20 Scenes That Actors REGRET Doing
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VOICE OVER: Ryan Wild
WRITTEN BY: Katie Kottemann
Everyone hates their job sometimes! For this list, we'll be looking at movie moments that performers wish they hadn't been a part of due to the content or how people reacted to said scene. Our countdown includes scenes from "The Equalizer", "Evil Dead II", "Twilight" and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Scenes That Actors Regret Doing. For this list, we’ll be looking at movie moments that performers wish they hadn’t been a part of due to the content or how people reacted to said scene. We’ll exclude stories like Emilia Clarke’s regret for all the “Game of Thrones” nudity because we’re saving tv for another list. Which reaction surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below!
The hero standing in the rain is an iconic moment in many action movies. But it’s a little less epic if you’re the one being filmed. In 2014, Denzel told Cinema Blend that he got really tired of being wet and cold while filming the last scene of “The Equalizer.” Although he understood how cool his character looked, he struggled to stay enthusiastic when he saw the crew dry on the sidelines. The rough conditions didn’t stop a professional like Washington from fully committing to the scene. And the results are just as awesome as you’d expect. However, we suspect his complaints must’ve gone unheard because “The Equalizer 2” ends with... a giant hurricane.
“Movie 43” (2013)
It feels like the whole cast regrets being a part of this film. This collection of comedic vignettes features a massive ensemble with heavy hitters like Halle Berry, Richard Gere, and Emma Stone. However, many critics labeled it the worst movie ever made. It’s no wonder Jackman expressed serious regret about his scene. In his portion of the film he plays a character named Davis that has a…shall we say, unsightly growth on his neck. He reveals that he has this dangling feature while going on a fictional date with Oscar winner Kate Winslet. After the film’s premiere, Jackman filmed an interview where he advised his past self to definitely pass on “Movie 43.”
This classic comedy has a few risqué scenes during its run. After it came out, Ben Stiller expressed one regret about one particular moment. When his character took a trip to the beach, he neglected to wear anything below his waist. The audience discovers this when Stiller gets filmed from behind. The actor wasn’t that comfortable with putting himself out there. According to Stiller, director John Hamburg said that the sequence would be cut if “it didn’t get a laugh”. We’re guessing it definitely did during some test screenings. Even after the film’s success, Stiller still wished that he could’ve called in a butt double to sell the scene.
After a 12-year run as the inimitable James Bond, Moore decided to hang up his shaken martinis after this 1985 adventure. But it wasn’t just because of the stunts or the many prop martinis. When reflecting on his career, Moor told Entertainment Weekly that he felt as if he looked too old to appear as the famous womanizer. He apparently felt out of place filming love scenes with women half his age. Moor’s romantic romp with model and actress Grace Jones in “A View to a Kill” was likely the sequence that pushed him over the edge. While it’s up to each audience member to disagree or agree with his take, Moore definitely believed he was past his Bond prime.
There are tons of violent and bloody scenes throughout this acclaimed and still-running horror franchise. In his autobiography, Campbell detailed the misery of filming a particular scene in “Evil Dead II.” Since it’s called the “blood geyser”, we’re not going to be able to show it in full. Just take our word for it when we say that it involved Campbell’s Ash getting doused with 55 gallons of fake blood. Director Sam Raimi had to film part of the scene with Bruce lying down. As a result, the actor was worried that he wouldn’t be able to breathe. Although filming it left a bit of a bad taste in Campbell’s mouth, it’s one of the franchise’s most iconic scenes.
During this short film, two exes share some intimate moments before their meeting becomes a bit more physical. The story includes a scene where Natalie Portman’s Rhett removes everything in front of the cameras. After the film’s release, rumors swirled that the actress regretted the nudity. However, Portman later clarified that she took issue with how some people had placed the scene on adult websites instead of watching the clip in context. Her comments highlighted how context can completely change how even the most risqué scenes are perceived. In the end, the misuse of the scene cast a shadow over a daring part of the acclaimed “Hotel Chevalier”.
