10 Infamous Scenes That the Actor REGRETS
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VOICE OVER: Patrick Mealey
WRITTEN BY: Saim Cheeda
Actors reveal their most uncomfortable and regrettable on-screen moments. From awkward love scenes to controversial shots, these performers share the scenes they wish they could erase from cinema history. Get ready for some shocking behind-the-scenes revelations! Our countdown includes cringe-worthy moments from "The Room," "Titanic," "American Pie," "Suicide Squad," and more, featuring actors like Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jason Biggs, and Margot Robbie! Which scene do you think is the most embarrassing for these actors? Share in the comments.
10 Infamous Scenes That the Actor REGRETS
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at actors who, for various reasons, are mortified by their own scenes.
It’s safe to say that a lot of Rogen’s older onscreen antics wouldn’t fly well today. The actor regrets making audiences feel bad with some of his movies. One particular scene from “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” continues to stand out for Rogen. During a playful exchange with Paul Rudd, the two joke about the qualities that make the other “gay.” Since most of these traits are supposedly undesirable, it frames being gay in a negative light. While intended as lighthearted and humorous, the scene reflects the harmful stereotypes common at the time of the film’s release. Years later, Rogen has since branded the scene as “regressive,” recognizing the joke is more mean-spirited than funny.
Given its status as one of the worst movies ever made, can you blame any cast member for having regrets? Juliette Danielle, who plays Tommy Wiseau’s love interest, has made peace with the film’s legacy. However, the actress remains disappointed with the film’s infamous love scene. Far from being tastefully edited, Wiseau – who also directed the movie – included the entire footage in the final cut. The result is an uncomfortably long scene that adds nothing to the plot, only increasing the film’s cringe factor. With nudity that’s more gratuitous than anything else, Danielle has expressed regret at how it comes across onscreen. If it’s any consolation, most people probably remember the film for Tommy Wiseau’s tearing the screen apart with his hammy, yet now-iconic performance.
As the trendsetter for the raunchy comedy genre, “American Pie’s” bold humor saw it explode in popularity. While its outrageous elements contributed to its success, many of them haven’t aged well. Case in point: the scene where Jason Biggs secretly films Shannon Elizabeth’s character. Initially spying on her with his friends, he ends up in a botched attempt to hook up with her. The movie never treats filming her without consent as immoral or reprehensible. Instead, Elizabeth’s character is blamed for the incident. While still proud of the movie, Biggs isn’t too fond of the webcam scene. Acknowledging it would never be made today, the actor stated that the “conversation now is totally different now to what it was 20-plus years ago.”
Kissing someone you’ve known since childhood is always going to be awkward. Now, imagine an entire crew around you filming said moment. Having developed a sibling-like bond over a decade of “Harry Potter” movies, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson weren’t so keen on locking lips. There was no way around it either, with the kiss paying off the years-long build-up to the Ron/Hermione romance. According to Grint, he’s never been able to look back at the scene. Regarding his relationship with Watson to be more like “brother-sister,” the actor was glad to be done with filming it as quickly as possible. Watson has more reason to complain, as the actress also had to kiss her other long-term co-star Daniel Radcliffe around the same time.
“Rise of the Silver Surfer’s” failure put the brakes on a planned “Fantastic Four” trilogy. Jessica Alba is one cast member who wasn’t complaining. The movie almost caused her to quit acting, as disagreements with director Tim Story took a toll on her. Filming an emotional scene remains a bitter memory for Alba, who didn’t appreciate a specific piece of direction. According to the actress, she was asked to “cry pretty,” while being told they would CGI tears in post-production. The experience made Alba question her skills as a performer, making her fall out of love with her profession. With the film’s critical and commercial performance in mind, some very real tears were likely shed by studio executives afterward.
Most of “Suicide Squad’s” pre-release hype was dominated by Jared Leto’s wild behind-the-scenes antics. One of Leto’s bizarre moves was sending Margot Robbie a live rat. However, this was far from the latter’s least favorite part of production. In the film, the Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship begins after she tosses herself in a vat of chemicals. Although in line with the pair’s twisted romance, filming it wasn’t exactly fun. According to Robbie, the scene was the “most unpleasant thing” she’d done in her entire life. The combination of choking on the chemicals and having her vision impaired made it a horrible ordeal for the actress. To her credit, her displeasure doesn’t show up onscreen, so at least Robbie made it look convincing.
