20 Actors Who Demanded Co-Stars Be Fired for Stealing Scenes

Actors in Hollywood are known for being sensitive, and leading stars especially don’t like it when a fellow actor steals the show. Good chemistry between performers is important for a movie’s success, but it can easily turn into rivalry if one actor feels overshadowed. This often leads to conflicts behind the scenes, where the main stars try to control things by making demands of the producers – like changing the script or even getting other actors fired – because they want to be the center of attention.

Sylvester Stallone

While filming ‘The Lords of Flatbush’ in 1974, Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere clashed. Stallone felt Gere’s intense method acting was overly aggressive during rehearsals, and their disagreements eventually led to a fight – reportedly involving a mustard-covered chicken sandwich inside a car. Stallone told the director that either he or Gere would have to be removed from the film. Gere was fired and replaced with Perry King, and the two actors remained rivals for decades.

Will Smith

The popular 90s sitcom ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ famously changed actresses who played Aunt Vivian after its third season because of conflicts behind the scenes. Will Smith reportedly had a difficult working relationship with the original Aunt Vivian, Janet Hubert, finding her demanding. Hubert later claimed Smith felt intimidated by her experience and wouldn’t support the cast in getting higher pay. Smith publicly stated Hubert wanted to take control of the show, which led to her being replaced. The disagreement between them continued for many years before they finally reconciled on television.

William Shatner

On the set of the original ‘Star Trek’ (1966–1969), there was a lot of tension because William Shatner was determined to be the show’s clear star. George Takei and James Doohan often complained that Shatner would try to take their lines or get their scenes shortened, making sure Captain Kirk always got the most focus. Shatner apparently felt threatened by the popularity of Leonard Nimoy’s Spock and often worked against him during filming. Although he couldn’t get his co-stars fired, Shatner managed to reduce their time on screen and the amount of dialogue they had.

Vin Diesel

The ‘Fast & Furious’ movies experienced significant conflict when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson became a popular addition to the cast. Vin Diesel, who was also a producer, allegedly felt threatened by Johnson’s charisma and growing fanbase. This led to public tension, with Johnson indirectly criticizing some of his male co-stars for their behavior. Ultimately, the disagreement resulted in Johnson departing the main ‘Fast & Furious’ storyline to focus on his own projects. Diesel used his influence to maintain his position as the central star of the series.

Lea Michele

During the run of the TV show ‘Glee’ (2009–2015), there were ongoing rumors that Lea Michele was very determined to remain the show’s main star. Naya Rivera, who played the character Santana and became increasingly popular with viewers, reportedly had conflicts with Michele as her role grew. It was said that Michele threatened to leave the show unless Rivera’s role was reduced during their frequent arguments on set. Eventually, Rivera’s character was written off in the fifth season finale, which many believed was due to Michele’s influence and requests.

Charlie Sheen

While filming ‘Anger Management’ (2012–2014), Charlie Sheen, as both the star and an executive producer, used his influence to have Selma Blair removed from the show. Blair had apparently voiced concerns to producers about Sheen’s unprofessional behavior, including consistently being late and his poor work habits. Sheen reportedly responded by firing her in a profanity-filled text message and then told the studio he would quit if she remained on the show. Blair was quickly written out of the series after this incident.

Tori Spelling

Shannen Doherty left ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ due to conflicts with her co-stars, especially Tori Spelling. Spelling later revealed she asked her father, the show’s creator Aaron Spelling, to fire Doherty after a near-physical altercation on set. The cast believed Doherty was behaving unprofessionally and causing problems for the show. Aaron Spelling agreed with their concerns, and Doherty’s character was ultimately removed from the series.

John Stamos

When ‘Full House’ first started filming in 1987, John Stamos had a tough time working with the baby Olsen twins. They cried so much during shooting that he asked the producers to replace them with a different set of twins. The show briefly tried using redheaded twins instead, but they were even harder to work with! Stamos eventually realized he’d made a mistake and asked for Mary-Kate and Ashley to come back, ultimately cementing their place as pop culture icons.

Ryan Gosling

During the filming of ‘The Notebook’ in 2004, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams struggled to connect, which was causing frustration on set. At one point, Gosling halted a scene and asked the director, Nick Cassavetes, to replace McAdams, believing her performance wasn’t working with his and that it would ruin the film. Surprisingly, Cassavetes made them attend a private session where they could vent their frustrations to each other, and this actually improved their chemistry, allowing them to complete the movie.

Kirk Cameron

While starring in ‘Growing Pains’ (1985–1992), Kirk Cameron became more deeply religious and started to question the personal lives of his colleagues. When Julie McCullough was cast as his on-screen fiancée, he learned she had previously appeared in Playboy. According to reports, Cameron asked producers to replace her, unwilling to have his character marry someone with that history. The show’s writers had to quickly rewrite the plot, resulting in McCullough’s character being left at the altar.

