Being an A-lister can’t be easy. Sure, being rich, famous, and generally loved by millions of fans across the world must be nice (okay, amazing), but the life of an A-lister has its hardships as well.
It must be tough not being able to enter public spaces without a full security escort, and it’s got to be mentally draining to go out to lunch with friends while being hounded by hordes of photographers and autograph-seekers. Heck, just getting out of the airport is an adventure that requires carefully navigating a sea of paparazzi at every terminal.
The fact of the matter is being one of Hollywood’s elites can be taxing, and not every A-lister has the personality required for the unique lifestyle. Don’t get us wrong, though– some are born for it.
They are absolute sweethearts who are kind and courteous in their everyday interactions with co-workers and fans alike, and who use their money and fame for good. Then there are others who don’t do so well with reporters… or photographers… or fans… or their own family members. Instead, they come off as self-centered and egotistical.
With that said, here are the 8 A-Listers Who Are Jerks (And 8 Who AreSweethearts).
Jerk: Gwyneth Paltrow Pretends She’s A Normal Mom And Brags About Money
Gwyneth Paltrow is a unique, but absolutely worthy inclusion in this list because her views on the world tend to rub people the wrong way. She isn’t overtly rude behind the scenes or immature. Instead, she simply expresses her opinions in a pretentious way that suggests that she’s out of touch with reality.
One moment Paltrow will accept her celebrity lifestyle and status by saying, “I am who I am. I can’t pretend to be somebody who makes $25,000 a year." The next she will say, “I’m just a normal mother with the same struggles as any other mother who’s trying to do everything at once and trying to be a wife and maintain a relationship.”
Listen Gwyneth, you are either a normal mother with normal struggles, or you are a celebrity who puts a $90,000 trip to space on her website’s gift guide. Claiming to be both is a jerk move.
Sweetheart: Keanu Reeves Takes Pay Cuts To Help His Co-Stars
Keanu Reeves has maintained his reputation for being an absolute sweetheart. The actor has been a major player on the movie scene for the better part of three decades (and has experienced a career renaissance in recent years due to the uber-successful John Wick series), and has always treated fans and co-workers with kindness and respect.
There is no shortage of “Keanu Reeves is awesome” stories on the internet, from his kindness when meeting fans to his willingness to give up his seat on the subway to a stranger.
However, the cherry on top is his generosity. Throughout his career, Reeves has continually taken pay cuts so that co-workers could receive raises.
This included an estimated $75 million in profits from the two Matrix sequels, which he insisted go to workers in the special effects and costume departments.
Jerk: Justin Bieber Loves To Go After Photographers
Oh, Justin. You’ve grown up before our very eyes.– grown up to be a jerk, that is. The Bieb began his career covering songs on Youtube until he was discovered in 2008, before releasing his first album in 2009 (at the ripe old age of 15). The album went triple platinum, and the teenager became an international phenomenon.
As the teen’s fame grew, so did the controversies from his jerk-ish behavior.
In 2013, he was filmed peeing in a restaurant mop bucket, and in 2014, he was charged with misdemeanor vandalism after allegedly egging a neighbor’s house (he eventually pleaded no contest and was forced to pay $89,000 in restitution).
He’s had numerous run-ins with paparazzi that have gotten physical, and faces arrest in Argentina if he ever returns to the country.
Becoming a global sensation at such a young age can’t be easy, but that doesn’t excuse being such a jerk.
Sweetheart: Sandra Bullock Loves To Donate To Worthy Causes
Some A-listers are considered jerks or sweethearts based on how they treat those they interact with on a daily basis. Be they fans, co-workers, or people in the service industry.
Sandra Bullock makes our list of sweethearts not only because she is kind and courteous in these interactions by all accounts, but also because her kindness and generosity stretches far beyond the people she meets personally.
According to E! news, Bullock has donated more than $6 million to various charities throughout her career. These donations include $1 million to 9/11 relief efforts, $1 million following the tsunami in Indonesia in 2004, and $1 million each following Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey.
The donations are usually made quietly and with very little fanfare, proving Bullock doesn’t do it for the attention but out of the goodness of her heart. In a statement, Bullock said simply, “I’m just grateful I can do it… we have to take care of one another.” Well said.
Jerk: Miles Teller Loves To Throw Other Actors Under The Bus
Miles Teller is a good actor. He proved this with breakout roles in 2013’s The Spectacular Now and 2014’s Whiplash. After bursting onto the Hollywood scene so quickly, it’s only natural for a young actor to get a little cocky. Unfortunately, Teller seems to have taken things much further than that.
