During the production of the 2015 action-adventure film "Mad Max: Fury Road," directed by George Miller, tensions arose between stars Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy. Miller, 79, attributed this friction to the actors delving deeply into their roles as Imperator Furiosa and Max Rockatansky, respectively. The discord was highlighted in the 2022 book "Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road" by journalist Kyle Buchanan, detailing instances, such as Hardy's recurrent tardiness which frustrated Theron.
This situation escalated to the point where Theron felt threatened and requested additional protection on set. Miller noted the contrasting professional approaches of the two actors, describing Theron as disciplined and punctual, while Hardy sometimes needed encouragement to leave his trailer due to personal challenges.
"Mad Max: Fury Road" achieved significant commercial success, grossing over $379 million worldwide. Miller is now promoting "Furiosa," a prequel starring Anya Taylor-Joy, underscoring the importance of both physical and psychological safety during its production.