While most love scenes are simulated to give the illusion of realism, some are completely legitimate. What audiences see is exactly what Kerry Fox and Mark Rylance went through filming “Intimacy.” The story centers around an intense but emotional affair. Despite his apprehension, Rylance was convinced by director Patrice Chéreau to record unsimulated scenes with Fox. Exactly how effective that is to the story is up to interpretation, but it is something that Rylance regrets. According to the actor, the explicit nature of the content strained his marriage. Rylance has also claimed he filmed the scenes because he lacked the confidence to “say no.”
The roller coaster scene is one of the biggest talking points of this psychological thriller. In a moment that goes far longer than needed, Mark Wahlberg’s character gets a bit, shall we say, handsy with Witherspoon. The film already contains enough material to establish Wahlberg’s obsession with her, so this scene doesn’t serve any real purpose. Witherspoon later revealed the script never called for such a sexually charged portrayal. According to the actress, the scene’s explicit nature was a decision made by director James Foley. Unwilling to shoot all of it, Witherspoon requested a stunt double. Looking back on the film, she thinks it “wasn’t a particularly great experience,” ultimately influencing her to make films that don’t fall prey to the male gaze.
You’ve likely heard of the leg cross scene that made Sharon Stone a worldwide sensation, even if you haven’t seen the film. During her interrogation, her character flashes everyone in attendance – including the audience. Although one of the boldest moments in film history, Stone herself was livid at the final cut. The actress was unaware that director Paul Verhoeven kept the shot in the movie, only realizing this during its first screening. Stone reportedly became so enraged that she slapped Verhoeven right then and there. Despite this breach of trust, she ultimately decided to allow the scene to remain unchanged, claiming it remained true to the character.
The discovery of Rose’s portrait is the basis for “Titanic’s” story. The painting caused a huge stir in pop culture – and still lives on decades later. In the context of the film, having herself sketched in her natural state gives Rose a feeling of empowerment and liberation. Although the scene is essential to her role, Kate Winslet isn’t too happy about it now. The actress has admitted to feeling “uncomfortable” that the picture remains in circulation. Winslet also refuses to entertain anyone hoping for an autograph with the picture. Being asked by strangers to sign a nude portrait of herself is understandably unsettling, so we can’t say we blame her.
Did any of these scenes take you by surprise? Do you have any others in mind? Let us know in the comments.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at actors who, for various reasons, are mortified by their own scenes.
Seth Rogen: Banter with Paul Rudd
“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)It’s safe to say that a lot of Rogen’s older onscreen antics wouldn’t fly well today. The actor regrets making audiences feel bad with some of his movies. One particular scene from “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” continues to stand out for Rogen. During a playful exchange with Paul Rudd, the two joke about the qualities that make the other “gay.” Since most of these traits are supposedly undesirable, it frames being gay in a negative light. While intended as lighthearted and humorous, the scene reflects the harmful stereotypes common at the time of the film’s release. Years later, Rogen has since branded the scene as “regressive,” recognizing the joke is more mean-spirited than funny.
Juliette Danielle: Love Scene with Tommy Wiseau
“The Room” (2003)Given its status as one of the worst movies ever made, can you blame any cast member for having regrets? Juliette Danielle, who plays Tommy Wiseau’s love interest, has made peace with the film’s legacy. However, the actress remains disappointed with the film’s infamous love scene. Far from being tastefully edited, Wiseau – who also directed the movie – included the entire footage in the final cut. The result is an uncomfortably long scene that adds nothing to the plot, only increasing the film’s cringe factor. With nudity that’s more gratuitous than anything else, Danielle has expressed regret at how it comes across onscreen. If it’s any consolation, most people probably remember the film for Tommy Wiseau’s tearing the screen apart with his hammy, yet now-iconic performance.
Jason Biggs: Hidden Webcam Scene
“American Pie” (1999)As the trendsetter for the raunchy comedy genre, “American Pie’s” bold humor saw it explode in popularity. While its outrageous elements contributed to its success, many of them haven’t aged well. Case in point: the scene where Jason Biggs secretly films Shannon Elizabeth’s character. Initially spying on her with his friends, he ends up in a botched attempt to hook up with her. The movie never treats filming her without consent as immoral or reprehensible. Instead, Elizabeth’s character is blamed for the incident. While still proud of the movie, Biggs isn’t too fond of the webcam scene. Acknowledging it would never be made today, the actor stated that the “conversation now is totally different now to what it was 20-plus years ago.”