While the alien Wampas may come off as ferocious, there’s at least one person in the galaxy who cares about their lives. Almost 40 years after the film’s debut, Mark Hamill himself tweeted his regret about a scene where Luke defends himself against the creature that attacked him. The actor claimed that he was told his lightsaber would merely scare off a hungry wampa. So, he was shocked when the film came out and revealed that the creature’s arm was severed during the scene. Hamill felt that the removal of the limb was a bit too savage for Luke at the time. While some fans disagreed, the actor still stuck to his guns. Maybe Hamill was sympathetic to the wampa’s injury because the same thing happened to Luke later on.
If you think that diving into a vat of fake chemicals would be a ton of fun, you should probably talk to Margot Robbie. During 2016’s “Suicide Squad”, her Harley Quinn dives into a vat to prove her devotion to the Joker. Robbie later described the scene as “the most unpleasant thing I've ever done in my entire life.” Apparently, the skin-bleaching chemicals had a paint-like texture. Robbie reported that the substance got into every part of her face. To make matters worse, Quinn had to look up at the Joker while her face was still covered in the substance. It’s clear that Robbie wishes her character didn’t go this far for love.
To say Kurt Russell’s Hangman and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Daisy didn’t get along in this Quentin Tarantino film would be an understatement. At one point, he makes it clear that he even resents when she plays guitar. Russell’s Hangman was scripted to destroy a prop instrument to express his anger. However, unbeknownst to the actor, his co-star was actually holding an authentic instrument that was over 100 years old. So, when Hangman smashed the guitar to bits, Jennifer Jason Leigh’s scream of shock was real. Russell was later shocked and dismayed that he had unintentionally destroyed an antique. The Martin Guitar Museum who lent it was so appalled by the incident that they vowed to never rent another instrument to Hollywood again.
Comic book fans were extremely unhappy with how Deadpool was portrayed in the critically panned “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. However, the actor who played the character might hate his depiction more than everyone else put together. Although Deadpool is famous for his constant quips, his mouth was actually sewn shut by the end of the film. Reynolds was so dissatisfied with the character that he even told an executive producer people would hate it. Fortunately, the actor gave fans a new version of Deadpool that was universally beloved. Reynolds also continued to openly mock the 2009 version of the merc with the mouth in his new Marvel franchise.
Multiple actors have reported that shooting damp and rainy scenes can leave them feeling cold and gross. So, we can understand fully why Taylor Lautner wasn’t a huge fan of certain Twilight scenes. His role as Jacob Black often required him to pop his shirt off at seemingly every opportunity. This apparently made the scenes where he had to stand or run in the rain particularly uncomfortable and chilling. Additionally, Lautner felt like there was added pressure on him because his body was always on display. According to the actor, he actually had to start negotiating with production higher ups to reduce the amount of time that he had to spend shirtless.
While some viewers might assume Dakota Johnson had reservations about the steamy scenes in this adult franchise, that wasn’t actually the case. The actress reported that she was fully ready to embrace the scandalous parts of the trilogy. However, Johnson wasn’t a fan of how much influence author E.L. James had on the script. According to the actress, the writer tried to include scenes that worked in books but didn’t translate to film. The disputes over what worked and didn’t led to more than a few awkward moments making it into the final cut. So, if you’ve ever cringed over an awkward “Fifty Shades” scene, it’s likely Johnson did too.
Ever say something and regret it years later? That’s precisely what happened to Elliot Page when revisiting the film that rocketed him to stardom. A fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Page regrets one line from the movie that he later deemed homophobic. It’s not uncommon to find moments of older media that don’t age well. But Page still doesn’t let that excuse the line. When he did a live reading of the script for the film’s 10th anniversary, he skipped over it altogether. Page’s strong stance against the piece of dialogue definitely shows how much the media has changed since the movie’s release.
