Buzz
Celebrities are often synonymous with wild lifestyles, frequently appearing in tabloids in compromising situations. However, their indulgence in alcohol and drugs sometimes spills over into their professional lives, affecting their performances on set. Whether it’s method acting, exploring creative boundaries, or simply calming pre-scene jitters, several stars have consumed substances before filming pivotal moments.
Imagine Jack Nicholson casually smoking during the Easy Rider campfire scenes, Carrie Fisher indulging in a unique kind of snow on Hoth, or Margot Robbie downing drinks to prepare for her bold scenes in The Wolf of Wall Street. Despite their altered states, they delivered their performances flawlessly—so seamlessly that audiences were none the wiser. But once you know, these scenes will never look the same.
10. Margaret Qualley—The Substance (2024)
In Coralie Fargeat’s chilling body horror film The Substance, Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading aerobics star who injects herself with an illicit drug, giving birth to a younger version of herself, portrayed by Margaret Qualley. This new persona, Sue, pursues the life she believes she deserves, while her original body deteriorates in the background. The film masterfully blends the grotesque with the surreal.
She dons tight-fitting attire, engages with men much younger than her actual age, and reclaims Elisabeth’s former position. However, while Sue feels at ease in revealing aerobics gear, Margaret Qualley does not share the same comfort.
For the pivotal scene where Sue leads a provocative dance class—a moment that catapults her to instant fame—Qualley faced significant challenges. Struggling with self-doubt, she rehearsed the routine in private. On the day of filming, still feeling unprepared, she resorted to drinking tequila and smoking weed early in the morning to muster the confidence needed to perform the director’s vision of seductive moves.
9. Omri Katz—Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus united legendary actresses Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as witches revived by teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) on Halloween. Decades later, the film remains a cult classic, blending humor with fantastical and horror elements.
Despite being in his late teens during filming, Katz was no stranger to acting, having spent eight years on Dallas and appearing in various other shows. His familiarity with the camera, however, led to overconfidence during the production.
Katz had started dabbling with cannabis, both on and off the set. During the filming of the scene where Max is hit by a green magic bolt from Winifred Sanderson (Midler), he was completely high. Director Kenny Ortega confronted him directly after he missed his cues and marks. Completing the scene served as a wake-up call for Katz, prompting him to rethink his habits and make a change.
8. Margot Robbie—The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Martin Scorsese’s crime drama The Wolf of Wall Street stirred controversy in 2013, with critics and media outlets accusing it of glamorizing a corrupt and unlawful lifestyle. The film centers on Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a real-life fraudster who deceived investors through pump-and-dump stock schemes, amassing millions illegally.
Margot Robbie stars opposite DiCaprio as Naomi Lapaglia, Jordan’s fiery and glamorous second wife. Despite effortlessly embodying the role, mastering a flawless Brooklyn accent, and meeting Scorsese’s high expectations, Robbie faced challenges with one particularly demanding scene.
In the scene where Naomi waits for Jordan completely nude, Scorsese offered Robbie an alternative, but she declined, believing it was true to her character. However, filming it proved daunting, and Robbie was visibly trembling with nerves. To calm herself, she took three shots of tequila from a crew member’s flask before stepping in front of the camera and delivering the scene.
7. Carrie Fisher—The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Often hailed as the pinnacle of the Star Wars saga, The Empire Strikes Back reunited Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher as the beloved trio Luke, Han, and Leia for another epic journey in a distant galaxy. This installment saw the Empire setting traps, Luke undergoing rigorous Jedi training with Yoda, and Han and Leia’s romance blossoming.
During the opening sequence on the icy planet Hoth, where Fisher’s Princess Leia shares a kiss with Ford’s Han Solo, Fisher was under the influence of cocaine. Her decision to use drugs wasn’t driven by anxiety or performance concerns but rather by her struggle with addiction at the time. Despite her condition, her portrayal remains impeccable, with no visible signs of impairment in this or any other scene.
Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. After Star Wars, Fisher battled a prolonged and destructive relationship with drugs, leading to a life marred by addiction, frequent hospitalizations, and stints in rehab.
6. Martin Sheen—Apocalypse Now (1979)
The success, wealth, and accolades Francis Ford Coppola gained from The Godfather gave him the freedom to pursue his creative vision by the late 1970s, leading him to Apocalypse Now. This sprawling Vietnam War epic follows a U.S. military team’s mission into Cambodia to locate and eliminate the rogue Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando).
At the heart of the film is Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen), a deeply troubled veteran assigned to kill Kurtz. As the mission progresses, Willard becomes increasingly disconnected from his own identity and purpose. The movie begins with a pivotal scene where Willard, alone in his hotel room, drinks heavily, spirals into despair, and ultimately smashes a mirror in a fit of rage.
