Top 20 Celebs Who Are Difficult to Work With

Top-20-Celebs-Who-Are-Difficult-to-Work-With

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most notoriously difficult celebrities.

#20: Tyra Banks
Keenyah Hill. Dani Evans. Brooke Burke. What do these people have in common? They’ve all worked with Tyra Banks, and they’ve all said that working with her was difficult. A number of words have been used to describe Banks, including “Queen bee” and “diva,” and one former contestant on “America’s Next Top Model” called working with her “psychological warfare.” Another source who worked on “Dancing With the Stars” verified these claims, telling The Sun that she was a “nightmare” who “[made] wild demands” and was “disrespectful to the crew,” turning the general work environment “toxic.” Banks left the show after only three seasons.

#19: Hugh Grant
Sorry, ladies. We know Hugh Grant is everyone’s favorite British heartthrob, but if the rumors are to be believed, he’s actually kind of a dink. Grant is notoriously misanthropic and refuses to talk about his personal life, making him a very difficult subject to interview. But that’s nothing compared to what his co-workers endure. Director Mike Newell claims that “[his] tongue is maybe too clever for its own good,” and many co-stars have reported that Grant is a perfectionist, often demanding countless retakes to get a scene exactly right. And some stars have literally called him “a pain in the” you-know-what, including Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Stewart, who labeled Grant the worst guest in his show’s history.

#18: Noel & Liam Gallagher
There are few people as hated in the music industry as the Gallagher brothers, at least professionally. Both have terrible reputations, known far and wide for their confrontational personalities and general disdain for humanity. Noel Gallagher has arguably got it worse, publicly feuding with the likes of Damon Albarn, Jay-Z, and Phil Collins. But no one hates the brothers more than they do each other. The two have a painfully tumultuous relationship, and it’s a wonder that they managed to write and record music together. Arguments were very frequent, and some eventually led to physical violence, including headbutts and thrown chairs. It was no surprise when the band eventually split, and Oasis hasn’t released a studio album since 2008.

#17: Jared Leto

Jared Leto has turned in some unforgettable performances, from the spectacular to the disastrous. As a die-hard method actor, he’s endured a lot to do his job…and so have his co-stars. As a method actor, he’s insisted on some sets that his fellow cast only address him by his character’s name. And he’s often refused to break that character–to an unreasonable extent. Most famously, he embodied “Suicide Squad”’s twisted “Joker” role by allegedly sending co-workers nasty gifts in the mail. He’s both lost and gained weight for films, with his part as Mark David Chapman in “Chapter 27” eventually requiring him to move around by wheelchair. His dedication might be admirable, but the friction it’s caused amongst his colleagues makes him one tough collaborator.

#16: Madonna
Madonna certainly has accolades and dollars to spare, but it seems like many people have a bone to pick with her. Fashion, music, TV - you name the industry, and someone in it has a problem with Madonna. Let’s give some examples. Fashion - Giorgio Armani has called her “very difficult.” Music - both Cher and Rufus Wainwright have labeled the pop legend “rude.” TV - the hosts of “The View” called her “disrespectful.” The reasons for this reputation are many, including a generally mean demeanor, often acting spoiled and entitled, ignoring people at events, and having a fierce penchant for being late. So, you know, take your pick.


#15: Axl Rose
Bandmates. Managers. Uh, fans, if you want to count them as co-workers - any and all have had run-ins with Axl Rose. The Guns N’ Roses singer has long been famous for his bad boy image, known for wild mood swings and violent confrontations. He was once sued by an audience member he physically attacked, and he has been sued by band members Slash and Duff McKagan over songwriting credits. He was later sued by another band member, Chris Pitman, over unpaid wages. Oh, yes, he was also sued by a former band manager, who took Rose to court over nearly $2 million in unpaid fees. We’re starting to see a pattern here…

#14: Joss Whedon
Despite a long and very successful career in Hollywood, Joss Whedon’s reputation took a major hit in July of 2020. This is when he was accused of workplace harassment by Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg in “Justice League.” Fisher accused Whedon of “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” behavior, and his statements were backed up by Jason Momoa, who claimed that “serious stuff went down” on the set. This opened the floodgates, and numerous co-workers admitted that they had had a poor time with Whedon. He is reportedly very mean, has made numerous co-workers cry with nasty comments, and tormented “Buffy” actress Charisma Carpenter, making fun of her religion and even asking if she was going to keep her baby.

