Making a movie often requires actors to push their limits, but sometimes the experience leaves a lasting sense of regret.
Over the years, several stars have spoken out about scenes they felt uncomfortable filming, claiming they were pressured into performing them, misled about what was required, or too young to fully understand what they were being asked to do.
The conversation reignited this week after German actress Nastassja Kinski succeeded in a years-long effort to have Wim Wenders’ 1975 film Wrong Move withdrawn from circulation.
Kinski, who was just 13 when she debuted in the film, has long objected to a controversial intimate scene that she says should never have been included.
In May 2026, she told German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, “That was my first film, he was my first director, and he didn't protect me.”
Wenders apologized to Kinski in a statement issued on June 3, acknowledging that the actress “should have been better protected” at the time: “For that, I apologize to you, Nastassja, unreservedly, no ifs and buts.”
“The non-profit Wim Wenders Foundation, which owns the film, is withdrawing it from all current forms of distribution and exhibition. Streaming services, television broadcasters, and distribution partners will be instructed to cease public access to the film.”
Wenders added that if the film were ever made available again, it would be after considerable discussion of the matter, including with Kinski.
Kinski’s case is far from unique. Hollywood history is filled with stories of actors who later denounced scenes in their films, describing them as exploitative, traumatic, or simply something they wished had never made it to the screen.
In some cases, their objections emerged years later; in others, they voiced concerns while filming was still underway.
From rising stars to industry veterans, here are 10 celebrities who publicly condemned distressing scenes in their movies.
#1 Sharon Stone Claimed She Was Lied To About Her Famous Leg-Crossing Scene
© Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
#2 Filming 'Blue Is The Warmest Color' Was “Humiliating” For Léa Seydoux
© Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
#3 Michelle Pfeiffer’s Iconic Catwoman Scene Could’ve Put Her In A Health Crisis
Director Tim Burton brought on Michelle Pfeiffer to play Selina Kyle/Catwoman for his 1992 superhero film Batman Returns, a sequel to 1989’s Batman.
Annette Bening was originally set to play the character but had to drop out after becoming pregnant.
Pfeiffer's portrayal made the Batman antagonist-love interest an iconic character for decades to come.
In one of the most famous scenes of the film, during a negotiation with Danny DeVito’s Penguin about Batman’s downfall, Catwoman puts one of his pet birds inside her mouth to blackmail him.
She holds it in until Penguin threatens to hurt one of her cats by holding a knife to its throat. The bird flies away as she opens her mouth.
The bird, it was later revealed, was a live one, not CGI, digital, or even sedated.
In a 2017 conversation with The Hollywood Reporter to mark the film’s 25th anniversary, Pfeiffer admitted she hadn’t considered the risks of the stunt.
“I look back and say, ‘What was I thinking?’ I could’ve gotten a disease or something from having a live bird in my mouth,” she said. “It seemed fine at the time. I don’t think the bird was drugged or anything.”
“We did that scene in one take. I think Tim likes to t**ture me a bit, it’s like a little brother [or] brat kind of thing.”
Burton himself was left immensely “impressed” by Pfeiffer’s dedication: “She had a live bird in her mouth while the camera was rolling.”
“It was four or five seconds, and then she let it fly out. It was before CG, it was before digital. It was so quick, it seemed like it was an effect.”
“I hope she brushed her teeth for an hour and gargled ten bottles of mouthwash afterward,” one reader commented about the scene.
Another said, “She is the scariest character in any Batman movie for me.”
Pfeiffer also detailed how the black latex gear she had to wear was a massive inconvenience and even restricted her bathroom trips at one point.
“It was the most uncomfortable costume I’ve ever been in,” she admitted. “They had to powder me down, help me inside, and then vacuum-pack the suit.
“They’d paint it with a silicon-based finish to give it its trademark shine. I had those claws, and I was always catching them in things. The face mask was smashing my face and choking me…we had a lot of bugs to work out.”
“Originally, they didn’t leave me a way to use the restroom in the suit, so that also had to be remedied as well,” she added.
@academiadecinelatoma Michelle Pfeiffer se metió en la boca un ave, no se usó efectos de computadora para esa toma, nada de CGI ni animatronics! Batman Returns es una película de 1992 dirigida por Tim Burton. ¿Sueñas Cine? #vivecine #tomacine #20añoslatoma #catwoman #batmanreturns #batman #michellepfieffer ♬ sonido original - AcademiaDeCineLaToma
© Photo: Kristina Bumphrey/Variety/Getty Images
#4 Alfred Hitchcock Allegedly Threatened To “Ruin” Tippi Hedren’s Career After Her Debut
© Photo: Greg Doherty/Getty Images
#5 Nicolas Cage Was Pranked Into Eating Two Live Cockroaches
© Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
#6 Maria Schneider Was Kept In The Dark About The Details Of A Violent Scene
© Photo: Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images
#7 Sam Neill Was Forced To Actually Slap 'Possession' Co-Star Isabelle Adjani
© Photo: Jean-Louis URLI/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
#8 Olivia Hussey And Leonard Whiting Sued Over An Intimate Scene They Filmed As Teenagers
© Photo: Phillip Faraone/FilmMagic
