It is fair to say that there are a number of Hollywood actors that are difficult to work with.
Vacation star Chevy Chase did much to frustrate and alienate his peers on Saturday Night Live. Charlie Sheen's hard-partying lifestyle allegedly made it difficult for his co-stars to work with him on Two And A Half Men. And Bruce Willis was seemingly very hard to work with on Cop Out, according to director Kevin Smith.
The list of 'difficult to work with' actors could go on, as it seems there are a lot of A-list and B-list celebs that do little to ingratiate themselves with the people around them. One such is Steven Seagal, the karate-chopping action star who rose to fame in the late 80s and early 90s. His years in Hollywood have been dogged with controversy, partly thanks to his sometimes bizarre behavior, and partly because of the way he has mistreated his fellow actors.
But is Steven Seagal 'the most difficult' actor to work with? Well, it is clear that there is a lot of dislike for him, so let's take a look at some of the reasons why Seagal has proven difficult to work with.
Seagal Sometimes Behaves Aggressively on set
During the making of the 1996 flick Executive Decision, actor John Leguizamo allegedly fell on the wrong side of Steven Seagal. The actor explained all during an interview with AV Club when he revealed how he came to blows with the former martial arts superstar.
During the first day of rehearsal on the film, Leguizamo overheard Seagal saying to his fellow actors, "I’m in command. What I say is law." Leguizamo found this to be hilarious, but after opening his mouth in retaliation, he quickly discovered that Seagal was in no mood to be messed around with.
In the interview, the actor said of the incident with Seagal:
"I started laughing and he slammed me with an aikido elbow against a brick wall and knocked all the air out of me. I dropped to the ground, and all I could say was, [gasping] 'Why? Why?"
This isn't the first time that Seagal's anger has gotten the better of him (and his unwitting opponents). Before he became famous, he also broke the wrist of the late, great Sean Connery. During the making of Never Say Never Again, Seagal had been brought in as a fight choreographer, but after losing his cool with the Bond star, he caused him a very unpleasant injury.
What are we to take from all this? It's simple: Never get on the wrong side of Steven Seagal! However, these instances of aggressive on-set behavior are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the actor's conduct towards others.
In recent years, much has been reported of actors who have behaved inappropriately. Fans started to turn on Kevin Spacey for his alleged predatory behavior, for example, and Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, and Jeffrey Tambor are just some of the other actors who have also fallen under the spotlight. Steven Seagal has also been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior, even during auditions for some of his movies.
Arrested Development star Portia de Rossi recalled a 'final audition' she was called to at Seagal's office. She said during an interview:
"He told me how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants. I ran out and called my agent."
When auditioning for a role in Under Siege 2, actress Jenny McCarthy (pictured above) also reported an unpleasant encounter with the disgraced actor. In an interview with Movieline, she said:
"I was wearing this very baggy dress which I always wear to auditions, with my hair pulled back. I'm listening to him go on and on about how he found his soul in Asia and is one with himself and whatever. When I said, 'Well, I'm ready to read,' he said, 'Stand up, you have to be kind of sexy in the movie and in that dress, I can't tell.' I stand up and he goes, 'Take off your dress.' I said, 'What?' and he said, 'There's nudity.' I said, 'No, there's not, or I wouldn't be here right now.' He said again, 'There's nudity,' and I said, 'The pages are right in front of me. There's no nudity.' He goes, 'Take off your dress.' I just started crying and said, 'Rent my [Playboy] video, you a**hole!' and ran out to the car."
These are just two examples of the inappropriate behavior that Seagal has exhibited during auditions, but a quick Google search online will lead you to further troubling instances.
Steven Seagal: Is He The Most Difficult Actor To Work With?
With on-set reports of violent and aggressive behavior, and sexual harassment during auditions for his movies, it is clear that Seagal isn't always a good person to be around. Perhaps this is why Seagal has now been reduced to sub-par action movies that have been made outside of mainstream Hollywood. After all, who would want to work with somebody that can genuinely be feared?
There are many other instances of Hollywood celebrities who have struggled with Seagal's behavior, but in a nod to one of the actor's movie titles, they are now out for justice! Many celebs have spoken out against the actor, and a quick search online will reveal why Seagal can genuinely be considered the most difficult actor to work with.