt heads over creative decisions, with director and star often having their own individual interpretations for how a movie should play out. Star and director artistically duking it out is normal on a film set, but only rarely does the process actually lead to full-blown arguments, much less physical fights. There have, of course, been instances where actor/director partnerships have proven volatile. Faye Dunaway famously threw a cup of urine in Roman Polanski's face in reaction to his harsh treatment of her on Chinatown, while Robert Downey Jr. has said David Fincher's relentless tactics for drawing the performances he wanted from actors on Zodiac had him consider "garroting" the director. With others, it should've been predictable from the off that things wouldn't necessarily go smoothly - though Werner Herzog and his oft-psychotic muse Klaus Kinski never came to blows (as far as has been reported), Herzog did seriously consider killing his actor on at least one occasion. Amazingly, though, the two never laid a finger on each other. On rare occasions, however, actors have indeed decided words aren't enough, and subsequently taken the path of war rather than peace. Here are eight instances where brutality won out over simply sitting down and talking the issues over.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