A lot of wild and memorable moments happen in this quintessential war epic. However, there’s one scene that even the actor finds hard to watch. The movie opens with Army Captain Benjamin Willard drinking and thinking about his experiences in Vietnam. At the time of filming, Sheen was battling his own substance use issues with alcohol. When he punched the mirror, he actually injured himself. Sheen admitted that he once felt too ashamed to rewatch the footage. Ultimately, he did view the movie. Sheen also expressed gratitude that director Francis Ford Coppola allowed him to wrestle some personal demons in this difficult scene.
Romance in the movies can be a heady, wonderful thing on screen. But the actors on set still have to overcome their own reservations. Jennifer Lawrence had some severe reservations about her sex scene with Chris Pratt when filming the 2016 sci-fi film "Passengers." According to the actress, she carried some guilt mainly because her co-star was married. Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter that she struggled with how realistic the scene should appear on-screen. She even drank beforehand to calm her nerves about the experience. The pair also expressed to USA Today about how the mechanics of the sequence itself made for an awkward experience.
Some actors are perfectionists and are always willing to go the extra mile in order to achieve that all important, onscreen realism. Burt Reynolds was one such actor, but it came to a head when he was filming director John Boorman's 1972 masterpiece, "Deliverance." Reynolds was in great shape, and used to doing his own stunts, so he decided to take a dangerous dive off a waterfall, as opposed to using a dummy. The stunt ended up cracking his tailbone, with the one silver lining being that Reynolds was sure it looked great on camera. Unfortunately, when he asked Boorman how it looked, the director replied, "it looked like a dummy going over the falls."
Originally, Jim Carrey was extremely excited to star as a violent and funny hero in “Kick-Ass 2”. However, he changed his mind after people lost their lives during the Sandy Hook tragedy. Carrey’s dismay over the real life violence caused him to speak against fictionalized displays of carnage. Since “Kick-Ass 2” has no shortage of brutal scenes, his new viewpoint stood in direct opposition to the movie’s release. It’s unclear whether the mixed reviews or the actor’s stance led to the sequel underperforming at the box office. Either way, fans knew that Carrey would likely stay away from hyper violent movies in the future.
One of the most infamous displays of on-screen nudity from the 1990s is still the subject of behind the scenes controversy. During the interrogation sequence in "Basic Instinct", Sharon Stone’s character flashes a group of detectives. The actress has expressed in interviews that she was unaware that it was going to be so explicit. While shooting the scene, Stone was wearing undergarments in all takes except a few. But she had no idea that one of the fully exposed scenes would be used in the film. Stone was so shocked that she initially slapped the director for showing so much for the movie.
Celebrities have been known to sign a lot of different things at conventions or in person, but there are some items they're just not too keen on seeing brought up by a fan. Kate Winslet has such an item, and it's any photo from her famous nude scene in "Titanic." The actress doesn't sign these pictures for fans. She’s said that she feels "uncomfortable" when people bring it up. Winslet has added that she didn't intend for that scene to be passed around as much when she first shot it for director James Cameron back in 1997. When the film returned for a 3D re-release, she also expressed some regret for having to revisit that risqué sequence.
A serious crash occurred during the filming of "Kill Bill: Volume 2.” During the movie, Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo drives down a road at high speeds. This seemingly innocuous scene was a disaster behind the cameras. Thurman told the New York Times in 2018 that she was coerced into performing what she felt was an unsafe stunt. She felt that the car was unsafe. Additionally, she allegedly wasn’t supposed to do any stunts that day. After expressing her opinions, the actress lost control of the car, crashed and sustained injuries. Although there was an attempt to cover-up the incident, the truth and raw footage of the stunt eventually emerged.
#20: Denzel Washington Gets Drenched
“The Equalizer” (2014)The hero standing in the rain is an iconic moment in many action movies. But it’s a little less epic if you’re the one being filmed. In 2014, Denzel told Cinema Blend that he got really tired of being wet and cold while filming the last scene of “The Equalizer.” Although he understood how cool his character looked, he struggled to stay enthusiastic when he saw the crew dry on the sidelines. The rough conditions didn’t stop a professional like Washington from fully committing to the scene. And the results are just as awesome as you’d expect. However, we suspect his complaints must’ve gone unheard because “The Equalizer 2” ends with... a giant hurricane.
