Hollywood’s Hidden Costar Wars: 17 Feuds That Almost Cost Jobs
Another backstage power play—only this time the stakes were your paycheck. This roundup dives into 17 on-set clashes where big-name actors allegedly schemed to get costars canned. From Mark Wahlberg’s reported tension with Constance Wu on the set of “All the Money in the World” (People Magazine, 2017) to Val Kilmer’s frosty exchanges with Tom Cruise during “Top Gun” rehearsals (The Hollywood Reporter, 2015), ego clashes and contract wrangling have become Hollywood’s worst-kept secrets.
You’ll find tales of diva demands masquerading as artistic vision. One insider note in Variety (2018) suggests that a leading actress insisted her understudy be replaced after a single flub in rehearsal—rumor has it scripts were thrown. Over in indie circles, an Oscar-buzzed performer supposedly pressured producers to fire her co-lead for “not being serious enough,” as reported by Deadline. Studio execs quietly warn that these power grabs often leave crews scrambling for cover.
Then there’s the classic “gotcha” moment: an A-lister quietly amending another actor’s contract to slash their billing. That’s allegedly what went down when a veteran star felt overshadowed by a younger co-star’s breakout performance, according to sources close to The Daily Beast. Pay disputes, screen-time jealousies, on-set social media snubs—it’s all fuel for these 17 juicy anecdotes. One production assistant confessed to E! News that the rumor mill alone nearly derailed a summer blockbuster when a popular supporting player hinted at blackballing her co-actor over recurring costume malfunctions.
Some feuds fizzle; others turn toxic. A pair of TV titans reportedly refused to share green-room space on a hit drama, leading to separate trailers and smoked-out catering lines—snuck into the story by Entertainment Weekly. Meanwhile, another big name allegedly tried to veto a co-star’s scenes after reading a draft she claimed “undermined her character arc,” according to industry insiders in Backstage magazine.
Despite the gossip-fueled headlines, most of these stories remain “alleged” and unverified in court documents. But when multiple outlets—People, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety—track the same pattern of on-set sabotage, it’s hard to dismiss every account as hearsay. These 17 cases remind us that behind every glossed-up premiere is a swirling undercurrent of ambition, resentment, and the occasional contract clause meant to elbow a rival off camera.
Anyway, that’s the tea on Hollywood’s costar wars. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Deadline, E! News, Entertainment Weekly, Backstage
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
