Charlize Theron & Tom Hardy reveal details of infamous 'Mad Max' on-set feud

Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy have opened up about their infamous feud on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road, admitting they regularly clashed.

In an "oral history", published by the New York Times, the cast including Theron and Hardy reflected on the difficulties they encountered while making the film in 2015.

"There was a lot of tension, and a lot of different personalities and clashes at times," said Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who played The Splendid Angharad in the film.

"It was definitely interesting to sit in a truck for four months with Tom and Charlize, who have completely different approaches to their craft."

Theron agreed and admitted she put pressure on Hardy, who was new to the role.

"In retrospect, I didn't have enough empathy to really, truly understand what he must have felt like to step into Mel Gibson's shoes. That is frightening!" she said.

"And I think because of my own fear, we were putting up walls to protect ourselves instead of saying to each other, 'This is scary for you, and it's scary for me, too. Let's be nice to each other.' In a weird way, we were functioning like our characters: Everything was about survival."

Hardy also weighed in on the feud.

"I think in hindsight, I was in over my head in many ways," the English-born actor said. "The pressure on both of us was overwhelming at times.

"What she needed was a better, perhaps more experienced, partner in me. That's something that can't be faked. I'd like to think that now that I'm older and uglier, I could rise to that occasion."

And Theron wasn't the only person that Hardy butted heads with on set.

Zoë Kravitz, who portrayed character Toast the Knowing, recalled that, "Tom really had moments of frustration, of anger. Charlize did, too, but I feel like he's the one who really took it out on George (Miller) the most, and that was a bummer to see."

"But you know, in some ways, you also can't blame him because a lot was being asked of these actors and there were a lot of unanswered questions."

Theron also admitted to having "complicated feelings" about her physically-demanding role in the movie because of trauma that her body remembers from making it. Meanwhile, Hardy noted the experience left him "irrevocably changed".

Mad Max: Fury Road went on to earn $525 million in global box office sales and was nominated for 10 Oscars.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission