Audiences love to believe that the stars they see on screen are just as charming and connected in real life as the characters they play. The truth is very different. Hollywood is a place of ambition, ego, and creative clashes. Sometimes two talented actors are forced to work side by side even though they can barely stand one another.
These feuds do not always ruin a production. In fact, some of the most iconic films in history owe part of their power to the hidden tension bubbling behind the scenes. Here are some of the most famous examples of actors who secretly hated each other on set.
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford
The rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford is often described as the ultimate Hollywood feud. Both women were leading stars during the Golden Age of cinema. Davis was known for her fiery personality and uncompromising approach to her craft, while Crawford had carefully built her public image as a glamorous, elegant movie star.
Their dislike started long before they shared the screen. In the 1930s, Crawford married actor Franchot Tone, a man Davis openly admitted she had fallen for. The marriage created years of resentment. Each woman also saw the other as a professional threat. Davis was praised for her acting skill, while Crawford was criticized for relying on image and promotion.
When they finally worked together in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1962, the feud boiled over. Crew members remembered how Davis refused to speak directly to Crawford. In one famous scene, Davis was supposed to drag Crawford across the floor. Crawford filled her costume with weights, forcing Davis to strain and injure her back. Later, when Davis won an Academy Award nomination for the role, Crawford worked behind the scenes to present the Oscar for Best Actress on behalf of the winner, making sure she received the spotlight while Davis sat in the audience seething.
The tension never faded. Years later, their animosity became the subject of books and the TV series Feud, proving that sometimes hatred lasts far longer than the movies themselves.