1. Understand the problem and stay neutral. 2. Talk to each actor separately. 3. Have an open discussion to find common ground. 4. Set expectations and suggest solutions. 5. Involve leadership if needed. 6. Follow up and promote professionalism.

Every crisis is an opportunity. If two actors are clashing, congratulations, you have two passionate people who *really* want to add value to your film. Fights are just misdirected passion. Work with your director and speak to each actor separately. Give them a gentle come-to-Jesus that reminds them of the opportunity to refocus the adrenaline from the fight towards giving the best performance possible. Those actors had to compete to earn their roles. They want this. They just need a time out and a pep talk.

Actors never clash on set, but if they do, always let them fight and spend the entire craft services budget on popcorn for the crew.

Here's some of my advice: 1. Always stay neutral and hear both sides of the story. 2. Have an open forum, to know the problem and to have solutions.

As the producer on most sets, it’s crucial to quickly separate any arguing talent. We often don’t have the time to “validate” or ensure everyone feels “okay.” Instead, we separate the individuals, remind them of our purpose (to get the job done), and emphasize their contractual obligations to receive payment. When working with paid talent or actors, we must be swift and direct, reinforcing expectations: complete the work, get paid, and go home. To prevent these conflicts from arising, we establish clear, foundational expectations from the start—during onboarding for talent and team members, and again before production begins. This is a job, not a drama show (no pun intended)

I will do three things: First, I’ll arrange a casual meeting so everyone can share their feelings and clear up any misunderstandings. Second, I’ll help the actors talk privately to work out their issues. Finally, I’ll suggest taking short breaks so everyone can relax and recharge.

One thing I found helpful when I had clashing egos in video production was to create a safe container with the whole team and use the #Theory U methodology to discuss the different points of view and how the conflicts were impacting the group. This meant we had to cancel a shooting day, but relationships improved considerably, and we could even accelerate some scenes and catch up with our original recording schedule. Theory U is a fantastic tool to use in any project - be it to generate new ideas, be it to solve complex challenges.

Actors clashing on set? It’s like a dramatic subplot within the drama! First, I play director-diplomat and create a ‘peace talk’ setting—a quick, open discussion to air any grievances. Then, I focus everyone back on the main goal: bringing the project to life. Reminding them it’s not about any single role, but the story we're telling together, usually does the trick. It’s about turning that tension into energy that fuels the scene.