Sheen consumed alcohol throughout the production and was intoxicated during the filming of this scene. When he accidentally struck the mirror, he insisted the cameras keep rolling. The resulting footage, featuring his real blood on the sheets and his body, was included in the final cut.
5. Joey King—The Kissing Booth 3 (2021)
Netflix’s Kissing Booth trilogy concluded in 2021, receiving mixed reviews but resonating with its teenage audience. The series captured the essence of young adult rom-coms, blending quirky romance, high school humor, and a classic love triangle, despite its critical reception.
Kissing Booth 3 follows Elle (Joey King) as she grapples with the difficult choice of attending college with her boyfriend Noah (Jacob Elordi) or her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney). The tension peaks during a boardwalk confrontation where Elle and Lee address her dishonesty about her college decision.
On her final day of filming, King had just seven shots left for this scene and decided to try an edible. However, she didn’t expect to become “extremely high” to the point of barely being able to speak. Director Vince Marcello noticed her unusual behavior and asked if she was okay, which only heightened her paranoia. Despite this, King pushed through the scene, completed the film, and moved on without looking back.
4. Norm Macdonald—Billy Madison (1995)
The 1990s launched Adam Sandler into global stardom with a series of hit comedies that showcased his quirky, eccentric characters. Billy Madison, the first of these, features Sandler as the immature protagonist who must retake and pass every grade in 24 weeks to inherit his father’s business. Norm Macdonald, in his film debut, plays Billy’s best friend Frank, a laid-back slacker who enjoys lounging by the pool with a beer. Macdonald decided to stay true to his character by actually drinking during filming, making his inebriation in most scenes genuine.
In one poolside scene—where Billy is humiliated by Veronica Vaughn (Bridgette Wilson)—Macdonald was so convincingly drunk on a lounger that when Sandler delivered his line and waited for a response, Macdonald remained silent. It took a while for the crew to realize he had fallen asleep, fully immersed in his role.
3. Jack Nicholson—Easy Rider (1969)
Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider, a defining film of the 1960s counterculture movement, marked a significant entry into the New Hollywood era. The story follows two bikers, Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Hopper), as they journey across America with money from a drug deal, encountering the darker side of the American South, including cops, hippies, eccentrics, and Jack Nicholson in a career-defining role as George Hanson, a free-spirited lawyer.
Reports suggest the entire cast and crew indulged in various substances during filming, so it’s no surprise that Nicholson joined in. For the iconic campfire scene where George tries marijuana for the first time, Nicholson got genuinely high.
Nicholson cherished the campfire scene, as it allowed him to relax and, by his own admission, smoke “around 155 joints.” To avoid appearing overly intoxicated initially, he held back, playing the scene straight before gradually easing into his high. This approach lent authenticity to the scene, mirroring the film’s raw, independent spirit and its portrayal of the lifestyle it depicts.
2. Billy Bob Thornton—Bad Santa (2003)
The dark holiday comedy Bad Santa casts Billy Bob Thornton as a booze-fueled, misanthropic Santa Claus, wreaking havoc on a society that has little patience for his antics.
Thornton stars as Willie Soke, a grumpy con artist who takes on a seasonal job as a department store Santa to help his partner Marcus Skidmore (Tony Cox) rob the mall on Christmas Eve. However, things go awry when Willie arrives drunk, bumbling through excited children and trashing Santa’s grotto.
To get into character, Thornton started his day with three glasses of red wine, followed by vodka and cranberry, and finished with a few Bud Lights. Once filming began, he became so disoriented he forgot where he was, mistaking the set for his home. When he finally realized his task—to destroy the grotto—he leaned into his drunken state and delivered a chaotic performance.
1. Jennifer Lawrence—Passengers (2016)
Morten Tyldum’s sci-fi romance Passengers paired Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars at the time. Despite high expectations, the film failed to showcase the charisma or talent of either actor effectively.
In the movie, Jim (Pratt) and Aurora (Lawrence) are accidentally roused from their hibernation pods 90 years too soon aboard a spaceship transporting thousands of passengers. As the sole individuals awake, they develop a connection and eventually fall in love, which naturally leads to more intimate moments.
Passengers featured Lawrence’s debut in an on-screen love scene, a departure from her previous action-heavy roles. Understandably nervous about such a vulnerable performance, she chose to consume a significant amount of alcohol beforehand. She later admitted that while the scene was executed well, the experience felt surreal. Afterward, she returned home with little memory of what had transpired.