#13: Alfred Hitchcock
He may have been a legendary director, but he was an absolute pain to work under. By all accounts, Hitchcock was notoriously terrible to his actors, despite drawing from them some amazing performances. He once famously said that “actors should be treated like cattle,” and James Mason, who starred in “North by Northwest,” said that he treated actors like “animated props.” Hitchcock fiercely prohibited performers from improvising or giving him creative suggestions, saying that they should stick to acting and not be involved in the writing and directing processes. And that’s not even mentioning his abusive and borderline obsessive relationship with Tippi Hedren, who eventually stopped working with Hitchcock after “Marnie,” having found him too creepy.

#12: Ellen DeGeneres
How the mighty have fallen. Ellen DeGeneres was onced an icon, a very popular talk show host and a trailblazer for LGBT acceptance in mainstream media. Now DeGeneres is widely known for being a tyrant. It all started in July 2020, when former employees of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” accused the host of creating a toxic workplace environment. The reports were many, including instances of “racist micro-aggressions,” ignoring employee accusations of sexual harassment, and firing people for taking bereavement leave and setting up GoFundMes for medical bills. Some have even accused DeGeneres of letting people go simply for looking her in the eyes. Comedian Kevin T. Porter called DeGeneres “one of the meanest people alive.”

#11: Kanye West
Even ignoring Ye’s countless controversies outside of the music industry, he’s still an incredibly difficult man to work with. In 2024, Ye was sued by a security guard, who claimed that the rapper often screamed at him, treated him poorly for being Black, and forced him to cut his dreadlocks, even though they’re a part of his Muslim faith. Frequent collaborator Big Sean has also admitted that Ye is a nightmare, telling the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast that he is “very hard to work with” and demands perfection. Even Nike executives have gotten in on the action, having warned Adidas that doing business with him was an arduous and punishing task.

#10: Bill Murray
Bill Murray has had a long career making great comedies and managed to segue into dramatic roles as well. Unfortunately, over that long career he’s also managed to accumulate a long list of people with unpleasant stories about what it’s like to work with him. Geena Davis has written about Murray forcing a massage device on her and yelling derogatory things at her on set. Richard Dreyfuss said that a drunk Murray threw an ashtray at him while filming “What About Bob?” and a producer on that film has talked about Murray throwing her in the lake following a disagreement. Lucy Liu has also talked publicly about the “inexcusable and unacceptable” language Murray directed at her on the set of “Charlie’s Angels.”


#9: Shia LaBeouf
Though he got his start in Hollywood in kids shows and blockbusters, Shia Labeouf’s growth into an artist and filmmaker surprised many. Over the years, he’s made more than a few controversial remarks, engaged in what some would call ‘publicity stunts’ and, according to some, he can also transform into a bit of a jerk. Shia is notorious for his temper and belligerent attitude, even leaving the Broadway production of “Orphans” that he was slated to star in due to constant bickering and fights with his co-stars, especially Alec Baldwin. According to some however, Labeouf was just straight up fired.


#8: Edward Norton
Edward Norton is one of the finest actors in the industry so it comes as no surprise that he takes his craft extremely seriously. We repeat: EXTREMELY seriously. In fact, Norton has a reputation for “shadow directing.” He sat in on the editing for “American History X” because he didn’t trust Tony Kaye and often clashed with the studio during “The Incredible Hulk” over creative differences. While the people behind the film said the dispute was blown out of proportion in the media and a promo tour was planned for the movie, Norton didn’t do any promotion following its release. So yes, he is that one employee who tells everyone else how to do his or her jobs.


