Actors Who Refuse To Talk To Extras
It's actually a common practice on film and TV sets to forbid extras and crew members from interacting with principal cast. One anonymous background performer even told The Guardian in 2016 that their contract "specifically orders you not to talk to any of the actors, much as you are advised not to feed animals in a zoo."
Of course, the stars of the show or movie are free to bend or outright break that rule whenever they like, which they frequently do. Perhaps the best known example of this is from Three Kings when George Clooney came to the aid of an extra who director David O. Russell had just allegedly assaulted. The confrontation between Clooney and Russell nearly came to blows and effectively ended the relationship between the star and the director.
But not every actor is as classy as Clooney. In fact, some seem to not only relish in the restrictions on the lowly supporting cast, but also enforce them without mercy. Let's take a look at some of the actors who reportedly refuse to talk to extras.
Mark Wahlberg doesn't want your headshot
In a ranging profile of some veteran movie extras, LA Weekly dished up the dirt on none other than Dirk Diggler himself — actor Mark Wahlberg. An extra named Kayla Delehant told the mag that she observed another extra "walk up to Mark Wahlberg's personal assistant and say, 'Here's my headshot, can you give this to Mark Wahlberg?'"
First of all, kudos to that no-namer who had the courage to soldier up and attempt such a move. However, it didn't exactly work out because Delehant claimed the headshot-wielder was then "instantly removed from the set."
Of course, it's easy to look at this story and either question its authenticity outright or place the blame squarely on Wahlberg's assistant. Either way, we hope the true life happy ending to that story was that the extra became a huge star one day, then sent that very headshot to Wahlberg with the message, "No worries, Mark. Sending you good vibrations. Love, Chris Pratt."
Buffy's dog was the Simon Cowell of canines
This one comes with a healthy dose of skepticism, because it's from a single commenter on a random internet message board, but it involves Sarah Michelle Gellar's dog, who allegedly served as a de facto casting agent on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so we're including it.
On the comment board fireflyfans.net, under the question of "Why was Sarah Michelle Gellar known as the 'dutchess?,'" commenter JAREDAN wrote that Gellar was "distant and dismissive" toward the crew and extras. On top of that, Gellar constantly had a dog with her "that did not take kindly to certain people ... However, if that dog were to bark at someone, like an extra, they were removed from the set."
If true, that is Diva Level: Mariah right there. There may actually be some additional substance to back up this claim. According to Buffy co star Alyson Hannigan's confession on Watch What Happens Live (via Us Weekly), Gellar had "officially started to hate" doing the show by Season 3. (It ran for seven seasons.)
Even Gellar admitted that she was more than ready to move on when she left the show in 2003. "This has been the longest span of my life in one place. There've been times where that's been difficult — you want to pick up and go, try other things, live in different places. It feels right, and you have to listen to that," she said.
Granted, neither of those quotes mentions anything about an overly discerning pooch barking, "You're fired!" at unsuspecting extras, but come on, you absolutely want that to be true, right?
All an extra had to do to get Tom Selleck's attention was point a gun at him
If you weren't into daytime television in the late nineties, you may have missed the awkward showdown between talk show queen Rosie O'Donnell and actor and gun enthusiast Tom Selleck. In the wake of the 1999 Columbine Massacre, O'Donnell had become an outspoken advocate for gun control, whereas Selleck, who had done an ad for the NRA, suggested that legislation not be passed so soon after the tragedy.
Fast-forward a decade or so, and Selleck, who is coincidentally now an NRA board member, took gun control in his own hands, literally, when he scolded an extra on the set of his cop drama, Blue Bloods. According to the National Enquirer, the extra pointed a gun at Selleck. The weapon was reportedly unloaded, but was allegedly a "real pistol." The extra handed over the gun to the props department after Selleck supposedly chastised him then "launched a 10-minute safety rant."
And yeah, we're aware that this is actually the complete opposite of ignoring an extra, but if we had to guess, we'd say that random background actor probably wishes Tom Selleck never even knew he was born.
If Hallmark had a 'Please leave me alone' section...
Comedy legend Steve Martin isn't nice to extras? Say it ain't so, you may now rightfully be saying. Truth be told, we don't know exactly how the comedian turned actor turned banjo virtuoso treats the lowly talent surrounding him on a film set. But we do know how he handles fan encounters, which, let's be honest, are probably not all that different from how extras approach him.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Martin is as private off the set as he is wildly funny on it. In other words: He's not exactly approachable. The good news is: He's apparently not a jerk about it and even gives fans a nice little souvenir to take home without ever having to speak a word to them. The entertainment mag reports that Martin "fends off fans with a card that reads, 'This certifies that you have had a personal encounter with me and that you found me warm, polite, intelligent, and funny.'"
That is a master stroke in combining comedy with keeping a stiff arm's length between oneself and the drooling masses. Bravo, Mr. Martin, although, we wouldn't have expected anything less.
JLo probably won't like this story after her handler tells her about it
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez has a legendary reputation for being a diva. From her tour rider requesting an all-white dressing room (down to the drapes, candles, and couches), to her overbearing entourage of whom model Chrissy Teigen once advised to go "kick rocks," the unflattering stories are practically endless.
But to specifically address the topic at hand, the New York Daily News reported in 2011 that Lopez "wouldn't talk to anyone directly" on the set of the rom-com What to Expect When You're Expecting. Supposedly all communications with Jenny from the Block were filtered "through her handler."
The former Fly Girl actually addressed her "diva" reputation in a discussion with The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. Lopez claimed she does not deserve the unsavory descriptor, of which she says many women in the entertainment industry get saddled after "reaching a certain amount of success." She added, "I've always been fascinated by how much more well behaved we have to be than men."
Call us crazy, but if people heard that Tom Hanks demanded monochromatic trailer decor on the Forrest Gump set, we're sure that would have gotten an equal and appropriate level of side-eye.