8 Forgotten Celebrity Rivalries

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3. Joan Crawford and Bette Davis

Joan Crawford and Bette Davis had one of the most notorious rivalries in Hollywood history. It reportedly began when Crawford signed an exclusive contract with Warner Brothers, which was the same studio Davis had a contract with. Things came to a head when they played two aging sisters in the horror film “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” “It’s proper to say that they really detested each other, but they behaved absolutely perfectly,” the director said. The claws were out after filming ceased, as David was the one who received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

A British reporter by the name of Michael Thornton claims that the two actresses were bitter enemies because Crawford was bisexual and had made a move on Davis earlier on in their careers, who promptly rejected her. Crawford got the ultimate revenge years later when she married Franchet Tone, the longtime love of her rival. All we know for sure is that these two were in constant competition with each other and it looked pretty consuming.

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2. Steve McQueen and Paul Newman

Actors Steve McQueen and Paul Newman had quite the rivalry. According to Newman, McQueen was the one who created it. They first met on the set of the movie “Somebody Up There Likes Me.” Newman was cast in the lead role while McQueen had a small supporting part. The film ended up launching Newman’s career. He garnered much attention and acclaim for his role and he quickly established himself as one of the hottest new stars in Hollywood. McQueen was jealous of Newman’s success and set out to become a bigger star.

Almost 20 years later, these two found themselves sharing the screen once again in the movie “The Towering Inferno.” McQueen insisted that he have the same number of lines as his rival, which meant shooting additional scenes to equalize the dialogue. He also insisted that they got equal billing. Newman later revealed that he regretted his decision to co-star with McQueen. “For the 1st time, I fell for the goddamn numbers. I did this turkey for a million and 10% of the gross, but it’s the first and last time, I swear,” he reportedly said.

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1. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro

Al Pacino has said that he and Robert De Niro had a fierce rivalry earlier on in their careers, but not anymore. We think this might stem from the original “The Godfather” movie. A then-unknown De Niro was reportedly also up for the role Michael Corleone, but Pacino beat him out, along with Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson. In the sequel, however, De Niro was cast as the young Vito Corleone. They didn’t share any scenes together though. Both actors received Academy Awards nominations for their performances. De Niro won, but Pacino ended up losing out.

Since “The Godather II,” they both have co-starred in films like “Heat” and “Righteous Kill,” which we can only assume means that the fierce rivalry is over. Now they have to contend with the fact that some of their fans get them confused, which would probably stir up another rivalry if they weren’t so old.