#19: Hugh Jackman Dislikes His Horrible Date
“Movie 43” (2013)
It feels like the whole cast regrets being a part of this film. This collection of comedic vignettes features a massive ensemble with heavy hitters like Halle Berry, Richard Gere, and Emma Stone. However, many critics labeled it the worst movie ever made. It’s no wonder Jackman expressed serious regret about his scene. In his portion of the film he plays a character named Davis that has a…shall we say, unsightly growth on his neck. He reveals that he has this dangling feature while going on a fictional date with Oscar winner Kate Winslet. After the film’s premiere, Jackman filmed an interview where he advised his past self to definitely pass on “Movie 43.”
#18: Ben Stiller Bares Too Much
"Along Came Polly" (2004)This classic comedy has a few risqué scenes during its run. After it came out, Ben Stiller expressed one regret about one particular moment. When his character took a trip to the beach, he neglected to wear anything below his waist. The audience discovers this when Stiller gets filmed from behind. The actor wasn’t that comfortable with putting himself out there. According to Stiller, director John Hamburg said that the sequence would be cut if “it didn’t get a laugh”. We’re guessing it definitely did during some test screenings. Even after the film’s success, Stiller still wished that he could’ve called in a butt double to sell the scene.
#17: Roger Moore Acknowledges His Age
“A View to a Kill” (1985)After a 12-year run as the inimitable James Bond, Moore decided to hang up his shaken martinis after this 1985 adventure. But it wasn’t just because of the stunts or the many prop martinis. When reflecting on his career, Moor told Entertainment Weekly that he felt as if he looked too old to appear as the famous womanizer. He apparently felt out of place filming love scenes with women half his age. Moor’s romantic romp with model and actress Grace Jones in “A View to a Kill” was likely the sequence that pushed him over the edge. While it’s up to each audience member to disagree or agree with his take, Moore definitely believed he was past his Bond prime.
#16: Bruce Campbell’s Bloody Bad Time
“Evil Dead II” (1987)There are tons of violent and bloody scenes throughout this acclaimed and still-running horror franchise. In his autobiography, Campbell detailed the misery of filming a particular scene in “Evil Dead II.” Since it’s called the “blood geyser”, we’re not going to be able to show it in full. Just take our word for it when we say that it involved Campbell’s Ash getting doused with 55 gallons of fake blood. Director Sam Raimi had to film part of the scene with Bruce lying down. As a result, the actor was worried that he wouldn’t be able to breathe. Although filming it left a bit of a bad taste in Campbell’s mouth, it’s one of the franchise’s most iconic scenes.
#15: A Natalie Portman Scene Is Stripped of Context
"Hotel Chevalier" (2007)During this short film, two exes share some intimate moments before their meeting becomes a bit more physical. The story includes a scene where Natalie Portman’s Rhett removes everything in front of the cameras. After the film’s release, rumors swirled that the actress regretted the nudity. However, Portman later clarified that she took issue with how some people had placed the scene on adult websites instead of watching the clip in context. Her comments highlighted how context can completely change how even the most risqué scenes are perceived. In the end, the misuse of the scene cast a shadow over a daring part of the acclaimed “Hotel Chevalier”.
#14: Mark Hamill Felt Bad For An Alien
“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)While the alien Wampas may come off as ferocious, there’s at least one person in the galaxy who cares about their lives. Almost 40 years after the film’s debut, Mark Hamill himself tweeted his regret about a scene where Luke defends himself against the creature that attacked him. The actor claimed that he was told his lightsaber would merely scare off a hungry wampa. So, he was shocked when the film came out and revealed that the creature’s arm was severed during the scene. Hamill felt that the removal of the limb was a bit too savage for Luke at the time. While some fans disagreed, the actor still stuck to his guns. Maybe Hamill was sympathetic to the wampa’s injury because the same thing happened to Luke later on.
