You might read that title and think we’re criticizing one of the most recognizable action franchises of Hollywood (and let’s be real, some of you may even agree). But what if we told you that that quote is directly from one of the long-time directors of the Fast & Furious series? What if we told you that Dwayne Johnson openly called one of their cast members a ‘candy-a**’? That one actor from the series didn’t even want to leave their trailer during film days? Yup. Today, we’re delving into some of the messiest cast drama that just so happens to come from one of the most beloved popcorn flick series to date.
The drama is…messier than anything we’ve seen in any of the films. Full of Instagram jabs and icy behavior, the drama on the set of Fast & Furious must have been as tense as a high-speed thrill ride (someone didn’t even want to leave his own trailer when filming on set). Read more below.
Vin Diesel Didn’t Even Want To Come Out Of His Trailer
What could have set off an atomic bomb of drama in a group of people who constantly refer to themselves as family? It couldn’t have been something so petty as Vin Diesel hanging out in his trailer. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, that’s exactly what it was.
The article says that, while filming Fate of the Furious, Dwayne Johnson was left waiting around on set for Diesel to come out of his trailer so they could film one of their final – and only – scenes together. Johnson apparently was left hanging so long that he finally got fed up.
Dwayne Johnson Said One Of His Castmates Was A ‘Candy-A**’ But Didn’t Specify Who It Was
After waiting for Vin Diesel to come out of his trailer and mumble some words, Dwayne Johnson decided to take to social media and air his grievances. In the interest of #family it seems like he decided to keep from calling out anyone specifically:
There’s no other franchise that gets my blood boiling more than this one. An incredible hard working crew. Universal Studios Entertainment has been great partners as well. My female co-stars are always amazing and I love ’em. My male co-stars however are a different story. Some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don’t. The ones that don’t are too chicken sh*t to do anything about it anyway. Candy a**es. When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I’m not acting in some of these scenes and my blood is legit boiling – you’re right.
Dwayne Johnson And Vin Diesel Had A Secret Meeting To Air Their Grievances And It Apparently Did Nothing
Obviously when you’re working on one of the biggest film franchises of all time you can’t have the two biggest stars feuding on set. It’s not good for morale, it’s not good for business, it’s not good for anything.
According to TMZ, production on Fate of the Furious pretty much stopped so Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson could have a face-to-face meeting about their issues and air their grievances. Judging from the ensuing drama, it doesn’t seem like anything was resolved.
Tyrese Had A Say In The Great Candy A** Debate
Tyrese, co-star of a few Fast and Furious films, tangled himself up in the on-set drama. In an Instagram post, Tyrese made sure to let everyone know that he’s never had a problem with Dwayne Johnson, and that he will never have a problem with him. Tyrese somehow managed to make the drama even more vague while pouring gas on a raging fire:
Does any of us know why bro decided to jump out there with his post? No… Would one assume that IF he’s going to jump out there and generalize and say ‘Male Co-Stars’ he would be more clear and call out names??? Of course he should of – Let me calm you guys all the way down… I don’t know WHO he has a problem and I don’t have any details of WHAT those problems are – as a matter of fact if I DID know I would tell you sh*t!!!!
Scott Eastwood Threw Shade Towards Vin Diesel’s Trailer Etiquette
After Dwayne Johnson posted his “candy a**” Instagram, a lot of fans assumed it was about Fast and the Furious newcomer Scott Eastwood. Eastwood, however, told Entertainment Tonight that he never saw any drama on set.
But then Eastwood sat down with Esquire and his tune changed. In the interview, Eastwood noted that his father once told him, “As an actor, I never went back to my trailer. I always hung out on set and learned.” That advice came back to him on the set of Fate of the Furious:
That stuck with me. I’m on this Fast and the Furious movie right now, and everyone goes back to their trailer. I stick around and say, ‘Why are you setting up the shot like this?’ I want to learn.
Dwayne Johnson Thanked Everyone On Instagram But Vin Diesel
After wrapping Fate of the Furious, Dwayne Johnson made an Instagram post in which he thanked many of his cast members by name – except for Vin Diesel:
Thank you to our director @fgarygray for the vision and execution. Thank you UNIVERSAL for being tremendous partners as always, thank you to all my fellow co-stars for the daily effort and grind. Scott Eastwood you handsome sumb*tch! Natalie Emmanuel I have a cold Budweiser ready for you and Tyrese Gibson you still have the biggest smile and forehead I’ve ever seen.
Tyrese Called The Rock Out For Taking A Spin-Off Film
So maybe Tyrese wasn’t mad at Dwayne Johnson for calling Vin Diesel someone in the cast a “candy a**,” but he sure was mad when it was announced that Johnson and Jason Statham were going to appear in their own spin-off film.
In yet another Instagram post, Tyrese claimed that multiple members of the #originalfastfamily were offered spin-off films but that they turned them down because they didn’t want to dilute the brand. Then Johnson took to Twitter and responded that he just wanted to elevate the franchise.
Dwayne Johnson Tried To Make Peace With Tyrese Privately, But Tyrese Made The Beef Public On Instagram Again
After Tyrese called Dwayne Johnson out for signing onto a solo Hobbs movie, Johnson emailed Tyrese to squash the beef. But Tyrese claimed that he “don’t do email” so he responded via Instagram:
I want you to shoot it just not right now cause the #Fast9 release date has already been announced and we can’t let our loyal fans #FastFamily or our loyal fast and furious FANS down on any level from pushing the date.