Rupert Grint: Kissing Emma Watson
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” (2011)Kissing someone you’ve known since childhood is always going to be awkward. Now, imagine an entire crew around you filming said moment. Having developed a sibling-like bond over a decade of “Harry Potter” movies, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson weren’t so keen on locking lips. There was no way around it either, with the kiss paying off the years-long build-up to the Ron/Hermione romance. According to Grint, he’s never been able to look back at the scene. Regarding his relationship with Watson to be more like “brother-sister,” the actor was glad to be done with filming it as quickly as possible. Watson has more reason to complain, as the actress also had to kiss her other long-term co-star Daniel Radcliffe around the same time.
Jessica Alba: CGI Tears
“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” (2007)“Rise of the Silver Surfer’s” failure put the brakes on a planned “Fantastic Four” trilogy. Jessica Alba is one cast member who wasn’t complaining. The movie almost caused her to quit acting, as disagreements with director Tim Story took a toll on her. Filming an emotional scene remains a bitter memory for Alba, who didn’t appreciate a specific piece of direction. According to the actress, she was asked to “cry pretty,” while being told they would CGI tears in post-production. The experience made Alba question her skills as a performer, making her fall out of love with her profession. With the film’s critical and commercial performance in mind, some very real tears were likely shed by studio executives afterward.
Margot Robbie: Chemical Bath
“Suicide Squad” (2016)Most of “Suicide Squad’s” pre-release hype was dominated by Jared Leto’s wild behind-the-scenes antics. One of Leto’s bizarre moves was sending Margot Robbie a live rat. However, this was far from the latter’s least favorite part of production. In the film, the Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship begins after she tosses herself in a vat of chemicals. Although in line with the pair’s twisted romance, filming it wasn’t exactly fun. According to Robbie, the scene was the “most unpleasant thing” she’d done in her entire life. The combination of choking on the chemicals and having her vision impaired made it a horrible ordeal for the actress. To her credit, her displeasure doesn’t show up onscreen, so at least Robbie made it look convincing.
Mark Rylance: Unsimulated Love Scenes
“Intimacy” (2001)While most love scenes are simulated to give the illusion of realism, some are completely legitimate. What audiences see is exactly what Kerry Fox and Mark Rylance went through filming “Intimacy.” The story centers around an intense but emotional affair. Despite his apprehension, Rylance was convinced by director Patrice Chéreau to record unsimulated scenes with Fox. Exactly how effective that is to the story is up to interpretation, but it is something that Rylance regrets. According to the actor, the explicit nature of the content strained his marriage. Rylance has also claimed he filmed the scenes because he lacked the confidence to “say no.”
Reese Witherspoon: Roller Coaster Love Scene
“Fear” (1996)The roller coaster scene is one of the biggest talking points of this psychological thriller. In a moment that goes far longer than needed, Mark Wahlberg’s character gets a bit, shall we say, handsy with Witherspoon. The film already contains enough material to establish Wahlberg’s obsession with her, so this scene doesn’t serve any real purpose. Witherspoon later revealed the script never called for such a sexually charged portrayal. According to the actress, the scene’s explicit nature was a decision made by director James Foley. Unwilling to shoot all of it, Witherspoon requested a stunt double. Looking back on the film, she thinks it “wasn’t a particularly great experience,” ultimately influencing her to make films that don’t fall prey to the male gaze.
Sharon Stone: The Leg Cross
“Basic Instinct” (1992)You’ve likely heard of the leg cross scene that made Sharon Stone a worldwide sensation, even if you haven’t seen the film. During her interrogation, her character flashes everyone in attendance – including the audience. Although one of the boldest moments in film history, Stone herself was livid at the final cut. The actress was unaware that director Paul Verhoeven kept the shot in the movie, only realizing this during its first screening. Stone reportedly became so enraged that she slapped Verhoeven right then and there. Despite this breach of trust, she ultimately decided to allow the scene to remain unchanged, claiming it remained true to the character.
Kate Winslet: Rose’s Portrait
“Titanic” (1997)The discovery of Rose’s portrait is the basis for “Titanic’s” story. The painting caused a huge stir in pop culture – and still lives on decades later. In the context of the film, having herself sketched in her natural state gives Rose a feeling of empowerment and liberation. Although the scene is essential to her role, Kate Winslet isn’t too happy about it now. The actress has admitted to feeling “uncomfortable” that the picture remains in circulation. Winslet also refuses to entertain anyone hoping for an autograph with the picture. Being asked by strangers to sign a nude portrait of herself is understandably unsettling, so we can’t say we blame her.
Did any of these scenes take you by surprise? Do you have any others in mind? Let us know in the comments.