The world’s perception of Teller was captured perfectly in the opening line of an Esquire magazine piece from 2014, “You’re sitting across from Miles Teller at the Luminary restaurant in Atlanta and trying to figure out if he’s a dk.” After the interview, the reporter confirmed that Teller “is kind of a dk.”
Teller certainly didn’t help his reputation by trashing other actors his age, using a comparison to John Cusack as an opportunity to insult the actor, saying Divergent “sucks” when he was set to appear in the sequel, and nearly getting into a fight withdirector Josh Trenk while filming Fantastic Four.
Sweetheart: Emily Blunt Takes The Time To Get To Know Fans
For the last decade, Emily Blunt has been steadily climbing the ladder on her way to becoming one of Hollywood’s elites. Appearances in The Adjustment Bureau and Looper made her a household name before starring-roles in Edge of Tomorrow, Into the Woods, and The Girl on the Train made her a bonafide star.
While her humble and sweet reaction to being compared to Meryl Streep seems more than enough reason to name her a genuine sweetheart, the real reason why she makes the list is her interactions with fans.
In a time when A-listers refusing to take selfies with fans has become the norm, Blunt has a sweet reason for the refusal, saying that she would rather have a genuine interaction.
On the topic of pictures with fans, Blunt’s philosophy is, “I’ve actually retired from that. But I would like to shake your hand and meet you.” Awesome.
Jerk: Jennifer Lopez Doesn’t Deal With Flight Attendants
Not only has Jennifer Lopez been in the public eye for the last twenty years, but she’s also been one of the world’s biggest stars as well. In that time, the actor and singer has developed quite the reputation for being a diva, and kind of a big jerk.
In addition to ridiculous demands behind the scenes, Lopez is also described as being cold to people outside of her immediate circle.
This included an alleged incident on a plane when a flight attendant asked her what she would like to drink and Lopez responded by telling her assistant, “Please tell him I’d like a Diet Coke and lime.”
Then there was the Fiat commercial, which featured Lopez driving through her old neighborhood in the Bronx. Unfortunately, Lopez filmed the commercial in Los Angeles and used a body double in New York. Needless to say, fans were disappointed in Jenny from the block.
Sweetheart: Dwayne Johnson Takes Selfies With All His Fans
Dwayne Johnson has had quite the remarkable career so far, and that doesn’t seem likely to change any time soon. The actor started out as a professional wrestler before transitioning into acting and starring in a few mildly-successful movies in the late-2000s. Then came his role in Fast Five, and the rest is history.
In the last seven years, Johnson has become one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars and a highly sought after leading man. Yet he always seems to find time for his fans.
His social media accounts are full of him meeting and greeting fans at all hours of the day and night. The interactions seem genuine with Johnson always taking a moment out of what must be an insanely busy schedule to chat, sign autographs, and take selfies.
With over 101 million followers on Instagram, that’s a lot of selfies, but Johnson is more than up for the task.
Jerk: Christian Bale Has Plenty Of Temper Tantrums
Christian Bale has been in the industry for more than thirty years and has more than fifty roles in his filmography. He won an Oscar for his role in The Fighter and is well-known for his commitment to his craft, famously losing 62 pounds for his role in 2004’s The Machinist before immediately packing on the muscle for 2005’s Batman Begins.
Unfortunately, he is equally known for his bad temper behind the scenes. Bale’s reputation for being a bit of a jerk began during filming of 2011’s Terminator: Salvation when an audio clip of one of his tantrums was released online. In the now-infamous clip, Bale drops more than a few f-bombs while also threatening to kick a crew member’s “fking a.”
Bale is also known for being short with fans, and allegedly brought two young girls to tears after they asked for an autograph in a way that he felt was rude.
Sweetheart: Will Smith Helps Out His Friends In Need
Who doesn’t love Will Smith? Okay, After Earth was pretty bad and his performance in it is sleep-inducing, but we can forgive him because he’s just so darn likable both on-screen and off.
From The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Suicide Squad, Smith has been one of the biggest stars in the world for decades thanks to his charisma and charm.
By all accounts, Smith is as kind and generous with his fans in person as he is in television interviews and he comes off as a genuinely nice person.
The actor always seems down for selfies with fans whether it be at impromptu appearances at screenings for his movies, or while he is out for a run on the streets of Bondi Beach.
Then there was the time he and wife Jada allegedly gave Tyrese Gibson $5 million to help pay for the legal expenses stemming from his divorce. They deny it, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was true.
Jerk: Bruce Willis Is Really, Really Hard To Work With
That’s right, the man who brought John McClane to life in four great Die Hard movies (and one awful one) is a jerk. This one is pretty cut and dry, though somewhat surprising considering the fact that Bruce Willis been a star for as long as Will Smith, but whereas Smith has remained a sweetheart, Willis has turned into a bit of a grump.
