Nicholas Hoult, Tom Hardy, director George Miller and Charlize Theron hit the publicity trail for Mad Max in 2015. Photo / Getty Images
Nicholas Hoult, Tom Hardy, director George Miller and Charlize Theron hit the publicity trail for Mad Max in 2015. Photo / Getty Images
Finally, details of the infamous feud between Mad Max co-stars Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy have been exposed by those involved. It's one of Hollywood's most infamous on-set feuds, but details of what actually happened have been hidden from the public – until now.
Theron and other key players have finally divulged the details of what went on between her and Hardy on the set of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road.
And it's more shocking than fans could have imagined, with revelations Theron called Hardy a "f**king c**t" in one heated clash – before a producer was enlisted to set to mediate because Theron "didn't feel safe" around her co-star.
The revelations are found in journalist Kyle Buchanan's new book Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road, an oral history of the difficult shoot for the film, which went on to become one of the most acclaimed movies of the 21st century.
Chief among the film's problems was the much-talked-about the tension between Hardy, playing the titular Mad Max, and Theron as the fierce one-armed fighter Furiosa.
Charlize Theron in Mad Max Fury Road. Photo / Supplied
Problems from day one
Tensions were already high because of the technically difficult shoot in the deserts of Namibia.
Excerpts from the book published today in Vanity Fair reveal that "animosity" between the two actors began even before shooting started, in part because of their different methods of working: Theron was no-fuss and punctual, a new mum who wanted to shoot her scenes and return to her baby. Hardy on the other hand was a "method" actor who would stay in the gruff role of Mad Max between takes – and would also keep everyone waiting for hours past his call time while hiding in his trailer.
Co-star Nicholas Hoult described the atmosphere on-set as "like you're on your summer holidays and the adults in the front of the car are arguing."
An editor who worked on the film said that watching the unedited footage of the two leads each day, it was "clear that those two people hated each other".
One explosive confrontation
The "turning point" between Theron and Hardy came one day when the pair were due to film a scene together in a vehicle. Theron arrived on time, boarded the vehicle – and made a point of staying put, despite knowing Hardy was "notorious" for turning up late.
Eventually, Hardy arrived, three hours late – and in no hurry to film the scene. Theron exploded.
Camera operator Mark Goellnicht recalled: "[Theron] 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."
Hardy, in turn, became "quite aggressive" towards Theron, leaving her feeling "threatened" – forcing drastic action.
'Protection' ordered for Theron
After that explosive clash, an experienced producer was dispatched to Namibia to act as a kind of intermediary for the pair, as well as an advocate for Theron to voice her frustrations. There was only one problem: she was relegated to a production office and barred from being on set, leaving Theron still feeling "pretty naked and alone" against Hardy during filming.
Stars stay silent on feud
Today's revelations come after seven years of near-radio silence from those involved in Mad Max, despite persistent rumours of the feud.
Tom Hardy in Mad Max Fury Road. Photo / Supplied
In a 2016 interview with WSJ Magazine, Theron charitably offered of her co-star: "From what I hear, he's not like that on every movie — I hear he's had good experiences.
"Maybe the movie is what it is because we struggled so much with each other, and those characters had to struggle so much with each other. If we were chum-chum, maybe the movie would have been 10 times worse," she suggested.
Director George Miller claimed after the film that, given the animosity between their two characters, it was only natural his two leads would clash.
"I'm not saying that they were seething right through," he said, "But the trajectory of the character can't help but seep into the work."
Speaking to Buchanan now – and with the benefit of at least seven years of distance – both stars seem somewhat sheepish about all that went down during that difficult desert shoot.
Hardy said he was "over his head" making the film, and Theron deserved a "more experienced" acting partner than him.
"We should have been better," said Theron. "I can own up to that."
• Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan is out now.