#7: Jennifer Lopez
While 2019’s “Hustlers” was very well received, Lopez’s earlier work didn’t do wonders for her reputation. Although she’s known as a very hard worker, Jenny from the block has been called out in the past for so-called “diva behavior.” She’s been said to often make ridiculous demands, like numerous five star hotel rooms to stay in and her own private plane so she can travel in true diva style - all on someone else’s dime, of course. And the kicker? She refuses to perform if her demands are not met. We guess it’s too bad her demands were met in the case of “Gigli.”


#6: Steven Seagal
It seems incredibly difficult for Segal to find work these days. Lord knows it’s been a long hard minute since the last time he had a box office hit. That may have something to do with the fact that he’s supposedly a nightmare on set. Not only is Seagal cited as being highly critical of others, but he has also been known to physically intimidate cast members. He purportedly slammed comedian John Leguizamo against a wall simply for laughing at him, because, you know, comedians aren’t allowed to be funny. We’ll put it this way: Henry Rollins has stated he’d rather drink latex paint than work with Seagal.


#5: Lea Michele
Don’t sit there and assume the cast of “Glee” reflected its show’s name when the cameras weren’t rolling. Rather, Lea Michele, who played one of the singing stars, Rachel Berry, apparently took on the cutthroat mentality of a real high school diva when it came to her behavior on set. According to reports, Michele was rude to all involved with production, making the cast and crew stand around and wait extensively until she was ready to begin shooting. Crewmembers also claim Michele refused to speak to junior members of the “Glee” staff. On top of that, in 2020, Glee co-star Samantha Ware said Michele made her first television gig “living hell” and described repeated instances of traumatic microaggressions towards the Black actress. She got better press in her recent Broadway appearance, but was that a real change or just damage control?


#4: Sean Penn
When it came out in early 2016 that infamous Mexican Drug Lord El Chapo met and interviewed with actor Sean Penn, the most reasonable question asked by the public was: Why? What qualifications does Penn have? Well if he were to respond to that question, we probably wouldn't be able to publish it due to explicit language and its overall awful message. Though known as a great actor, he is also famous for being incredibly rude and an overall jerk. Although they are indeed serious, we won’t even discuss the allegations of domestic abuse lobbied against him and instead just focus on his very real identity as a nightmare to work with. Allegedly hostile and intimidating, he’s not someone you want to share the screen with.


#3: Mike Myers
Pick your jaw up off the floor! We weren’t expecting it either, but apparently this funnyman is not nearly as fun as his characters. The “Austin Powers” star has been constantly called “moody and temperamental,” and many complain about the degree of control Mike Myers feels he should be able to exhibit over the cast and crew. Many executives in the industry have simply refused to work with him, and rumor has it that he even had a crew member fired for looking him in the eyes on a particularly bad day.


#2: Klaus Kinski
Even the most difficult of actors tend to make a few friends in the industry, and even if they don’t, sometimes you can put up with the worst of the worst if they’re simply that damn talented. And then sometimes you have people like Klaus Kinski, who was reportedly so difficult that nobody gave him a second chance. Though not a household name, the German actor appeared in over 100 films throughout his long career. Despite that extensive list, Kinski only ever worked with one director on multiple occasions. All the others refused to deal with him again. To put it bluntly, Kinski has been described as insane. Prone to frequent blow-ups, there really is no comparison to his madness.


#1: Chevy Chase
Who hasn’t Chevy Chase pissed off? Kindly regarded as perhaps the biggest grump in Hollywood, Chase has been described as an indefensible, cruelly vicious put-down artist. As early as his “SNL” days, Chase was burning bridges with the likes of John Belushi, Bill Murray, and the writers. He’s talked serious smack about most big names in the industry; some notables include Will Ferrell, Howard Stern, Kevin Smith, and Bill Maher. More recently, Chase destroyed the one good thing he had going with the cult classic show, “Community.” Chase heavily criticized the series and showrunner while he was still a cast member, and was known to have extremely offensive on-set tirades. Chase is likely a man with few friends left.


Would you like to work with these actors? Let us know in the comments below!