You’ll recall that we just reported that James Caan walked off the set of David O. Russell’s new political satire, “Nailed,” and then quit the film.
O.Russell’s history as difficult, temper-tantrum throwing director is well very documented and Caan himself isn’t a walk in the park either. Well, apparently the incident happened over a measly cookie.
And, the Hollywood Reporter says the altercation happened on Caan’s first day of shooting!
Caan played the U.S. speaker of the house who chokes to death on a cookie. “Russell asked him to cough as he choked, but Caan argued that the character couldn’t cough and choke to death at the same time.”
Russell suggested that they shoot it both ways, but the actor expressed distrust that his version would be considered and left the South Carolina set. A spokesman laughed, wouldn’t deny or confirm and said “the departure was amicable.”
Suuuuuure. Russell is notoriously cantankerous and Caan isn’t exactly a walk in the part either. The director came to blows on the set of “Three Kings” with George Clooney and got into a huuuge, ugly spat with Lily Tomlin “I Heart Huckabees” as seen last year on YouTube. Apparently Jake Gyllenhaal has been acting like a primadonna on the set of “Nailed,” too so this is probably just the beginning of juicy stories to come.