The “toxic” 1980s actor Ron Howard and Jason Bateman both couldn’t stand working with

Ron Howard and Jason Bateman both found actor Wilford Brimley difficult to work with, according to recollections described in the article. Their experiences on separate productions illustrate how Brimley’s conduct reportedly affected colleagues and filming.

Howard encountered Brimley while directing the 1985 film *Cocoon*, and said he tried to prevent the actor from making the set “too toxic” for others. Bateman later worked with Brimley on *Our House*, whose second season began in September 1986; Bateman recalled that Brimley cut two pages from a four-page scene before filming, halving his part without telling him.