Audiences love a good couple, whether it be a romantic pair or inseparable buddies. Whatever the match up, it goes without saying that in order for a partnership to work, there has to be chemistry between the two actors offscreen. Without the real life connection, the onscreen relationship just doesn’t work, or at least doesn’t work in theory.
In many cases throughout the history of the moving image, actors who portrayed couples on screen disliked each other in real life. It is often surprising to hear the stories of two people not being the biggest fan of each other when in the film or television show they both seem so content. On the other hand, hearing the truth can sometimes help viewers understand why the couple seemed to have no chemistry.
While it can be depressing to discover the reality behind the facade, it can also serve as a reminder of real world relationships. A lonely soul can be assured that every seemingly happy pair has problems, and a couple going through rough times can take solace in the fact that every other relationship has gone through similar trials.
With that being said, here are 15 Onscreen Couples Who Hated Each Other In Real Life.
Kate Beckinsale And Luke Wilson
Vacancy was a strange match up for a couple of reasons. For one, it is far from the type of movie either of its stars would typically star in, with Luke Wilson being famous for his roles in Wes Anderson films and Kate Beckinsale being most notable for the Underworld film series. Secondly, the stars ended up harboring extreme disdain for one another during the shoot.
Reportedly, most of the problems arose from Wilson’s behavior, which consisted of him constantly bragging about partying on the weekends and refusing to be on set when his co-star needed to read lines. Once Beckinsale had enough of this behavior, she reportedly refused to show up, and instead sent a photo of herself for him to read to.
The result of this hostile relationship was a movie that opened to negative reviews, and was almost immediately forgotten.
Julia Roberts And Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts are both respectable talents in their own right, but when the two were matched up for 1994’s I Love Trouble it led to lackluster results. The abysmal reception can most likely be attributed to the negative energy between the two stars. Without an amiable pair, a romantic comedy is doomed to fall apart.
Nolte is said to have taken the role for the money, which showed in his attitude towards Julia Roberts.
The malicious feelings between the two lasted the whole duration of the shoot, and to this day it seems like the actors have not reconciled, with Julia Roberts even taking subtle jabs at Nolte during interviews as recent as 2009.
James Franco And Anne Hathaway
Famed actor and renaissance man James Franco has recently come under fire for allegations about his mistreatment of women. While these allegations were only recently made public, it is well documented that he has had tense relationships with former female costars, such as Anne Hathaway, who co-hosted The Oscars with Franco in 2011.
Their performance as the hosts of one of the biggest award shows drew harsh criticism, as it seemed artificial and many of the comedic bits fell flat. In an interview done sometime after The Oscars, Franco stated that he had not spoken to Hathaway in a long time. Could their lack of chemistry during the hosting gig be attributed to some specific event, or is it simply a case of two personalities not clicking?
Anthony Daniels And Kenny Baker
This one hurts more than most of the other entries on this list. Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker, as C-3PO and R2-D2, were the vessel audiences followed back in 1977 when first being introduced to the Star Wars galaxy. Since then, the actors have appeared together in all of the subsequent films in the franchise until Baker tragically passed away in 2016.
Both actors found each other rude and were rarely heard saying positive things about one another.
Reportedly, the clash of personalities has been going on ever since the filming of A New Hope. On the set, Daniels was said to be less cordial than Baker. Despite the feud, the C-3PO actor fondly remembered Baker after his demise. While they were far from friends behind the scenes, it’s good to know that Daniels did not speak ill of his co-star after he succumbed to a chronic disease.
Marlon Brando And Sophia Loren
With two of the most attractive celebrities to ever live co-starring in a production, one would think their chemistry both in and outside of a set would be incendiary. When this theory was put to the test for Charlie Chaplin’s final film, A Countess From Hong Kong, the exact opposite proved to be true.
In a story told by Loren in her autobiography, the legendary actress scolded Brando after he groped her. Afterwards, their working relationship was filled with tension. A Countess From Hong Kong was released to polarizing reviews, and the two never worked together again.
It is unfortunate to know that such talented actors did not get along, but it is great to hear the story of a woman fiercely rebuking the advances of an overly amorous man.
Shannen Doherty And Jason Lee
Kevin Smith’s sophomore feature Mallrats is not as fondly remembered as his other projects, but it is still one of the director’s finer feature films. Not only does it perfectly capture the antics young adults got themselves into during the ’90s, it also serves as a reminder that malls used to be an exciting place.
One of the highlights of the film is the dynamic between stars Jason Lee and Shannen Doherty, who play ex-boyfriend and girlfriend. Lee’s character was stuck in immaturity, while Doherty’s character has a new boyfriend, and is ready to grow up. Funnily enough, in real life, it was Lee who found Doherty to be immature and spoiled. Lee is also one of many actors who have found it difficult to work with Doherty.
Kelly Ripa And Michael Strahan
The Live With… morning talk show has been running for more than thirty years, and is noted for the fun atmosphere and amiable chemistry between its hosts. When Michael Strahan became Kelly Ripa’s new co-host in 2012, it seemed like every body was happy and that the partnership would last many years. However, some negative events transpired.
In 2016, Strahan left the show to become a member of Good Morning America, an exit everyone felt was abrupt.
Apparently his co-host Ripa was only informed moments before audience learned about it. Ripa was reportedly furious about this and her agitation shows in the last episodes the two filmed together. It is unknown how their relationship is now, but the wounds of this event are still relatively fresh and perhaps still need time to heal.
