Embarrassing Things That Happened To Actors During Filming
From the outside looking in, working on a film set may appear luxurious. However, professional acting doesn't come without its drawbacks. As the years go by, we've heard more and more revealing stories and hilarious bits of trivia about some of our favorite stars. In fact, it's become tradition-like for an actor to appear on a late-night talk show (usually in promotion for an upcoming film) and reveal some sort of embarrassing or compelling tale describing their on-set experiences.
The multitude of dilemmas that have occurred during film productions has given us a glimpse into how the process of filmmaking could be either an enjoyable task or an extremely arduous one — sometimes even humiliating. But no matter how you look at it, everyone loves hearing these stories, and in fact, it makes the stars appear more relatable. After all, no one is without their flaws. So, prepare to cringe and wince as we take a look at some very embarrassing things that happened to actors during filming.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse required parental supervision on Superbad
Christopher Mintz-Plasse got his first acting gig at the age of 17 in the awkwardly hilarious coming-of-age film "Superbad," written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The critically acclaimed flick focuses on three friends (played by Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Mintz-Plasse) who, weeks away from graduation, attempt to attend a popular senior class party and possibly put an end to their virginity.
Due to legal reasons regarding his age, at the time of filming, Mintz-Plasse revealed that his mom had to be present on the set of "Superbad" while he filmed a sex scene, which is a pretty big yikes. However, it sounds like it may not have been too troublesome for the actor. In an interview with The Guardian a couple of years after the film's release, Mintz-Plasse explained, said in an interview, "It was real awkward, but it worked out okay because when I watched the movie with her, the sex scene wasn't awkward because she'd been right there when it happened."
Renée Zellweger had a prosthetic mishap on the set of Judy
Make-up and prosthetics are incredibly important when making a biopic. After all, opting for someone with a closer physical resemblance to the subject may deprive the film of a better performance by a more qualified actor. Of course, all that makeup can come a price.
Nowadays, we hear all the behind-the-scenes scoops about how laborious the whole make-up process actually is. For example, while talking to Entertainment Tonight (via Metro), Renee Zellweger detailed her "horror" of an experience while filming "Judy," the 2019 biographical drama about the final year of Judy Garland's life. Zellweger was required to wear a prosthetic nose tip along with false teeth. And as Zellweger has explained, one particular incident occurred during an intimate kissing scene with her co-star Finn Wittrock. As she pulled away from the smooch, she saw that the tip of her nose had fallen off, and as a result, Wittrock's face was covered in a "milk-like substance," which had come from the prosthetic itself.
Fortunately, this error didn't ruin her experience as a whole while making the film, and she eventually went on to win an Academy Award for her performance.
Gucci Mane fell asleep during Spring Breakers
We've all had our moments during long work weeks where our eyes begin feeling quite heavy from the stress of daily life, and we'd all like to just take a little cat nap while on the clock. Rapper/occasional actor Gucci Mane perhaps may have felt the same way while filming the 2012 movie "Spring Breakers."
Talking with Vulture, he recalled the long working hours on set, in addition to the touring he'd completed around the time he was filming the movie. Obviously, the dude was exhausted, and evidently, he fell asleep during a sex scene. As director Harmony Korine put it (via HuffPost), they were in the middle of shooting the intimate moment when, all of a sudden, he heard snores coming from Mane's way. The musician attributed his mid-scene slumber to Korine's extreme work ethic, claiming the director would work for 48 hours straight! However, Korine contests it was more so due to Gucci being under the influence of weed, but as for the truth? Well, we'll just let sleeping actors lie.
Emilia Clarke's uncomfortable toilet experience on Game of Thrones
"Game of Thrones" was an epic fantasy series that left us with many memorable moments — both awe-inspiring and gruesome. Actress Emilia Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen on the show, and she appeared in her fair share of shocking scenes.
For example, one of her more iconic moments in Season 1 was when Clarke's character ate a stallion's heart, thus covering Daenerys in blood. Clarke stated in a 2012 interview with Jimmy Kimmel that throughout the course of shooting that scene, she ate approximately 28 "hearts" that were made from jam. Clarke also reiterated this story to Vulture, adding how the hearts tasted like bleach after she was previously told they would taste like gummy bears.
