The number of Hollywood feuds is practically unfathomable, and its not always easy to keep up with the latest beef. Though problems often arise between co-stars when the cameras turn off, disagreements have been known to happen between directors and actors. The tabloids had a field day with Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland during their notorious relationship, a distraction that caused a lot of tension on Steven Spielbergs Hook set in 1991. Spielberg accused Roberts of poor behavior on set, but its almost hard to imagine when looking back at both of their careers because neither of them seems to have endured any further instances of that nature since.
These types of feuds are notorious, however, with one of the most well-known being the heated tensions that flared between Kramer vs. Kramer costars Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Hoffman a noted Method actor verbally and physically harassed Streep, later confessing that going through an actual divorce while filming a divorce drama hit a little too close to what he was going through at home. Oddly enough, the 1990s blowout between Julia Roberts and Steven Spielberg was the result of a similar experience, with Roberts going through a difficult breakup with her romantic partner at the time, Keifer Sutherland. Though the origins of these issues often remain shrouded in mystery, both parties have since discussed the filming of Hook and why the complicated nature of Roberts personal life at the time may go some way toward explaining why they occurred. As Spielberg later noted, the timing could not have been worse.
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on September 1, 2024: In an age of constant Hollywood feuds, one strange case involving Julia Roberts and Steven Spielberg is still talked about among fans decades later. This article has been updated with further information on the infamous feud and to adhere to CBRs current formatting guidelines.
Roberts Tinker Bell Casting in Hook Came After the Success of Pretty Woman
Julia Roberts Was One Of The Biggest Up-And-Coming Actors Of The 1990s
Julia Roberts Filmography Before Hook
Firehouse (1987)
Satisfaction (1988)
Mystic Pizza (1988)
Blood Red (1989)
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Pretty Woman (1990)
Flatliners (1990)
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
Dying Young (1991)
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The Breakfast Club star Molly Ringwald explains why she turned down the lead role in Pretty Woman, which later went to Julia Roberts.
Roberts breakthrough role came in the underrated 1988 film Mystic Pizza before starring in the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman. The smash hit rocketed her to stardom and earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She was even favored to win that year, though the award finally went to Kathy Bates (in a surprise upset for the Stephen King thriller Misery).A year after Pretty Woman, Roberts starred as Tinker Bell in Steven Spielbergs Hook, a sequel to J.M. Barries 1911 book Peter and Wendy, focusing on Peter Pans adult life. Robin Williams played the lead role of Peter Banning, a middle-aged lawyer who had forgotten his childhood in Neverland until his old nemesis Captain Hook comes calling. Hook followed the kidnapping and rescue of Peters children as Banning learned to embrace the free-spirited child he once was.
Williams had previously starred in the 1987 semi-biographical film Good Morning, Vietnam, and Dead Poets Society. Other dominant names in the case include Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook and Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy. Smith is most known for her roles as Lady Violet in Downton Abbey and Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise.Hook also featured appearances from singers Phil Collins and David Crosby and two unique Star Wars cameos: Carrie Fisher and George Lucas, who play a couple kissing on a bridge near Londons Big Ben. However, not every cast member was as pleasant to work with as their on-screen characters.
Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherlands Relationship Caused a Tabloid Scandal
Kiefer Sutherlands Albums
Down in a Hole (2016)
Reckless & Me (2019)
Bloor Street (2022)
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One Oscar-winning director hails another as Steven Spielberg lauds Martin Scorsese for his Western drama, Killers of the Flower Moon.
Roberts gained the nickname Tinker Hell for her allegedly awful behavior on the set of Hook. She was only 23 years old when filming and was engaged to another actor, Kiefer Sutherland, the son of acclaimed actor Donald Sutherland. The younger Sutherland was best known at the time for starring in The Lost Boys alongside Jason Patric and Corey Haim. The pair had met on the set of the 1990 thriller Flatliners shortly after the end of Sutherlands first marriage to Camelia Kath and announced their engagement in late August, coinciding with the films release. The date was set for June 14, 1991, which turned out to be at the end of Hooks shooting schedule.
During the filming of Hook, Roberts discovered Sutherland had allegedly cheated on her before their wedding with an exotic dancer. The drama didnt stop there because Roberts had allegedly cheated on Sutherland with Patric then his best friend shortly before the wedding. On the day of the wedding, Sutherland was spotted moving out of their shared home, while Roberts was in Ireland with Patric. Needless to say, it became the subject of relentless tabloid coverage, fueled by the high profile of all three participants. This drew unwanted attention to Hook as well, which was approaching the end of production. Roberts, who still had filming left to do, most certainly would have been feeling the pressure as the tabloids relentlessly sought out more to the unsavory story.
