# What is it like to be on a film set when the star doesn't show up **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2025, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385 "2025-03-10T11:16:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chelonaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chelonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chelonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/1 "2025-03-10T11:16:52Z")
E.g. Dwayne Johnson was allegedly sometimes up to 8 hours late for filming Big Red One. There’s also stories about everybody from Marilyn Monroe to Johnny Depp staying in their trailers for hours. I was wondering what all the crew and the other actors do in such a situation. Do they sit down, thinking “at least I get paid”. Do they try to get some necessary chores done, that can be abandoned if/when the primadonna shows up. Maybe some light exercises/yoga to keep awake and limber until the set is ready to film? I figured there is a chance some doper has personal experience, or know somebody who has, or know some online resources. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/2 "2025-03-10T11:27:44Z")
They try to film around them as much as possible. Granted, if it is the main character, most scenes include that character, but they do what they can. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/3 "2025-03-10T11:31:19Z")
From what I’ve heard from people who have been on film shoots, being on time and ready is critically important no matter what your job is. I think this applies to actors as much as crew. You might end up with 50 or 100 unhappy people, if you include the other actors and extras, standing around waiting for someone to show up before they can do the job they’re getting paid for. The director and producers, should any be on set, will also be pissed that daylight and money is being wasted because someone didn’t make their call time. Do the crew and other actors get paid for this downtime? I would assume so, especially if they are union workers, but they still won’t be happy about the situation. My guess is they will either be standing around waiting, or using the time to do other tasks they would normally do later, as long as they stay close to the set and can be ready to go at a moments notice. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/4 "2025-03-10T12:05:01Z")
It depends on a lot of different factors. With respect to Dwayne Johnson as named in the OP, it’s noteworthy that he greatly prefers to work with low-powered directors like Rawson Marshall Thurber (they’ve made three movies together, I think), because Johnson is the Big Dog on set and nobody has the authority to correct him. I guarantee you he didn’t pull these shenanigans when he was working for Michael Bay on _Pain and Gain_ — whatever you might think of Bay’s movies, he’s a committed professional on set and doesn’t put up with bullshit from prima donna cast members. For another example, check the stories of Wesley Snipes refusing to leave his trailer during the shoot for the third Blade movie. The director shrugged and shot the movie anyway, using the star’s stunt double in over-the-shoulder and wide shots, and then picked up facial close-ups of Snipes to be cut into the final film whenever the star made his brief appearances on set. If you watch the movie with this in mind, it’s pretty funny how obviously they’re working around the star’s recalcitrance. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/5 "2025-03-10T12:07:31Z")
nm nm nm ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/6 "2025-03-10T19:01:13Z")
Related: Professional athletes who have to say nice things about terrible teammates. It’s just uncomfortable for everyone around. “Do you think your $77M teammate’s off the field legal troubles and outspoken criticism of the rest of the squad is good for locker room morale? We’re live, coast to coast.” ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/7 "2025-03-11T01:13:32Z")
My impression is that even when things are going as planned, most people on a set at any given time are just waiting around until they are needed. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/8 "2025-03-11T01:17:36Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > E.g. Dwayne Johnson was allegedly sometimes up to 8 hours late for filming Big Red One. He is rumored to have been paid $50 million for that movie, though part of that was in “back-end participation” and given how unsuccessful that movie was, there may have been none. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/9 "2025-03-11T01:25:07Z")
I know Tom Hardy pissed Charlie Theron off massively on Mad Max Fury Road by being late. She would be there, in makeup, all ready. Green screen stuff on her arm…and then wait and wait and wait. It’s rude to make the whole crew wait for you when you are just one small piece in the machinery of making a movie. I think the Golden Rule of movie acting is to be on time and to know your lines. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/10 "2025-03-11T11:10:11Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > My impression is that even when things are going as planned, most people on a set at any given time are just waiting around until they are needed. _“The most exciting day of your life is your first day on a movie set, and the dullest day of your life is the second day.”_ — William Goldman ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/11 "2025-03-11T11:57:52Z")
