Top 10 British Actors Who Are Difficult To Work With

From Hollywood blockbusters to humble comedies, Danny Dyer cuts a cheeky chappie whenever he’s on screen. But the London-born actor isn’t always treacle when the cameras stop rolling. According to the UK press, Dyer has a history of causing trouble in between takes – on “EastEnders” especially. Reported long-running feuds with Adam Woodyatt and Steve McFadden (AKA Ian Beale and Phil Mitchell) are said to have caused tensions on set, even prompting producers to put Dyer on an enforced break from the show.

He’s one of the most respected actors of his generation, but working with Daniel Day-Lewis isn’t always enjoyable. The three-time Oscar-winner is world-renowned for his dedicated approach, maintaining character when he’s not on camera – and often when he’s not even on-set! Other actors have reportedly quit Day-Lewis movies because he’s just too intense, with examples ranging from him refusing to leave his character’s wheelchair during “My Left Foot”, and his regularly referring to cast members by character names, only! Still, at least he gets results.

A supposed shoo-in for every affable everyman role ever written, Martin Freeman’s on-screen persona is usually down-to-earth, self-deprecating and relaxed. But the man himself is a little more pent up, according to reports. Freeman’s said to be moody and surprisingly stand-offish on-set, and even the actor plays up his spikier side – to shrug the ‘nice guy’ stereotype. He’s even been described as more like Sherlock Holmes than Doctor Watson, because he’s quite quick to anger. And he and Benedict Cumberbatch don’t get on, either. Say it ain’t so!

A BAFTA winner and multiple Oscar nominee as an actress, writer and director for film and TV, Samantha Morton’s industry credentials take some beating. So, perhaps it’s not surprising that she’s supposedly someone not to be messed with - with an ego bigger than most. Morton’s back story is harsher than most of Hollywood’s, but her ominous on-set rep started with the 2005 movie, “River Queen” – where she was apparently instrumental in getting the film’s original director fired. Since then, she’s taken critical aim at the likes of Gary Oldman and Nicole Kidman, and has reportedly reduced film crew members to tears.

A favourite of the British press, and a well-respected chap amongst his peers, it’s difficult to imagine Tom Hardy as anything other than the laid-back bloke from his interviews. But Hardy’s another who’s intense approach has triggered many an on-set squabble – most famously with Charlize Theron while filming “Mad Max”. The actor himself reckons reports of him acting up off camera are a myth, but he does concede that he has ‘been a dick’. There’s clearly method to his moodiness though, and however he gets in the zone, it obviously works.

The original James Bond stuck a calm and collected character as the 007 super-spy, but Sean Connery’s on-set tantrums paint a different picture of the man behind the Martini. While shooting “Zardoz” in the ‘70s, Connery had to be physically restrained after getting angry at the film crew. And he almost came to blows with the director of 2003’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” amidst mounting personal and professional grievances. Even as Bond, he regularly blew his top – employing his ‘license to be a killjoy’ by avoiding producers and locking himself in his trailer at every opportunity.

Mischa’s diva rep dates back to her breakthrough gig, playing Marissa Cooper in “The O.C.” – when her on-screen dad Tate Donovan singled her out as the most difficult cast member to work with. The actress has spent most of her career based in the States, and she became a fixture for front page news in the mid-2000s, with the press pouncing on her often-erratic behaviour. Barton’s unreliability reared again when she failed to show up to film the 2015 comedy “Promoted”. That stunt eventually earned her a $200,000 fine.

An undisputed icon of British acting, Peter O’Toole’s best remembered for his title role in “Lawrence of Arabia”. But he earned an epic reputation off-screen as well, as a hard-drinking hell-raiser who could rarely be counted on. Since his death in 2013, friends and biographers have attempted to downplay the bad boy reputation O’Toole took for himself, but stories of his disruptive presence refuse to peter out. His “Troy” co-star Diane Kruger even said he was the meanest actor she had ever worked with!

Another who’s synonymous with modest, mild-mannered characters, Hugh Grant has been rom-com royalty for most of his career. And what makes his act even more impressive, is that he’s reportedly very different when the cameras are off. He openly admits to being overly interfering on-set, and most of the actor’s critics attack his over-inflated ego and control freak tendencies. Even the dance scene in “Love Actually” was dogged by Hugh’s grumpiness, as he apparently hated filming it. It’s still a classic, though.

There’s no doubt that today’s winner is a celebrated performer, revered by fans and critics alike, but it’s no secret that Christian Bale is a pretty contentious guy – and that’s putting it mildly. The method actor goes to all sorts of extremes to get into character, but his all-consuming intensity has led to various rumours that he’s angry, argumentative, arrogant, distant, obnoxious and over-dramatic. And thanks to that infamous behind the scenes clip from “Terminator Salvation”, the whole world knows it. He’s not always the actor Hollywood wants, but he’s often the actor they need.