James Franco And Busy Philips
The short lived series Freaks and Geeks from the early aughts was highly applauded for its realistic, yet still safe for television portrayal of teenagers in the 1980s. One of the aspects of young adult life that was heavily featured in the show was the often tumultuous trials that young couples go through when dealing with new situations or emotions.
What is surprising is that the two actors playing a couple, James Franco and Busy Philips, absolutely abhorred each other while filming the show. Their regular screaming matches even once escalated to the point where Franco shoved Philips to the ground.
Fortunately, these days the actors have put their grievances aside, and are said to be very close friends.
Martin Lawrence And Tisha Campbell
Younger readers may not be as familiar with the name, but in the 1990s Martin Lawrence was a big deal with a successful stand-up career, several hit movies, and a popular sitcom called Martin. The comedian has been no stranger to trouble, as shown by his tumultuous relationship with Martin co-star, Tisha Campbell.
During the course of the show, Martin Lawrence allegedly yelled at and verbally abused Tisha Campbell. As a result, the actress left the show after four seasons. She did still appear in the series finale, but was never on the set at the same time as Lawrence.
Tisha Campbell even went so far as to file a restraining order against her co-star.
Since the show ended in 1997 it appears that the duo has made up, and rumors of a Martin revival have even been swirling around the air recently.
Pat And Geena Neely
Fame and success may have unexpected consequences for families, as was the case with Pat and Geena Neely, and their hit cooking series Down Home with the Neelys.
The couple first married in 1994 and had two children. Pat Neely was already a successful restaurateur for many years before getting their first television show on The Food Network. The show ended up being one the networks most watched shows, but this popularity put a strain on the marriage, which ultimately resulted in divorce in 2014. Most of the marriage troubles were reportedly rooted in Geena Neely not being happy on television.
As of recently, it seems like the ex-husband and wife are still not speaking to each other. It is unfortunate to see that phenomenal TV ratings can breed such stress in a family.
Mia Farrow And Woody Allen
Woody Allen’s reputation has suffered many blights in recent years due to accusations of reprehensible behavior. Of the people involved in his scandals, one of the most notable would be Mia Farrow. The former real life couple co-starred in several of Allen’s own films, with him directing her in more than ten of his films.
The relationship lasted around twelve years before bitterly ending when the comedian started a relationship with Farrow’s adopted daughter, Soon-Yi.
Since the break up, Farrow and her family have kept their distance from the once beloved filmmaker, and have never spoken positively of him. No one can blame the actress for estranging herself from Allen since starting a relationship with your ex-girlfriend’s adoptive daughter is an undeniably egregious offense. Farrow’s daughter Dylan has also made consistent allegations over the years that Allen abused her.
Marilyn Monroe And Laurence Olivier
As the famous song goes, Marilyn Monroe lived “like a candle in the wind” and that “candle blew out long before her legend ever did.” While her life was short, she is still fondly remembered to this day as one of the most vibrant starlets of the 1950s.
Firsthand accounts from those who knew and worked with her often say that she was no picnic to work with. One of the most vocal critics of her work ethic was Laurence Olivier, who co-starred with Monroe in The Prince and the Showgirl.
Olivier was agitated by the actress’ constant tardiness and refusal to do anything on the set without her acting coach by her side. In addition to Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis also found the actress insufferable while filming Some Like it Hot.
Vivian Vance And William Frawley
With such a landmark sitcom like I Love Lucy, it would be devastating to discover that one of the two married couples on the show did not get along behind the scenes, but sadly that is exactly the case. The actors who portrayed Lucy and Ricky’s neighbors, Ethel and Fred, spent the duration of the show’s run with an intense disdain for each other.
The animosity began when William Frawley overheard Vivian Vance complain about the large age gap between them.
This caused great offense to the actor, and their working relationship was forever strained from that moment on. The feud was so bad that it is the principal reason why a proposed spinoff about Ethel and Fred was never produced.
Jean Hagen And Danny Thomas
For the first three seasons of the hit 1950s sitcom Make Room for Daddy, Jean Hagen and Danny Thomas played husband and wife. To audiences, their real-life relationship seemed as rosy as their onscreen one. However, the turmoil behind the scenes was so intense that it eventually caused Hagen to leave the role.
Danny Thomas’ biggest gripe with his sitcom wife was her attitude on set, and what he considered to be an unkempt appearance.
The contempt was so palpable between the two that the character was not recast, but written out of the show completely through Hagen’s character losing her life, in what was most likely a television first. Despite the feud, Make Room for Daddy remains one of the sitcoms that has aged the best from its era.
Charlie Chaplin And Virginia Cherrill
Charlie Chaplin helped shape the art of film making as a whole, and City Lights is often considered one of his crowning achievements. Even famed Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky called it his favorite film. Chaplin’s films have stood the test of time because his commitment to perfection and his expectation that everyone else would work just as hard as he did, a philosophy which caused much tension between him and Virginia Cherrill.
Chaplin was so dissatisfied with Cherrill’s performance that he fired her in the middle of filming. However, he quickly realized that it would be too expensive to find a new actress and shoot every scene another time. Cherrill only agreed to return to the film after Chaplin doubled her salary. Despite the film being a huge success, Virginia Cherrill only spoke negatively of Chaplin afterwards.
Which couples surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
