Charlize Theron is an outstanding actress but sometimes working with the actress has been tough for some celebrities. In 2017, Theron revealed that she actually punched her co-star, Teri Hatcher, in the face while they were working on John Herzfeld’s 1996’s film 2 Days in the Valley. The scene is one of the most memorable fight scenes in the history of Hollywood.
While working on Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Theron also had some major issues with Tom Hardy. In Kyle Buchanan’s book, Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road, the story of the feud between the two stars was revealed.
Charlize Theron punched her co-star
Teri Hatcher and Charlize Theron in the movie
Back in the 1990s, when actress Charlize Theron was shooting for John Herzfeld’s film, 2 Days in the Valley (1996), she was required to shoot a fighting scene with her co-star, Teri Hatcher. In a 2017 interview with W Magazine, Theron revealed that she actually punched Hatcher. She said,
“2 Days in the Valley. Rotten Tomatoes gave it number 17 on the list of 20 Greatest Fight Scenes Ever. The fight was between me and Teri Hatcher. I hit her really bad. I think she was bruised and because it was Teri Hatcher, who was a star, and I was this bleached-blonde-Amazonian, catsuit-wearing nobody who was punching her in the face, I was like a wild animal. Back then I didn’t know how to hone in my energy and I was knocking over lights. I had no concept of a set. I connected right with Teri Hatcher’s face. I felt terrible about it. I had no money and sent her some cheap beer the next day. Sorry, Teri.”
Technically, 2 Days in the Valley was Theron’s first major movie as she only had a cameo in a major film project before that.
Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy didn’t get along while filming Mad Max: Fury Road
Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Kyle Buchanan’s book Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road was released in 2022. The book highlights the process and obstacles that came in the way of making Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
The book also covers the infamous feud between Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Camera operator Mark Goellnicht explained how the feud began,
“I remember vividly the day. The call on set was eight o’clock. Charlize got there right at eight o’clock, sat in the War Rig, knowing that Tom’s never going to be there at eight even though they made a special request for him to be there on time.
He was notorious for never being on time in the morning. If the call time was in the morning, forget it—he didn’t show up.”
Hardy showed up three hours later while Theron was sitting in the War Rig in full costume and makeup all the time. Theron then let it all out,
“She jumps out of the War Rig, and she starts swearing her head off at him, saying, ‘Fine the f**king c**t a hundred thousand dollars for every minute that he’s held up this crew,’ and ‘How disrespectful you are!’ She was right. Full rant. She screams it out. It’s so loud, it’s so windy — he might’ve heard some of it, but he charged up to her and went, ‘What did you say to me?’ He was quite aggressive. She really felt threatened, and that was the turning point.”
Hardy has admitted his mistake in the past, claiming that what Theron needed “was a better, perhaps more experienced partner.” Somehow their off-screen feud didn’t affect their performances in the movie.