Why Tom Hardy & Charlize Theron Fought On The Mad Max Set, According To The Director
Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron's feud on the set of "Mad Max: Fury Road" is no secret, but director George Miller has shared more details about the fallout. While speaking to The Telegraph, the filmmaker explained that the pair didn't see eye-to-eye, especially after Hardy started showing up late to shoot his scenes with Theron.
"Tom has a damage to him but also a brilliance that comes with it, and whatever was going on with him at the time, he had to be coaxed out of his trailer," Miller revealed. "Whereas Charlize was incredibly disciplined — a dancer by training, which told in the precision of her performance — and always the first one on set."
Miller didn't try to excuse Hardy's on-set behavior, noting that some actors get away with too much simply because they're capable of delivering great work. However, he felt the rivalry forced the actors to come together — similar to their characters, Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa, reluctantly becoming allies due to mutual interests in the action-packed blockbuster. That said, some moments between the co-stars seemingly got out of hand.
Charlize Theron 'didn't feel safe' around Tom Hardy
Many people view "Mad Max Fury Road" as one of the best action movies of all time, but it's a miracle it made it to the screen. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron's characters are central to the plot, and losing either of them could have derailed the entire production. There were moments where it was difficult for them to be around each other, with Theron even feeling unsafe around her co-star.
The book "Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road" details an explosive rift between the actors that culminated with Theron requiring protection following a heated argument after Hardy kept everyone waiting around for hours. "It got to a place where it was kind of out of hand, and there was a sense that maybe sending a woman producer down could maybe equalize some of it, because I didn't feel safe," Theron recalled (via The Guardian). Additionally, the actors' stunt doubles were often required to step in for the stars whenever they had scenes together.
It remains to be seen if Hardy and Theron will reunite for any of the planned "Mad Max: Fury Road" sequels George Miller has talked about. However, the Furiosa character returns to screens this summer in a prequel movie, with Anya Taylor-Joy portraying a younger version of the hero.