Actors Who Performed While They Were Really Under the Influence

Actors are hard workers, throwing themselves into their characters day after day and night after night to make sure they get the best, most authentic performance. Sometimes, this quest for authenticity goes a little too far, though, causing even the most accomplished performers to take a few sips of liquid courage now and again — or a few hits of the good stuff during a slow shoot.

Some of the examples of actors who performed under the influence may come as a surprise — Margot Robbie? Nicolas Cage?!? — while others are maybe not so surprising — Billy Bob Thornton’s sloshed performance in Bad Santa is no secret. Any one of us would have considered knocking back a few during Robert Eggers’ horror film The Lighthouse. We would die to have late-night margs with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, or share a couple of martinis with Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson. From shocking to not-so-shocking to dang-I-wish-I-had-been-there, we’ve compiled a list of the most iconic times when accomplished actors were a little or more than a little under the influence while making their best movies.