George Miller: There’s “no excuse” for Theron / Hardy clash on Fury Road

Last Updated on May 24, 2024

It’s no secret that Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron did not mesh while making 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, with the actress saying she at times felt “scared sh*tless” by his behavior, which included everything from showing up whenever he pleased to coming off as downright aggressive in the way he spoke to her. And while sometimes a little tension on the set can lend to the movie, it can also be extremely toxic and uncomfortable to work around. Now, George Miller – who is on the promotional circuit for prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – is once more speaking about what went down on the set of Fury Road more than a decade ago.

Sitting down with The Telegraph, George Miller said that Hardy and Theron are polar opposites, which came through while making Fury Road. “They were just two very different performers. 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. Whereas Charlize was incredibly disciplined – a dancer by training, which told in the precision of her performance – and always the first one on set.”

George Miller would make an attempt at defending their behavior while filming Fury Road but ultimately knows that none of it should have been occurring between the actors – especially if it interferes with production. “I’m an optimist, so I saw their behaviour as mirroring their characters, where they had to learn to co-operate in order to ensure mutual survival. There’s no excuse for it, and I think there’s a tendency in this business to use great performances as an excuse for other disruption that could be avoided.”

Like Fury Road, George Miller and his cast will be bringing Furiosa to the Cannes Film Festival, where it – like its predecessor – will screen out of competition. With first reactions hailing the movie as a remarkable follow-up, it only adds to our anticipation and all but promises it will be on many year-end best-of lists.

Will you be checking out Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga when it hits theaters later this month? How do you think it will compare to Fury Road?