Alec Baldwin

While preparing for the 2013 Broadway production of ‘Orphans,’ Alec Baldwin and Shia LaBeouf had a major conflict. Baldwin was bothered by LaBeouf’s very intense and unpredictable acting style, which he believed didn’t fit the play. Their disagreements grew so severe that Baldwin apparently told the director either LaBeouf or he would have to leave the show. Ultimately, LaBeouf was fired and replaced by Ben Foster, and the producers publicly stated the decision was due to ‘creative differences.’

Nathan Fillion

The TV show ‘Castle’ (2009–2016) was a hit, but behind the scenes, the relationship between stars Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic was very difficult. It was reported that Fillion mistreated Katic, and they reportedly wouldn’t speak off-camera. Even though the show depended on their on-screen connection, Katic was unexpectedly fired before season nine. Many believed this happened because Fillion negotiated his contract to ensure he was the sole focus. Fans were so upset by her departure that the network ultimately canceled the show instead of continuing without her.

Julianna Margulies

During the run of ‘The Good Wife’ (2009–2016), Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi, who played Kalinda, developed a strange conflict. Panjabi’s character became very popular and even won an Emmy before Margulies did, which reportedly led to tension between the two actresses. Margulies, who was also a producer on the show, is said to have arranged things so that they didn’t film any scenes together for more than two years. When Panjabi left the show, their final scene together wasn’t actually filmed at the same time; it was created by combining separate shots using green screen technology.

Patrick Dempsey

The popular TV show ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ went through a difficult time when actor Isaiah Washington used a hateful slur against his co-star, T.R. Knight. Patrick Dempsey, who saw what happened, was very upset and demanded the network do something about it. This led to a lot of public attention and pressure from the cast – particularly Dempsey’s strong stance against the behavior – ultimately resulting in Washington being fired. While the reason for his dismissal was his actions, the influence of the show’s leading actors was also a significant factor.

Kevin James

The sitcom ‘Kevin Can Wait’ struggled with ratings, so Kevin James brought back his former co-star, Leah Remini, hoping to improve viewership. This meant the show had to remove Erinn Hayes, who played James’s wife during the first season. James believed he had stronger comedic chemistry with Remini and advocated for a storyline that eliminated Hayes’s character. This sudden decision to fire Hayes and bring Remini on board was met with disapproval from both viewers and critics.

Damon Wayans

Let me tell you, the behind-the-scenes drama on the ‘Lethal Weapon’ TV show was a real mess. It all stemmed from a seriously rocky relationship between the two leads, Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford. Wayans actually claimed Crawford was putting people at risk with dangerous behavior during stunts, and there were injuries as a result. Things got so bad that Wayans refused to film with him anymore, which basically threw the whole production into chaos. In the end, the studio had no choice but to fire Crawford and bring in Seann William Scott to take over the role – it really showed that Wayans had the final say on who he’d work with on that show.

Alyssa Milano

The TV show ‘Charmed’ (1998–2006) was well-known for the conflict between its stars, Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano. The bad feelings between them became so intense that someone was brought in to try and help them resolve their issues, but it didn’t work. Eventually, Milano told producers it had to be either her or Doherty on the show. Because Milano was becoming more popular and Doherty had a history of difficult behavior, the network fired Doherty and wrote her character, Prue Halliwell, off the show.

Bill Murray

On the set of the 2000 film ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ Bill Murray reportedly criticized Lucy Liu’s performance, which led to a heated argument and a physical fight that required crew intervention. Murray then asked for Liu to be replaced, but the director and studio supported her. As a result, when a sequel was planned, Murray declined to participate, and the script was changed to exclude his character, ultimately ending his involvement in the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ franchise because he wouldn’t work with Liu.

Robert Downey Jr.

In the original ‘Iron Man’ movie from 2008, Terrence Howard actually earned more than Robert Downey Jr. However, when it came time to make the sequel, Marvel offered Howard a lower salary, intending to give Downey a raise. Howard felt Downey didn’t back him up and believed Downey prioritized getting a bigger salary and more attention, leading to Howard being replaced. Don Cheadle took over the role, and Downey became the most recognizable star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford, a famous actress, was known for being intensely jealous of her fellow actors, especially those who might outshine her. During the filming of ‘Johnny Guitar’ in 1954, she became furious when Mercedes McCambridge received praise from the film crew. Crawford reportedly asked the director to reduce McCambridge’s part and, in a fit of anger, even threw McCambridge’s costumes onto the highway. She pushed for scenes featuring McCambridge to be shortened, ensuring she remained the clear star of the movie.

We want to hear your opinions on the recent changes happening in Hollywood. Let us know in the comments which dismissal surprised you the most!

2025-11-26 15:48