8 Times Movie Directors Were Total Jerks To Their Actors

Known for his abusive behaviour towards cast members, it's not surprising that John Ford makes another appearance on this list. While filming his 1935 classic, The Informer, Ford was reportedly horrible to star actor Victor McLaglen.

McLaglen plays a drunken oaf in the film and Ford wanted his performance to be as authentic as possible, so he did his best to make life as difficult as he possibly could for his leading man. Ford would change McLaglen's schedule over and over again, encourage him to get drunk before filming, and even told him he could have a day off before suddenly changing his mind and calling him in for filming, forcing the actor to perform with a hangover.

McLaglen was reduced to an emotional wreck by the end of filming and allegedly even threatened to quit the job and kill the director on one occasion. Like many other examples on this list, however, Ford's horrible behaviour got amazing results, with McLaglen actually winning the Best Actor Oscar for his performance.