5 of the Most Hilarious On-Set Pranks
Making a blockbuster film can be stressful, so it’s important to keep things light sometimes. To that end, it’s not uncommon for actors, directors and other on-set personnel to prank each other, but the true legends go far beyond whoopie cushions and snakes in a can. We’re talking psychological warfare, or at least impressive automotive relocation.
Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman Terrorized Daniel Radcliffe With a Fart Machine
Being surrounded by teenagers can turn even the most British of seasoned actors into children. In a Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban scene where all the Hogwarts students are supposed to be sleeping in bags in the Great Hall, Gambon and Rickman planted a “fart machine” in Radcliffe’s sleeping bag, setting it off with the comedic timing that only those two could pull off. They did it specifically because they knew Radcliffe had sidled up next to a girl he liked, too. More like Professor Cockleblock.
Brad Pitt Made Everyone Terrified of George Clooney
Clooney is known as a legendary prankster, but Pitt’s prank on him on the set of Ocean’s Eleven topped them all. When Clooney arrived on set in Italy, he was bewildered that everyone he met refused to look him in the eye or address him as anything other than “Mr. Clooney” or his character, “Danny Ocean.” It turned out Pitt had warned the entire town that Clooney was a serious method actor, and they would be in deep poppa if they didn’t respect his process. “So all the newspapers were like, ‘Il Divo! George Clooney is Il Divo!’” Clooney recalled. To be fair, that’s a great tagline.
Willem Dafoe Convinced Mark Ruffalo He Was Getting Fired
On the set of Poor Things, Dafoe had little patience for Ruffalo’s self-deprecating jokes. “He’s brilliant in this movie,” Dafoe said, but Ruffalo “kept on belly-aching” that he wasn’t a good enough actor for the role and felt certain he’d be replaced. When Ruffalo noticed Oscar Isaac hanging around the studio in Budapest, where he was actually just shooting a different movie, he jokingly asked if Isaac was there to replace him, so Dafoe decided to confirm his worst fears. He even got Isaac to visit the set to break the bad news. It only “lasted for about a second,” Dafoe insisted, “but it was a good joke.”
The ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Crew Hid Spike Jonze’s Vespa (In the Ceiling)
If you’re any kind of prankster, you’ve probably hid someone’s car. It’s a classic. Well, the crew on the set of Where the Wild Things Are got a little more creative than “across the parking lot.” They loaded director Jonze’s Vespa into straps and hoisted it up into the rafters of the soundstage. When he finally found it, they doused him in yogurt and rice, which is the Southern California equivalent of tar and feathers.
Star Trek Into Darkness Actors Were Told to Wear ‘Neutron Cream’
The cast of Star Trek Into Darkness can be divided into two groups: those who believe Hollywood idiots would be allowed to operate dangerous lasers, and those who think those people are funny. After Benedict Cumberbatch wondered, in his words, “What can’t we touch? What’s safe?” some cast and crew members, including Simon Pegg and Chris Pine, convinced him and others, including Zachary Quinto and Zoë Saldaña, that they had to wear “neutron cream” (actually regular sunscreen) to protect themselves. To be fair, Cumberbatch had a good reason to believe he was subject to unthinkable dangers that he alone was responsible for avoiding on the set. As he explained, “It’s America.”