Curtain Up, Fact Down: 50 Must-Know Facts About Actors – Part 7

Robert Pattinson once grappled with an obsessed fan who had been camping outside his apartment. His unique approach to handling the situation involved taking her out on a dinner date, during which he vented about various aspects of his life. Surprisingly, this tactic worked, and the fan never returned.

During the filming of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Oscar Isaac made a specific request regarding his character, Poe Dameron. He decided that Poe should be from the planet Yavin 4 because Isaac's actual country of origin, Guatemala, served as the setting for the Yavin 4 scenes in the original trilogy.

Carl Weathers, primarily known as a retired NFL linebacker, had only dabbled in minor acting roles when he auditioned for the part of Apollo Creed in "Rocky." What set him apart during the audition was his comment that Sylvester Stallone wasn't a "real actor," a statement Stallone believed Creed would make. This secured Weathers the role.

Patrick Stewart, a theater actor, initially hesitated to commit to a six-year contract to star in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." His agent reassured him that the show would likely fail after just one season. Stewart, therefore expected to "make some money, get a suntan, and go home."

Sir Ian McKellen experienced a breakdown on the set of "The Hobbit." He declared, "This is not why I became an actor," as a result of filming the entire movie alone, with the dwarves added in post-production.

Tom Cruise took legal action against porn actor Chad Slater after Slater falsely claimed to be involved in an affair with Cruise in a magazine interview. Slater was ultimately ordered to pay $10 million in damages after defaulting on the lawsuit and admitting to fabricating the story. Cruise also filed lawsuits against two other publications for making similar false claims about his sexuality.

Joel McHale found himself in a challenging situation when his flight from Rochester, NY to Manhattan was canceled. To ensure he could make it to his scheduled appearance on Jimmy Fallon's show, he decided to take a $700 Uber ride covering a distance of approximately 350 miles and lasting 5-6 hours. Additionally, he generously tipped the driver and contributed extra for the return trip's gas expenses.

In the film "Full Metal Jacket," the actor who portrayed Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, R. Lee Ermey, impressively generated 150 pages of insults for his character. Moreover, the original actor cast for the role could not maintain intense yelling for more than 30 minutes. However, when Ermey assumed the role, his boundless energy never wavered.

Brendan Fraser holds the distinction of being the first American-born actor to be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

Actor James Michael Tyler, famous for his portrayal of Gunther the barista on "Friends," initially appeared on the show as an extra. He, however, continued to be in the show because he was the only actor on set who knew how to operate an espresso machine, an essential skill for his character.