Working with big-name directors can be a trying experience. And if anyone has a reputation for being difficult, it's Stanley Kubrick. The eccentric director passed away in 1999 after a long and well-received career behind the camera.

Kubrick's legacy is so great, in fact, that The Design Museum has an exhibit dedicated to his brilliance. Though Kubrick found it hard to direct 'The Shining,' there's no doubt that his impact on each film he directed will continue to affect audiences.

Gone for over 20 years now, Stanley Kubrick continues to inspire headlines, particularly when it comes to interviews with actors from his long list of films, which includes 'The Shining,' 'A Clockwork Orange,' 'Eyes Wide Shut,' 'Lolita,' and others.

Actors still buzz about the director, particularly those who got their big breaks under Kubrick's tutelage. Of course, Malcolm McDowell looks much different than when he was in 'A Clockwork Orange' with Stanley Kubrick's direction. Back in the day, Malcolm was a young actor with his entire career ahead of him.

Stanley Kubrick as a young man posing in a black and white photo

But even as green as he was, Malcolm knew that working with Stanley Kubrick was a big deal. As InsideHook confirmed, however, Malcolm said it was hard to bond with the too-tough director.

In fact, Malcolm called Stanley "too brutal" and controlling. It could have had something to do with the content they were filming, of course. The scene where Malcolm's eyes are held open even resulted in scratches to his corneas.

But before that, Stanely forced Malcolm to watch violent movies, the actor recalled, to prepare him for the role of Alex DeLarge.

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Which was vastly different from the experience that 'The Shining' actors had, years later. As a now-grown Danny (who shared the same first name as his character, likely to make it easier on the then-five-year-old) divulged, Stanley was a cool guy on the 1980 set.

In interviews, Danny recalled eating PB&J with those creepy twins from the movie and pedaling his beloved tricycle down the hallway. It seemed that Stanley took every precaution to insulate the kids against the content they were actually filming.

Danny Lloyd didn't realize until much later that he'd even been in a horror film. He did recall, however, that Shelly Duvall didn't have an easy time working with Stanley... In interviews, Danny recalled Shelly acting in countless takes of the same scene, because the perfectionist Kubrick wanted the shot just so.

So perhaps Kubrick has a soft spot for kids, not so much seasoned actors with high-stakes roles. Still, Kubrick left behind a staggering legacy with his work. No one's arguing that it wasn't worth a bit of sacrifice on the actors' parts to achieve the epic film that is 'The Shining,' anyway.

NEXT: 18 Behind The Scenes Secrets About The Making Of The Shining