The 20 most awkward on-set movie arguments to make you cringe

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Werner Herzog vs. Klaus Kinski

The movie set: German film Aguirre, Wrath Of God. Set in the 16th century, it follows madman Aguirre, who goes on a quest for El Dorado.

The awkward argument: Perhaps the most famous of all on-set clashes took place between director Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski while filming 1972’s Aguirre.

Though the pair were best friends, their relationship was as temperamental as a volcano. When Kinski threatened to leave the film set, Herzog pulled a gun on him.

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Kinski wasn’t an innocent victim, though – he fired three rifle shots one night during filming, aggravated at the noise the cast and crew were making while playing cards in a nearby hut.

The kiss and make up? Herzog and Kinski worked together five times, but they never left their rivalry behind. Ten years later, while making Fitzcarraldo, Herzog attempted to kill Kinski by setting fire to his house while he slept…

Joshua Winning

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.