Director Kevin Smith summed up working with Willis during the wrap party of the movie Cop Out (which Willis did not attend) when he said, ““I want to thank everyone who worked on the film, except for Bruce Willis, who is a f**king d*ck.”
Then there was Willis’ beef with Sylvester Stallone, which led to Stallone calling the actor “greedy and lazy.”
The two have since made up, but countless interviews in which Willis often seems surly (at best) suggest that Smith’s words may have been right on the money.
Sweetheart: Chris Pratt Will Always Stop For A Chat
It’s been a long road for Chris Pratt from supporting actor in TV shows like Parks and Recreation and movies like Wanted to leading man in certified blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World. Pratt’s rise to A-lister was fast enough to make your head spin, yet the actor remained a genuine sweetheart throughout.
Pratt always seems happy to sign autographs for fans, and even remains cordial when he’s forced to call out mean behavior from autograph-seekers.
Like Emily Blunt, Pratt has moved away from taking selfies with fans in recent years, but has done so for an admirable reason: hoping to have more genuine interactions.
“I just don’t take pictures with people. Because that’s not about enjoying the moment; it’s about stealing the moment to brag about later,” he stated. “So, I say, ‘Would you settle for a handshake?’” We’ll settle for a handshake anytime, Chris.
Jerk: Kristen Stewart Did Some Bad Things To Robert Pattinson
Kristen Stewart began acting when she was a child and was just eighteen when the Twilight series made her an international star. You’d think that such amazing success at such a young age would make her a sweet person to be around, but you’d be wrong.
Stewart’s reputation took a major hit during the filming of 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman when it was revealed that she and the movie’s director Rupert Sanders hooked up despite the former being in a relationship with Robert Pattinson and the latter being married to Liberty Ross.
Needless to say, cheating on your boyfriend with a married man is pretty messed up.
Then there are the times that Stewart has put her foot in her mouth. The worst offense by far was when she compared being photographed by paparazzi to being assaulted. The comment didn’t sit well with crisis groups or fans, and Stewart eventually apologized. However, the damage was already done.
Sweetheart: Hugh Jackman Treats Everyone With Respect On Set
There are kind actors, and then there is Hugh Jackman, who seems to be in a category all by himself. For proof of Jackman’s kindness, look no further than Lucky Friday, a day that the actor created in 2013 as a means to chat with everyone on set.
According to Jackman, he wanted to speak with everyone involved in his movies, but felt awkward approaching people for no reason.
Jackman said, “I thought I’d feel like a d**k if I went around and said, ‘Hi, my name is Hugh, how is it going?’ They’d be like ‘Ummm, good.’ So I said, ‘Hey man, it’s Friday and we have this tradition in Australia where you give out lottery tickets on a Friday. It’s called Lucky Friday. Thanks for the week. Have a great weekend.’”
The tradition has continued on every movie set that Jackman has been on ever since, which is pretty awesome.
Jerk: Alec Baldwin Is A Little Too Tough On His Kid
Just as Hugh Jackman is in a sweetheart category of his own, Alec Baldwin is the undisputed king of the jerks. The long-time actor has a history of verbally (and sometimes physically) abusing reporters, photographers, and even family members.
Some of Baldwin’s lowlights include telling a reporter “I want you to choke,” hurling anti-gay epithets at paparazzi, and shoving photographers.
The icing on the jerk cake, though, has to be Baldwin’s leaked voicemail to his then 11-year old daughter in 2007.
In it Baldwin says, “You are a rude, thoughtless little pig. You don’t have the brains or the decency as a human being. I don’t give a damn that you’re 12 years old, or 11 years old, or that you’re a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the a** who doesn’t care about what you do as far as I’m concerned.” Yikes.
Sweetheart: Steve Carell Is Always Trying To Make People Laugh
In terms of how long it took to achieve his fame, it’s safe to say that Steve Carell is the anti-Justin Bieber. Whereas Bieber was launched to super stardom as a teenager, Carell didn’t reach the big time until his 40s.
The actor achieved relative fame on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart before roles in The Office and The 40-Year-Old Virgin launched him into the entertainment stratosphere.
All of those years of struggle have clearly honed Carell’s nice guy personality, which, by all accounts, he maintains to this day.
Fans and co-stars are quick to call Carell a nice guy, but Mindy Kaling no doubt put it best in her novel, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
According to Kaling, “You could screw up a handful of takes outside in 104-degree smog-choked Panorama City heat, and Steve Carell’s final words before collapsing of heat stroke would be a friendly and hopeful ‘Hey, you think you have that shot yet?’”
Do you know of any other stories of A-listers being absolute sweethearts or complete jerks? Let us hear them in the comments!
