With huge salaries and luxury lifestyles, Hollywood actors are used to getting what they want. This means that they can make some pretty outrageous demands while filming big budget movies, knowing that the rest of the cast and crew will do whatever it takes to keep them happy. Here are some examples of big-name actors requesting some very odd things.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Had A Long List Of Demands
Arnie’s most iconic role is undoubtedly the Terminator, so when he was asked to make Terminator 3, he was in a real position of power.
The bodybuilding actor wrote up 33 pages of demands for the shoot, including his own private gym, a team of bodyguards, full control over casting, makeup artists, chefs, and more!
Steve McQueen Asked For Extra Lines
Known as ‘The King of Cool,’ Steve McQueen was an incredible presence both on and off the screen. One of his most famous films was The Towering Inferno, in which he starred alongside Paul Newman.
McQueen was happy to work alongside another big star, but didn’t want Newman outshining him, so he asked for 12 extra lines of dialogue, so they both had the same amount.
Eddie Murphy Is Very Wasteful
Movie making can be quite a resource-heavy business, with all the cast and crew getting through a lot of items during production. This is especially true when Eddie Murphy is involved.
The classic comedic actor is a real hygiene freak and only uses items like toothbrushes and underwear once while on set before tossing them away and asking for a new one.
Bill Murray Needed A Little Convincing
Bill Murray is a Hollywood legend, renowned for his roles in movies like Groundhog Day. Ghostbusters was another big hit for Murray, but it nearly didn’t happen.
In fact, to actually agree to appear in the film and sign on the dotted line, Murray demanded that the studio pays for another movie he wanted to make called The Razor’s Edge.
Will Smith Can’t-Miss A Workout
Will Smith is one of the biggest and best actors of modern times, renowned for his excellent comedic timing while also being capable of taking on more dramatic roles too.
During the filming of Men in Black 3, Smith demanded an entire extra trailer with a whole gym inside it so he could work out often and keep his body in great shape.
Harrison Ford Was Sick Of Han Solo
It’s common knowledge among Star Wars fans that Harrison Ford actually wasn’t a huge fan of playing Han Solo. In fact, he actually demanded that the character be killed off.
When George Lucas announced plans to make the new sequels, Ford said he’d only take part if Solo was killed off and he was allowed to make another Indiana Jones film.
Robert Downey Jr. Made The SFX Team Work Overtime
Robert Downey Jr. really made the role of Iron Man his own, incarnating the arrogant playboy Tony Stark incredibly and bringing the superhero to life.
However, wearing that heavy armor was too taxing on the actor, so he asked the special effects experts to digitally create the suit instead, so he didn’t have to actually wear it all the time.
Mike Myers Is a Real Perfectionist
Actors like to look back on their work with a sense of pride and can get annoyed if they aren’t entirely happy with how something turned out. Mike Myers experienced this on the first Shrek movie.
The comic actor was so unhappy with his performance for the voice of Shrek that he demanded a full reshoot to transform the ogre’s accent, costing the studio $5 million.
Samuel L. Jackson Wanted To Stand Out
Samuel L. Jackson has a habit of stealing the spotlight and standing out as one of the best actors in any film he appears in. During his time on the Star Wars franchise, he took this idea to new limits.
For the filming of the prequel trilogy, in which Jackson plays Mace Windu, he actually requested a purple colored lightsaber, which had never been seen before, just so he could be different and unique compared to the other Jedi.
Johnny Depp Demanded A Little Help
Johnny Depp really made the character of Jack Sparrow iconic with his oddball performance, unique accent, and incredible passion for being a pirate, but there’s a secret he kept hidden while filming the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Apparently, Depp asked one of the sound engineers to fit him with an earpiece and read his lines to him during each take as he didn’t want to actually bother learning them himself.
Gary Busey Had His Own Heavenly Vision
Popular character actor Gary Busey, who appeared in movies like Point Break, Lethal Weapon, and Lost Highway, allegedly had a near-death experience and saw what he believed to be a vision of the afterlife.
So, when filming a scene in Quigley that involved the afterlife, Busey demanded that the whole set be changed to look more like what he’d seen.
Jack Nicholson Took Sporting Rivalries To A New Level
Jack Nicholson is a big sports fan and is a fervent supporter of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, as demonstrated when he starred in The Departed.
Before even agreeing to appear in the film, Nicholson demanded that all Boston Celtics imagery and memorabilia be cut from the set because the Celtics were big rivals of the Lakers.
Daniel Day Lewis Takes Method Acting To A New Level
Daniel Day Lewis is renowned for his methodic approach to acting, with the British legend truly incarnating the characters he plays as profoundly as possible.
While filming My Left Foot, he played a disabled man who could only move one of his feet. So, to get fully in character, Day Lewis demanded that he be wheeled around all day and fed by the crew.
Wesley Snipes Isn’t Super Friendly
Whether it’s out of shyness or merely a lack of interest, Wesley Snipes has reportedly been very anti-social on the set of various movies, especially the Blade trilogy of vampire hunting action films.
Allegedly, Snipes spent almost all of his time on set shut up in his own trailer, only communicating with the director via little-written notes.
Sharon Stone Wanted Very Special Treatment
Some actors have developed a bit of a reputation over the years for being quite demanding on set, with Sharon Stone being a prime example.
While filming A Golden Boy, Stone demanded her own private limo and wanted to be classed as a producer on the film so she could take home her outfits without paying.