It's a well known fact that Martin Sheen was legitimately drunk during the hotel room scene in Apocalypse Now, a scene that sees Sheen freak out and punch a mirror (subsequently covering the surrounding room in blood). What you might not know, however, is that Sam Bottoms the actor who played Lance B. Johnson was off his face on drugs during the vast majority of filming. Specifically, Bottoms admits that he was high on either LSD, pot or speed during many scenes, simply stating in his defence We were bad boys (presumably referring to himself and much of the film's male cast). The character of Lance Johnson is a famous surfer from the beaches south of Los Angeles. Johnson's demeanour is laid back and easygoing, so it's entirely possible the drugs benefited Bottoms' performance depending on what he was on at any given time. That being said, the film is so dark and oppressive and the filming conditions were so frequently brutal that it's not really surprising the actors used drugs and alcohol in order to cope while making the movie. Another interesting fact: according to the author Peter Biskind, the film's production in the Philippines was so chaotic that Bottoms acquired hookworm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwlpKNLS3X8