#13: Margot Robbie Resents One Dive
“Suicide Squad” (2016)If you think that diving into a vat of fake chemicals would be a ton of fun, you should probably talk to Margot Robbie. During 2016’s “Suicide Squad”, her Harley Quinn dives into a vat to prove her devotion to the Joker. Robbie later described the scene as “the most unpleasant thing I've ever done in my entire life.” Apparently, the skin-bleaching chemicals had a paint-like texture. Robbie reported that the substance got into every part of her face. To make matters worse, Quinn had to look up at the Joker while her face was still covered in the substance. It’s clear that Robbie wishes her character didn’t go this far for love.
#12: Kurt Russell Crushes An Antique
“The Hateful Eight” (2015)To say Kurt Russell’s Hangman and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Daisy didn’t get along in this Quentin Tarantino film would be an understatement. At one point, he makes it clear that he even resents when she plays guitar. Russell’s Hangman was scripted to destroy a prop instrument to express his anger. However, unbeknownst to the actor, his co-star was actually holding an authentic instrument that was over 100 years old. So, when Hangman smashed the guitar to bits, Jennifer Jason Leigh’s scream of shock was real. Russell was later shocked and dismayed that he had unintentionally destroyed an antique. The Martin Guitar Museum who lent it was so appalled by the incident that they vowed to never rent another instrument to Hollywood again.
#11: Ryan Reynolds Detests a Silent Deadpool
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009)Comic book fans were extremely unhappy with how Deadpool was portrayed in the critically panned “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. However, the actor who played the character might hate his depiction more than everyone else put together. Although Deadpool is famous for his constant quips, his mouth was actually sewn shut by the end of the film. Reynolds was so dissatisfied with the character that he even told an executive producer people would hate it. Fortunately, the actor gave fans a new version of Deadpool that was universally beloved. Reynolds also continued to openly mock the 2009 version of the merc with the mouth in his new Marvel franchise.
#10: Taylor Lautner Tries to Keep His Shirt On
“The Twilight Saga” franchise (2008-12)Multiple actors have reported that shooting damp and rainy scenes can leave them feeling cold and gross. So, we can understand fully why Taylor Lautner wasn’t a huge fan of certain Twilight scenes. His role as Jacob Black often required him to pop his shirt off at seemingly every opportunity. This apparently made the scenes where he had to stand or run in the rain particularly uncomfortable and chilling. Additionally, Lautner felt like there was added pressure on him because his body was always on display. According to the actor, he actually had to start negotiating with production higher ups to reduce the amount of time that he had to spend shirtless.
#9: Dakota Johnson Disagrees With the Original Author
"Fifty Shades" franchise (2015-18)While some viewers might assume Dakota Johnson had reservations about the steamy scenes in this adult franchise, that wasn’t actually the case. The actress reported that she was fully ready to embrace the scandalous parts of the trilogy. However, Johnson wasn’t a fan of how much influence author E.L. James had on the script. According to the actress, the writer tried to include scenes that worked in books but didn’t translate to film. The disputes over what worked and didn’t led to more than a few awkward moments making it into the final cut. So, if you’ve ever cringed over an awkward “Fifty Shades” scene, it’s likely Johnson did too.
#8: Elliot Page Doesn’t Like One Line
“Juno” (2007)Ever say something and regret it years later? That’s precisely what happened to Elliot Page when revisiting the film that rocketed him to stardom. A fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Page regrets one line from the movie that he later deemed homophobic. It’s not uncommon to find moments of older media that don’t age well. But Page still doesn’t let that excuse the line. When he did a live reading of the script for the film’s 10th anniversary, he skipped over it altogether. Page’s strong stance against the piece of dialogue definitely shows how much the media has changed since the movie’s release.
#7: Martin Sheen Struggles to Revisit a Hotel Sequence
“Apocalypse Now” (1979)A lot of wild and memorable moments happen in this quintessential war epic. However, there’s one scene that even the actor finds hard to watch. The movie opens with Army Captain Benjamin Willard drinking and thinking about his experiences in Vietnam. At the time of filming, Sheen was battling his own substance use issues with alcohol. When he punched the mirror, he actually injured himself. Sheen admitted that he once felt too ashamed to rewatch the footage. Ultimately, he did view the movie. Sheen also expressed gratitude that director Francis Ford Coppola allowed him to wrestle some personal demons in this difficult scene.