It’s not just prima donna actors that can hold up filming. Bad weather, lack of planning, filming location incompatibilities, etc. also delay the process. The original Dr. Dolittle is a prime example of this. > **['The Giraffe Stepped On His C\*\*k': The Amazing True Story of the Disastrous...](https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/the-giraffe-stepped-on-his-ck-the-amazing-true-story-of-the-disastrous-making-of-doctor-dolittle.php)** > > Robert Downey Jr., one of the most famous actors on the planet, spent many years trying to make his dream project a reality. When you're Tony Stark and the acclaimed actor star who helped to birth the most financially successful... I remember reading about another Dr. Dolittle disaster in _The Golden Turkey Hall of Shame_: After weeks of bad weather, the filmmakers finally were able to film a simple scene of ducks swimming across a pond, but the ducks they brought in had moulted and lost their swimming feathers. They sank into the pond like rocks and the film crew had to dive in to save them. ---
**Author:** ![Chelonaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chelonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chelonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/12 "2025-03-11T13:22:25Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > using the time to do other tasks they would normally do later, as long as they stay close to the set and can be ready to go at a moments notice. Yeah, producers, directors and costars (sometimes) have the power to rework the movie so the absent star doesn’t matter so much, or give him/her a stern talking to behave like a pro. Or they can bitch about it in an interview later, and people will take note. I’m wondering about all the gaffers and best boys and grips and boom operators etc. What specifically can they do? Are there some routine maintenance cameras, light fixtures etc. needs that can be deferred to “next time we have nothing else to do” and can be abandoned quickly if needs be? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/13 "2025-03-11T13:39:19Z")
What I don’t understand is, if an actor is known for being a prima donna and causing production delays, how do they continue to get work? Do the studios think the potential box office draw will outweigh costs due to the inevitable production delays? And they think it’s worth putting the crew and the rest of the cast through it just so they can have their star in the picture? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/14 "2025-03-11T13:53:40Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Do the studios think the potential box office draw will outweigh costs due to the inevitable production delays? It’s always about the economic calculus, whether they’re a prima donna or not. Does the expected revenue value of the performer exceed the cost of hiring them? This is not unique to the film industry. It’s true everywhere. Think back in your career, to that one veteran sales guy, for example, whose contract closure rate was twice as high as his closest competitor. So maybe he was aggressive about hitting on the admin staff, and maybe he drank too much at company parties, and maybe his absentee rate exceeded his time-off allowance… but as long as his sales numbers remained sky-high, the employer would forgive just about anything. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/15 "2025-03-11T14:05:39Z")
Rob Reiner and others have recounted an incident with Andre the Giant on the set of the Princess Bride. After the first day on the set Andre took the crew out on the town for a night of drinking and carousing. All night. In the morning none of them were ready to work. This was nothing special for Andre, that’s the way he spent most nights in his life. This was no small matter for Reiner though, as the director he was responsible for keeping filming on schedule and a day’s shooting had to be cancelled. He also had to do the director’s job of taking personnel to task under the circumstances. So shaking in his boots the whole time, Reiner stood in front of Andre and yelled at him, lecturing him on the cost to the production from losing a day of shooting, how the whole film was in danger, the cast and crew could lose their jobs, and if any such incident ever happened again Andre would definitely be fired. Reiner was afraid he might get squashed like a bug but didn’t realize how important this role was for Andre, it was his chance to show he was more than just a professional wrestler, a wrestler often treated no differently than a circus freak. Andre was actually on the verge of tears from the thought of losing this opportunity and despite his usual habits caused no more problems. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/16 "2025-03-11T14:11:44Z")
