Despite the convincing on-screen chemistry and camaraderie, many actors are not as harmonious behind the scenes. In fact, it’s often a testament to their acting prowess that they can convincingly portray friendship and affection when in reality, they may not get along at all. Many stars have shared stories of their intense rivalries and conflicts on set, whether it’s through public feuds or behind-the-scenes anecdotes.
It goes without saying that it’s not uncommon for egos to clash, personalities to conflict, or creative differences to arise. Despite these challenges, actors often put on a united front for the sake of the project, and sometimes, their remarkable acting skills are all that stands between us and the truth about their off-screen relationships. So, here are 6 co-stars who didn’t like each other off screen. Here’s a quick overview of which TV show/film these co-stars are from and the nature of their conflicts!
| Show/Movie | Conflict |
|---|---|
| Romeo + Juliet | Did not get along on set, did not speak to each other off-camera. |
| Cop Out | Lead actor found difficult to direct, and the director criticized the lead actor’s behavior publicly. |
| The Lords of Flat Bush | Feud started over an incident involving mustard, leading to one actor being replaced in the movie. |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Tension led to one actor’s replacement after three seasons, but they reconciled during the show’s reunion. |
| Sam & Cat | Clashed due to different personalities and working styles, with one actor expressing jealousy and frustration. |
| Drake & Josh | Had a falling out after one actor was not invited to the other’s wedding, revealing they were not close off-screen. |
1. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
It is quite ironic to think that two actors playing the iconic star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet did not actually like each other. In 1996, Romeo + Juliet threw an updated spin on the classic Shakespearean tale of two lovers who are forbidden to be together but cannot deny their love. At the time, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes were two of the hottest young actors in Hollywood. While the movie propelled them to even larger realms of fame, they reportedly did not get along behind the scenes. Various reports have stated that DiCaprio and Danes did not see eye-to-eye on the set, and when the cameras weren’t rolling, they wouldn’t talk to each other at all. Fuel was added to the rumour that the two didn’t get along when Danes turned down the lead role in Titanic, which eventually went to Kate Winslet.
 | Romeo and Juliet |
|---|---|
| IMDB Rating | 6.7/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 73% |
| Where to Watch/Buy | Amazon Prime, iTunes, Netflix |
| Director | Baz Luhrmann |
| Producer | Gabriella Martinelli, Baz Luhrmann |
| Main Cast | Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo |
| Airing Since | November 1, 1996 |
| Genre | Romance, Drama |
| Synopsis | “Romeo and Juliet” is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play, set in the vibrant and chaotic backdrop of Verona Beach. It tells the tragic love story of two young lovers from feuding families. |
2. Kevin Smith and Bruce Willis
Kevin Smith and Bruce Willis initially crossed paths when they worked together on Die Hard 4.0 in 2007. Smith, most known as a director, starred in a small supporting role in the movie, sharing a scene with Willis. However, their feud did not start here – it started on the set of Smith’s 2010 movie, Cop Out. With Smith at the helm behind the lens, Willis took on the lead role. However, reports are that Willis was not open to taking direction from Smith. In a 2010 interview with CinemaBlend, Smith stated that Willis was difficult to work with, saying: “I was going at it like, ‘Bruce, do it like this.’ I was directing Bruce the way I direct everybody else. And Bruce was like, ‘I’ve been acting like Bruce Willis for 25 years, do you really think there’s anything you’re going to tell me that I don’t know?'”
Also, when discussing the feud on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Smith claimed that Willis threatened to punch him during filming. However, a representative associated with the movie complained of Smith’s weed-induced state, saying “He uses way too much pot. He sat behind his monitor. He didn’t interact with the actors. The actors felt they were on their own.” After years of back and forth, when Willis announced his retirement from acting due to health reasons in 2022, Smith released a message stating how he felt “like an a**hole” for publicly calling Willis out previously, and stated how he regrets his “petty” complaints.
 | Cop Out |
|---|---|
| IMDB Rating | 5.6/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 19% |
| Where to Watch/Buy | Amazon Prime, iTunes, HBO Max |
| Director | Kevin Smith |
| Producer | Marc Platt, Polly Johnsen |
| Main Cast | Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Juan Carlos Hernández |
| Airing Since | February 26, 2010 |
| Genre | Action, Comedy |
| Synopsis | “Cop Out” follows two veteran NYPD partners on a hunt for a stolen, rare baseball card. The chase leads them to face dangerous criminals and hilarious situations as they attempt to recover the valuable card. |
3. Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere
Technically, Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere have never shared the screen together. However, they very nearly did. Before the massive success of Rocky, Stallone starred in The Lords of Flat Bush. Originally, Gere was set to join the cast, and even began filming. Yet, an argument with Stallone changed the course of events.