Unfortunately, Clarke's woes didn't end there. These prop hearts spewed "really, really sticky" fake blood which, after dozens of takes, had made its way to various areas of Clarke's body. Unfortunately, this stuff was like fast-acting glue, and she recalled the moment where she disappeared from filming ... because she had accidentally gotten herself stuck to a toilet! Rest assured, being the Mother of Dragons is not all it's hyped up to be.
Mara Wilson had the 'the talk' while filming Mrs. Doubtfire
"Mrs. Doubtfire" is a classic dramedy film about a divorced dad (played by the late Robin Williams) who puts into motion an elaborate plan to disguise himself as his ex-wife's nanny in order to spend more time with his children. One of the children happened to be "Matilda" star Mara Wilson in her debut feature film. While filming, the former child star had the "sex talk" with her mother ... and wanted to tell everyone. Sharing the embarrassing moment in her 2016 book, "Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame," Wilson said, "I wasn't focusing on the scene. I was bubbling with excitement because I knew this thing, this big open secret, and I could not keep it in any longer."
The previous night, Wilson's mother had told her about the birds and the bees. The next day, Wilson asked one of the set hairdressers if she had "done it." She went to say, "As soon as she walked away, I announced in a singsong voice, 'I KNOW ABOUT SE-EX! I KNOW ABOUT SE-EX!'" Though the cast and crew found the song hilarious, Wilson's mother was embarrassed, which also made Wilson feel ashamed. However, everyone on set tried to keep things light. Director Christopher Columbus even joked that they could change the dialogue in a scene where Wilson helps Sally Field pick out a dress, saying, "You know, Mara, if you want, you can tell Sally her dress is sexy."
Margot Robbie's money bed mishap
It's hard to find a more intriguing duo than Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in the 2013 film "The Wolf of Wall Street." The two play Jordan and Naomi Belfort, respectively. The film follows Jordan Belfort, a high-profile, real-life stockbroker who makes millions by essentially scamming the everyday investor. Throughout the movie, there's no shortage of R-rated material, but during filming, Margot Robbie was actually injured during one memorable moment.
There's a scene in the film where the Belforts are having themselves, uh, a really good time. And like the Wall Street fat cats that they are, they're having sex on a mattress that's absolutely covered in cash. Unfortunately, this wasn't much fun in real life for poor Margot Robbie. All those fake bills had some seriously sharp edges, and by the time they were done filming, her back was scratched to pieces. Talking with The Daily Beast, she said that when she stood up, the whole studio gasped and asked if she was okay. Afterward, Robbie said she pondered whether it would've happened had the money been real, as they'd been using fake bills during filming.
Emily Blunt's embarrassing fall during The Adjustment Bureau
In the sci-fi thriller "The Adjustment Bureau," Matt Damon plays a politician who falls head over heels for a ballerina, played by Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, mysterious agents then conspire to keep the politician away from the lovely dancer. But while there's a lot of drama on the screen, there was also a bit off-screen too, as Blunt revealed that she struggled maintaining the proper balance for some of her dancing scenes.
In a conversation with Jennifer Aniston for Variety, Blunt briefly spoke about a specific incident that occurred during the movie. While answering a fan's question regarding the most embarrassing thing that'd happened to the actress on set, Blunt recalled falling face-first during a take while she was "in it," causing multiple bruises. Ouch. We can all relate to Blunt in the sense of trying to dance and our feet not quite agreeing with our intentions. Thankfully, the fall didn't ruin Blunt's experience making the film or her performance despite the injuries she suffered. After the film wrapped production, she attributed her recovery to all the massages she received shortly thereafter.
Matt Leblanc's stunt that put Joey in a sling
Fans of the popular TV series "Friends" may recall the scene when Joey suddenly turns up in Monica's apartment ... wearing a sling? In the show, the explanation given for the injury was that Joey had injured his arm jumping up and down on his bed. Now, all these years later, we finally know how exactly actor Matt LeBlanc injured himself, and it turns out filming the part of Joey Tribbiani was more dangerous than you'd think.
Talking with Jimmy Kimmel, LeBlanc explained that he'd dislocated his arm in Season 3's "The One Where No One's Ready." In this episode, Joey and Chandler are battling over an armchair, and as they were filming this moment, LeBlanc explained, "We both race to the chair. ... And somehow, I ended up completely upside down, and I was going to land on my head between the table and the chair, so I put my arm up to break my fall and just exploded my shoulder." This scene didn't end up in the episode, but it just goes to show that even on a series like "Friends," you never know when a stunt might end in disaster.