What happened between Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron? ‘Mad Max’ director George Miller reflects on on-set feud ahead of ‘Furiosa’ release

Director of the Mad Max series, George Miller recently spoke to The Telegraph on May 11 about his upcoming film Furiosa, a Mad Max: Fury Road prequel, and talked about the stars of the movie, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

In the interview, Miller also discussed the feud between stars Theron and Tom that took place during the production of Fury Road. Miller also stated that the reason behind this feud. Reportedly, Theron seemed to find Hardy's lack of professionalism irritating.

He further said—

“Tom has injuries, but there is also a brilliance attached to him and no matter what was happening to him at the time, he had to be dragged out of the trailer.”

On the other hand, he thought Charlize was really well-behaved. But as Tom was always late, Charlize and he weren't quite on the same page.

Additionally, a Variety report from February 22, 2022 stated that Theron said in an interview for Kyle Buchanan's book Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road that she needed security because she felt threatened by Tom on the Mad Max production.

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Mad Max director George Miller recently opened up about the on-set issues between Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron

A scene from Mad Max: Fury Road featuring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron (Image via Warner Bros)

George Miller finally spoke up to The Telegraph on May 11, about what happened behind the scenes of Mad Max: Fury Road amidst the current discussions about his next project. In the movie, Charlize Theron, who is best known for The Devil's Advocate, played Imperator Furiosa, while actor Tom Hardy played Max Rockatansky.

Nevertheless, there was a dispute between the two on the set of the movie.

During a recent interview with the Telegraph, the conflict between Theron and Tom was discussed by Miller. He claimed that because of Hardy's lack of professionalism and punctuality, Theron was constantly agitated.

He also added that he was removed from the trailer because of his actions while on set.

He then said—

“I am an optimist, so I saw their behavior as a reflection of their characters, where they had to learn to work together to ensure each other’s survival. There is no excuse for this and I think there is a tendency in this industry to use great results as an excuse for other disruptions that could be avoided.”

Additionally, while discussing the film for a book by Kyle Buchanan, it was disclosed in a February 2022 Variety story that Charlize and Tom Hardy were always at odds throughout the production of the movie. So much so that the on-set fights nearly overshadowed the film when it was released.

The crew members further stated that—

“Those two people hated each other. They didn’t want to touch each other, they didn’t want to look at each other, they wouldn’t face each other if the camera wasn’t actively rolling.”

On the other hand, recalling her experience of working Tom Hardy, Theron said that Tom intimidated her. She begged for further protection as a result.

In addition, speaking about the same issues, camera operator Mark Goellnicht asserted that Tom's three-hour tardiness to the film set, despite a special request for punctuality, marked the "turning point" between the two actors.

Mark went on to say that while they were waiting for Hardy to show up, Charlize stayed on the set the entire time, despite leaving her new-born kid to a nearby daycare. Then Tom appeared, strolling over the desert with a relaxed demeanor. Theron was enraged by this.

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Nevertheless, the Republic reported in a May 14 article that Charlize has admitted that the turbulent incident was unprofessional on both sides. Furthermore, Theron said in Blood, Sweat & Chrome that her and Tom Hardy's fight had put everyone else on the set in a difficult position.

Furiosa is all set to release on May 23, 2024.