The two stars reportedly began feuding when Gere accidentally spilt mustard onto Stallone’s leg after Stallone warned him to be careful. When talking about the matter with Ain’t It Cool News in 2006, Stallone said: “He proceeds to bite into the chicken and a small, greasy river of mustard lands on my thigh. I elbowed him in the side of the head and basically pushed him out of the car. The director had to make a choice: one of us had to go, one of us had to stay.” To that, Stallone was the one to stay in the movie, and Gere was asked to depart, marking the start of a reported lifelong rivalry.
 | The Lords of Flatbush |
|---|---|
| IMDB Rating | 5.8/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 60% |
| Where to Watch/Buy | Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play |
| Director | Martin Davidson, Stephen Verona |
| Producer | Stephen Verona, Fred Weintraub |
| Main Cast | Perry King, Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler |
| Airing Since | May 1, 1974 |
| Genre | Drama, Romance |
| Synopsis | “The Lords of Flatbush” is a coming-of-age film about a group of teenage boys in the 1950s who form a gang in Brooklyn. The film explores their lives, relationships, and struggles as they navigate young adulthood. |
4. Will Smith and Janet Hubert
According to reports, Will Smith and Janet Hubert had a tumultuous relationship during the filming of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Hubert, who played Aunt Vivian, the matriarch of the Banks family, reportedly clashed with Smith throughout the first three seasons of the show. The tension between them was so severe that Hubert was eventually replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid in 1993. According to TV Line, Smith revealed that Hubert claimed that he was the reason for her departure from the show. Smith recalled the incident, saying that Hubert had made a comment about how he was a “snotty-nosed punk” who had ruined her career. However, during the Fresh Prince reunion, the two finally patched things up and hugged it out.
 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air |
|---|---|
| IMDB Rating | 7.9/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 94% |
| Where to Watch/Buy | HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Peacock |
| Director | Various |
| Producer | Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, Jeff Pollack |
| Main Cast | Will Smith, James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons |
| Airing Since | September 10, 1990 |
| Genre | Comedy, Drama |
| Synopsis | “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” follows a street-smart teen from West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy relatives in their Bel-Air mansion. His lifestyle often clashes with that of his upper-class relatives. |
5. Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande
Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande, who starred alongside each other in the Nickelodeon show Sam & Cat, reportedly had a difficult time working together on set. According to various sources, including McCurdy herself, the two actresses clashed frequently due to their vastly different personalities and working styles. The show only lasted one season and it was when the show ended that the feud became public knowledge. After departing the show, Grande released a Tweet thanking everyone involved in the production, however, McCurdy’s name was not mentioned.
Then, when appearing on the Empty Inside Podcast, McCurdy claimed how the filming of the show was constantly thrown into disarray as Grande had to miss work because she would be “pulled in all directions” due to her music career. She then claimed that an entire episode was re-written, placing Grande’s character into a box for the whole episode to make up for her absence. Then in her 2022 memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy threw more shade at Grande, writing: “Ariana misses work in pursuit of her music career while I act with a box. I’m p***** about it. And I’m pissed at her. Jealous of her.”
 | Sam & Cat |
|---|---|
| IMDB Rating | 5.7/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 67% |
| Where to Watch/Buy | Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu |
| Director | Various |
| Producer | Dan Schneider |
| Main Cast | Jennette McCurdy, Ariana Grande, Cameron Ocasio |
| Airing Since | June 8, 2013 |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Synopsis | “Sam & Cat” follows the comedic adventures of Sam Puckett from “iCarly” and Cat Valentine from “Victorious” as they become roommates and start a babysitting business together. |
6. Drake Bell and Josh Peck
Despite their on-screen chemistry as stepbrothers Drake and Josh in the popular Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh, Drake Bell and Josh Peck have reportedly had a tumultuous relationship in real life. The two actors, who were once close friends and castmates, have made headlines in the past for their alleged dislike for each other. These rumours peaked in 2017 when Bell took to his Twitter page, writing: “When you’re not invited to the wedding the message is clear….” When speaking about the matter on the BFF Podcast, Peck stated how he had a barrage of texts from Bell on the night of his wedding. After this, Peck then claimed that the two were never really friends, saying “We made this thing that people really loved but maybe we weren’t that close.” Want to read about more feuding celebs? These Hollywood stars refuse to work together.
 | Drake & Josh |
|---|---|
| IMDB Rating | 7.7/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 78% |
| Where to Watch/Buy | Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes |
| Director | Various |
| Producer | Dan Schneider |
| Main Cast | Drake Bell, Josh Peck, Miranda Cosgrove |
| Airing Since | January 11, 2004 |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Synopsis | “Drake & Josh” follows the lives of two teenage stepbrothers who are complete opposites. Drake is a popular musician, while Josh is a nerdy, awkward student. Their contrasting personalities lead to hilarious and heartwarming situations. |
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