Famous Actors Who Owned Up To Crossing A Line Behind The Scenes

For a show titled Glee, there reportedly wasn't enough of that happening behind the scenes, especially between the actors who played Rachel Berry and Jane Hayward. After Lea Michele showed support for George Floyd protestors on social media, co-star Samantha Marie Ware responded by calling out Michele's past behavior on set. Ware claimed that Michele made her experience filming Glee "a living hell" that made her “question a career in Hollywood.”

In response to Ware's allegations, Michele posted an apology on social media. While Michele claimed she didn't remember making a specific comment threatening to defecate in Ware's wig, she still reflected on her behavior. She wrote:

Whether it was my privileged position and perspective that caused me to be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate at times or whether it was just my immaturity and me just being unnecessarily difficult, I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused. We all can grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect on my own shortcomings.

Despite Michele's promise to do “better,” other Glee actors supported Ware or added their own anecdotes of her harsh behavior.

Hugh Grant puts in quite the performance as the charismatic antagonist Forge Fitzwilliam in 2023's Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. However, in contrast to his on-screen charm, during the film's press tour, Grant admitted to a regrettable incident that occurred while filming. He said:

I lost my temper with a woman in my eyeline on day one. I assumed she was some executive from the studio who should have known better. Then it turns out that she's an extremely nice local woman who was the chaperone of the young girl. Terrible. A lot of groveling…

In typical Grant fashion, he added how he “did a Christian Bale” on that day.

Isaiah Washington established himself as part of one of TV's biggest hits as Dr. Preston Burke in the first three seasons of Grey's Anatomy. However, the actor didn't return after ABC decided against renewing his contract following an incident on set during Season 3.

In 2006, Washington and co-star Patrick Dempsey got into a verbal and physical altercation on set. In the midst of their scuffle, Washington reportedly used a homophobic slur to refer to another co-star, T.R. Knight, who publicly came out as gay several days after the incident.

Within the same month, Washington released a statement to People, saying:

I sincerely regret my actions and the unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set. Both are beneath my own personal standards. I have nothing but respect for my coworkers and have apologized personally to everyone involved.

Years later, Washington returned for a guest appearance as Dr. Burke in Season 10 of Grey's Anatomy.

James Franco fancies himself a method actor. However, he crossed the line in 2006's Annapolis, where he plays naval academy recruit Jake Huard. Throughout the filming of the movie, he and co-star Tyrese Gibson, who portrays Matthew Cole, needed to spar for their boxing scenes. Franco, though, never pulled back his punches, and this left lingering dislike between the actors - especially from Gibson.

At first, Franco joked about the animosity, claiming that he heard Gibson wanted to blow up his hotel room. He went on to apologize for his behavior, stating:

I take full blame for any problems on that film. If he had a bad experience working with me, I was probably a jerk. I was not purposely cruel to him, but I was probably so wrapped up in my performance that I was not as friendly as I could have been.

Not many people remember what 2009's Terminator Salvation is about, but they do remember the story of how Christian Bale, who stars as John Connor, went off at director of photography Shane Hurlbut for walking through Bale's line of sight while the cameras were rolling. The audio leak of Bale's enraged tirade spread like wildfire. In the recording, one can hear the actor call for Hurlbut to be removed from the set and questioning his professionalism, with plenty of profanity peppered in.

Almost immediately, Bale apologized for his embarrassing actions. Appearing on a radio show, he said he had experienced a tough week and took it out on Hurlbut, which should never have happened in the first place. He added: "I was out of order beyond belief. I make no excuses for it."

Bale continued on to emphasize his admiration for Hurlbut's work, as well as that of the rest of the crew:

I don't want anyone to misunderstand this: I've seen a rough cut of the movie and [Hurlbut] has done a really wonderful, professional job on this. … I know some people are thinking, 'I'm not going to see this movie' because they think I'm a prima donna. Everybody worked so hard on this movie. Please, don't allow my incredibly embarrassing meltdown to overshadow this movie and to have all of those people's hard work go to waste.

TV audiences will remember Mandy Patinkin for his highly acclaimed role as Dr. Jeffrey Geiger in Chicago Hope, but the celebrated actor believes he got away with too much back then. Known for being famously temperamental, Patinkin isn't proud of how he behaved while making the '90s drama. In a 2013 interview, he told The New York Times:

I struggled with letting in other people's opinions. During Chicago Hope, I never let directors talk to me, because I was so spoiled. 

Patinkin explained how since he had worked with fabled directors in the past, he decided he didn't want to listen to the directors on the show. In hindsight, he recognized the error of his ways, saying:

I behaved abominably. I don't care if my work was good or if I got an award for it. I'm not proud of how I was then, and it pained me.