Julia Roberts Relationship Problems Came Amid an Already Difficult Shoot
Hook Had Troubles Offscreen That Led To Being Critically Panned
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer
IMDb Rating
MetaCritic Metascore
29%
6.8/10
52
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Revenge of the Sith featured one of the saddest sequences in Star Wars. But it wouldnt have been nearly as tragic without Steven Spielberg.
The filming of Hook began on February 19 and finished in June over a month behind schedule and overlapping the aborted wedding date. Spielberg had just returned from a brief directing hiatus after the release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and took responsibility for the delays in Joseph McBrides 1997 book Spielberg: A Biography. That included several factors unconnected to Roberts. Co-star Dustin Hoffman was a fastidious method actor, for instance, and his perfectionism often resulted in delays. Similarly, the film featured many child actors in the cast, who required shortened working hours to comply with child labor laws. Finally, like many Spielberg films, Hook came rife with expensive sets and visual effects, which included several practical effects. All of that combined to delay the film considerably, with a 76-day shooting schedule expanding to 116 days and a budget that ballooned from $48 million to upwards of $80 million.
Amid it all came Roberts off-screen travails, and the accompanying tabloid storm: hitting a very young performer grappling with overwhelming exposure from a meteoric ascent to worldwide fame. Furthermore, her role as Tinkerbell came with huge audience expectations (engendered in part by the memorable version in the classic Disney movie) which she needed to contend with in her own performance. More importantly, it meant that she did most of her acting against a green screen, isolated from the other actors and relying almost entirely on Spielberg for direction and interaction. The pressures of her off-screen circumstances would have doubtless affected her ability to focus on set, leading to reported emotional chops with a cast and crew who werent necessarily interacting with her very often. Spielberg had to factor all of that in amid an already challenging shoot, while still directing her to a strong performance. It likely led to friction on set and the unfortunate Tinker Hell moniker.
Neither Roberts Nor Spielberg Were Pleased After Working Together
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Iconic director Steven Spielberg explained to a young fan how everyones favorite Labrador Retriever may have survived in the movie.
It was not a great time for Julia and I to be working together.
(When asked if he would work with her again) This is a 60 Minutes question, isnt it?
Despite that and exceedingly mixed reviews from critics, Hook proved to be a box office hit, netting an impressive $300 million worldwide. Roberts bad manners on-set were attributed to her relationship difficulties, and even Spielberg recognized the actors tough situation, speaking about it during an episode of 60 Minutes. He called it an unfortunate time to work with Roberts and praised her performance (which is quite strong amid a decidedly flawed film). Even after making note of her skilled acting chops, Spielberg stated he was against the idea of ever working with her again.
I saw that, and my eyes popped out of my head. I couldnt believe that this person that I knew and trusted was actually hesitating to come to my defense.
Roberts was obviously hurt by Spielbergs comments and expressed as much in an interview with Vanity Fair. She recalled how difficult it was to hear the sci-fi director say that and to film a movie while going through a life event like that. While other members of the cast and crew havent come out against Roberts, it seems that she left a very bad impression on Spielberg, whether warranted or not. In an industry as fast-paced and cutthroat as moviemaking, it is common for rivalries and feuds to crop up when two individuals dont see eye-to-eye. Since both Spielberg and Roberts have generally good reputations in Hollywood, it may be that they simply worked together at the wrong time. The world may never know what really happened on the set of Hook, but the legendary director and acclaimed actress clearly left the project with a negative opinion of one another.
Did Steven Spielberg And Julia Roberts Ever End Their Feud?
Roberts And Spielberg Have Never Worked Together Since Hook
Hook Cast & Character Guide
Character
Actor
Captain James Hook
Dustin Hoffman
Peter Banning/Peter Pan
Robin Williams
Tinker Bell
Julia Roberts
William Smee
Bob Hoskins
Wendy Darling
Maggie Smith Gwenyth Paltrow (young)
Its unknown if Roberts and Spielberg still hold ill feelings toward each other to this day, but its likely that they still dont get along, considering how hurt Roberts was by Spielbergs comments. Both went on to enjoy thriving careers, however, which included Oscar wins for both in the decade following Hook. Amid all that, it remains a relatively isolated incident, made all the more notable for its infrequency.
It should be noted that Spielberg followed through on his promise to never work with Roberts again, as the two have not collaborated on a project since Hook. However, it should also be noted that Spielberg isnt necessarily the kind of director to work with one ensemble of actors. Unlike Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan, or James Gunn, Spielberg doesnt make a habit of putting specific actors in multiple movies. While some, like Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, and Richard Dreyfuss, have worked with the legendary director on multiple projects, Spielberg seems to cast based on what his story needs rather than who he would want to work with. As a result, his continued lack of collaboration with Julia Roberts may simply be a lack of opportunity more than ill feelings from a poor experience over 30 years ago.