#6: Jennifer Lawrence Feels Awkward During Love Scenes
"Passengers" (2016)Romance in the movies can be a heady, wonderful thing on screen. But the actors on set still have to overcome their own reservations. Jennifer Lawrence had some severe reservations about her sex scene with Chris Pratt when filming the 2016 sci-fi film "Passengers." According to the actress, she carried some guilt mainly because her co-star was married. Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter that she struggled with how realistic the scene should appear on-screen. She even drank beforehand to calm her nerves about the experience. The pair also expressed to USA Today about how the mechanics of the sequence itself made for an awkward experience.
#5: Burt Reynolds Performs a Risky Stunt
"Deliverance" (1972)Some actors are perfectionists and are always willing to go the extra mile in order to achieve that all important, onscreen realism. Burt Reynolds was one such actor, but it came to a head when he was filming director John Boorman's 1972 masterpiece, "Deliverance." Reynolds was in great shape, and used to doing his own stunts, so he decided to take a dangerous dive off a waterfall, as opposed to using a dummy. The stunt ended up cracking his tailbone, with the one silver lining being that Reynolds was sure it looked great on camera. Unfortunately, when he asked Boorman how it looked, the director replied, "it looked like a dummy going over the falls."
#4: Jim Carrey Disagrees With Violence
"Kick-Ass 2" (2013)Originally, Jim Carrey was extremely excited to star as a violent and funny hero in “Kick-Ass 2”. However, he changed his mind after people lost their lives during the Sandy Hook tragedy. Carrey’s dismay over the real life violence caused him to speak against fictionalized displays of carnage. Since “Kick-Ass 2” has no shortage of brutal scenes, his new viewpoint stood in direct opposition to the movie’s release. It’s unclear whether the mixed reviews or the actor’s stance led to the sequel underperforming at the box office. Either way, fans knew that Carrey would likely stay away from hyper violent movies in the future.
#3: Sharon Stone’s Interrogation Actions
"Basic Instinct" (1992)One of the most infamous displays of on-screen nudity from the 1990s is still the subject of behind the scenes controversy. During the interrogation sequence in "Basic Instinct", Sharon Stone’s character flashes a group of detectives. The actress has expressed in interviews that she was unaware that it was going to be so explicit. While shooting the scene, Stone was wearing undergarments in all takes except a few. But she had no idea that one of the fully exposed scenes would be used in the film. Stone was so shocked that she initially slapped the director for showing so much for the movie.
#2: Kate Winslet’s Infamous Illustration Scene
"Titanic" (1997)Celebrities have been known to sign a lot of different things at conventions or in person, but there are some items they're just not too keen on seeing brought up by a fan. Kate Winslet has such an item, and it's any photo from her famous nude scene in "Titanic." The actress doesn't sign these pictures for fans. She’s said that she feels "uncomfortable" when people bring it up. Winslet has added that she didn't intend for that scene to be passed around as much when she first shot it for director James Cameron back in 1997. When the film returned for a 3D re-release, she also expressed some regret for having to revisit that risqué sequence.
#1: Uma Thurman’s Terrible Crash
"Kill Bill: Volume 2" (2004)A serious crash occurred during the filming of "Kill Bill: Volume 2.” During the movie, Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo drives down a road at high speeds. This seemingly innocuous scene was a disaster behind the cameras. Thurman told the New York Times in 2018 that she was coerced into performing what she felt was an unsafe stunt. She felt that the car was unsafe. Additionally, she allegedly wasn’t supposed to do any stunts that day. After expressing her opinions, the actress lost control of the car, crashed and sustained injuries. Although there was an attempt to cover-up the incident, the truth and raw footage of the stunt eventually emerged.