Agree w @Cervaise that it’s all about expectations of the net cost/hassle & bosses will look the other way as long as the money rolls in. Where it gets tricky is that showbiz stars aren’t regular long-term employees with locally well-known track records. They’re short term gig workers. Yes, they develop a rep around the industry, but the suits don’t _know_ how big or little of a problem star X will be on the set of this particular movie this particular month. Doubly so when you consider the amount of substance abuse problems in that crowd. Mix booze and/or drugs with overweening egos and formerly (semi-) reliable folks can spin out of control. Sucks when that unexpectedly happens on your dime. e.g. @TriPolar’sAndre the Giant story. Which had a happy ending, but that’s noteworthy for its rarity, not its commonness. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/17 "2025-03-11T14:21:50Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Yes, they develop a rep around the industry, but the suits don’t _know_ how big or little of a problem star X will be on the set of this particular movie this particular month. The smart movie stars find ways to flex their authority that don’t interfere with the rest of the shoot. There was a story going around maybe twenty years ago about a particular ingenue, hot at the time, who required the production to supply her with a daily case of Perrier solely for the purpose of washing her dog. This is obviously ludicrous, and it got some traction in the rumor mill as an example of a puffed-up starlet being foolish and demanding. That view, however, overlooks the fact that the starlet _knows_ it’s a ludicrous demand. It’s similar to the story about the rock band whose contract specified a bowl of M&Ms with the brown ones removed. In that case, it was about testing whether or not the venue had read the contract down to the fine details, which can have serious safety implications when we’re talking about pyrotechnics and high-voltage amps. By contractually requiring a case of Perrier, the starlet is signaling: I know what I’m worth, and I know I have power, and if you jerk me around I will not hesitate to fight back. That’s a _good_ example of a star showing the prodco where the power is. Getting hammered and blowing off a day of filming comes from a similar impulse, but is much more destructive. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/18 "2025-03-11T14:22:58Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > if an actor is known for being a prima donna and causing production delays, how do they continue to get work? I’d love to know. Take Robert Downey, Jr. He was a wreck back in the 90’s (?). Personal problems, getting fired. I was mad at Hollywood for giving him third and forth chances. I’d never get than many in my work. Then he turned his life around and made a shit ton of good performances, that I like a lot. So I’m a hypocrite. I still think Hollywood gives too many “last chances”. Sad to see Mr Rock was a primadonna. I always thought he was one of the “good ones”; professional. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/19 "2025-03-11T14:27:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I was mad at Hollywood for giving him third and forth chances. It’s a little more complex than that. After he bottomed out, the industry _wasn’t_ giving him repeat opportunities. It took personal intervention by a different movie star, including his writing a check to underwrite a huge insurance policy to protect the production Downey was pursuing, for Downey to begin his comeback. Details here. > **[Robert Downey Jr. Drug Addiction: An Incredible Comeback Story](https://drugabuse.com/blog/robert-downey-jr-s-incredible-comeback-from-addiction/)** > > Before becoming Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. experienced a long cycle of drug and alcohol abuse. Learn more about his inspiring comeback from addiction. Edit to add: Dwayne Johnson is decidedly _not_ one of the good ones. He’s a legendary asshole on set. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385/20 "2025-03-11T15:06:16Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > E.g. Dwayne Johnson was allegedly sometimes up to 8 hours late for filming Big Red One. OK, at first I thought that Johnson was involved in a [remake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Red_One) that I had never heard was being made. It took me a moment to realize that this is about his behavior during the filming of _Red One_. And I am another person who thought that Johnson was a decent person and I was really disappointed to hear that his ego-driven behavior hurt the production of _Black Adam_. Chris Evans [defended his behavior](https://deadline.com/2024/11/dwayne-johnson-red-one-controversy-1236172470/) on the set of _Red One_ and said that Johnson coming in late was a known and expected thing, using Johnson’s morning workout routines as an accepted reason. He also said that Johnson chips in huge amounts of money to the Friday crew raffles. If that’s true (and I have no reason to think that the owner of America’s Butt is lying to us), then that does speak well for Johnson. Maybe he’s a complicated man. Those reports though really make him sound like a dick. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-on-a-film-set-when-the-star-doesnt-show-up/1015385.md?page=2)