Tyrese Made The Claim That Dwayne Johnson Is Delaying Future Films
After going on the offensive against Dwayne Johnson’s decision to film a spin-off in multiple posts, Tyrese finally admitted defeat in the great release date war. On October 4, 2017, Tyrese made an Instagram post to “promote” the new release date for Fast 9: April 10, 2020. He claimed that Johnson and the film’s producer were attempting to make the franchise all about them rather than about the #originalfamily.
Tyrese later expanded on his claims to TMZ:
Pushing our release date back? It’s only happened one time in the history of the Fast and the Furious, when we lost our brother Paul Walker. So what’s the reason we’re pushing the release date back now?
I just got a problem with Dwayne, it appears he’s being selfish, it appears that he’s being so focused on furthering his own self interest that he’s making decisions from the seat that he’s sitting in.
Vin Diesel Tried To Ease Tensions
After things between Tyrese and Dwayne Johnson heated up, Vin Diesel had to step in and remind everyone that they were making millions of dollars to pretend to drive cars quickly and with much anger. Diesel, naturally, shared his thoughts through Instagram:
I know there has been a lot of speculation as to why the Fast 9 release date was pushed… but it would be unfair to say it is anyone’s fault. As we plot the course to expand the Fast & Furious universe, one must be mindful to take stock of the roads we took to get here. The pillars of authenticity, family and most importantly, our loyal fan’s perspective has been instrumental in procuring success.
Tyrese Threatened To Quit If Dwayne Johnson Was In The Next Movie
Apparently the feud wasn’t over for Tyrese. On November 1, 2017, he posted another series of Instagrams issuing an apparent ultimatum to the producers of Fast and the Furious: it’s either him or Dwayne Johnson:
Hello loyal fans and loved ones from OUR fast universe…….. I’m sorry to announce that if Dewayne is in Fast9 there will no more Roman Peirce.
The posts also hinted that Tyrese’s concerns are largely financial. He implied that his Fast and Furious paychecks are helping him fight for custody of his daughter.
Tyrese Finally Made Up With The Rock
Michelle Rodriguez Really Wanted To Quit The Series
Besides the late Paul Walker, Vin Diesel’s other long running co-star in the series is played by Michelle Rodriguez. On the day that Fate of the Furious was released online, Rodriguez took to Instagram to voice her displeasure with the way women are portrayed in the Fast and the Furious movies:
F8 is out digitally today, I hope they decide to show some love to the women of the franchise on the next one. Or I just might have to say goodbye to a loved franchise. It’s been a good ride & Im grateful for the opportunity the fans & studio have provided over the years… One Love.
After the post she made an additional comment to Entertainment Weekly:
I’ve been making movies with Jordana, who plays the sister of Dom Toretto, for 16 years and I can count on one hand how many lines I’ve had to her. I think that’s pathetic and it’s lack of creativity.
Vin Diesel Passed On Starring In ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’
The very first whiff of drama from the set of The Fast and the Furious series came before the initial sequel even began filming. Despite being offered $20 million to reprise the role of Dom Toretto, Vin Diesel passed because he didn’t like the script. Somehow this decision didn’t put a full stop to the series.
Later, Diesel admitted that passing on the movie probably wasn’t the best choice, and that he would have done things differently if he had the chance to do it all over again:
I would’ve said, ‘Don’t walk away from it just because the script sucked in 2 Fast 2 Furious because there’s an obligation to the audience to fight, no matter what, to make that film as good as possible.’ Just walking away doesn’t help that saga at all. I might have had a little bit more patience or belief in the long-term of it.
Charlize Theron Did Not Enjoy Kissing Vin Diesel
While promoting Fate of the Furious Vin Diesel told USA Today, “Charlize Theron is not a bad kissing partner to have. Do I know she enjoyed it? Oh, my God, yeah. A kiss cannot lie, lips don’t lie. No, they didn’t. She owned it.”
Theron appeared on Ellen a few days later and responded that she didn’t actually enjoy the kiss:
I mean, you can see it. My hand is forcing his face. I’m the crazy chick that’s doing this horrible thing to him and, as he should’ve, his character is just standing there frozen, like a dead fish… That’s what I was kissing, and he’s literally going around, saying that I had the best time of my life. … It’s insane!
Diesel literally responded with, “C’mon, guys.”
Director Justin Lin Abruptly Quit The Series
A number of different filmmakers have taken the helm behind the camera of the Fast series over the decades, starting with original director Rob Cohen. But no one has been the series’ architect – and in many ways its savior – more than Justin Lin, who directed five installments beginning with Tokyo Drift and including the consensus best-of-the-series Fast Five. Of course, that number was supposed to be seven, as Lin was tapped to direct the final two films in the record-breaking franchise, Fast X (that is, of course, Roman for “10”) and the tentatively titled Fast 11.
But shortly into filming the massively budgeted 10th film in the original franchise – 11th if you include the David Leitch-directed spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw – Lin abruptly and shockingly quit the film. Though the nebulous term “creative differences” was initially cited as the reason for his departure, more details slowly trickled out – and those differences sound eerily familiar to anyone who followed the Vin Diesel/Dwayne Johnson feud. As one source told the New York Daily News:
Diesel shows up late to the set. He doesn’t know his lines. And he shows up out of shape.
A summary in the Hollywood Reporter indeed confirmed it was issues between Lin and Diesel – the franchise’s star and producer, a title he wields with all the decision-making authority of the industry’s old star system – that led to the sudden change, with an on-set “blowup” being the final straw for Lin. Per THR:
Justin finally had enough and said, ‘This movie is not worth my mental health.’