- 6/21/2025
From contract disputes to mental health struggles, these stars had serious issues with the House of Mouse. Join us as we explore the dark side of Disney's relationship with some of its biggest names. Our countdown includes shocking revelations about creative control, marketing disputes, and behind-the-scenes drama.
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00:00You were stifling them at the youngest and most important development age of their time,
00:04and then you expect them to be normal later?
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 actors who absolutely
00:10could not stand working for the Walt Disney Company.
00:13Fame is a privilege, but it's also traumatic.
00:17Number 10. Dylan and Cole Sprouse
00:20One of the biggest open secrets about working with Disney is how the company keeps a tight
00:24leash on just about every project they're involved in and want to maintain control of.
00:28We figured if somebody should get fired, it shouldn't be someone who worked here.
00:32The Sprouse twins, Dylan and Cole, experienced this firsthand, as they have come forward about
00:37why they stopped working with the conglomerate. According to Dylan in 2013, he and his brother
00:41wanted to continue The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck with more spinoffs.
00:46They also wanted credits as producers and to be involved in the writing process.
00:50You know what? I think I'm just going to wing it.
00:51Dylan and Cole were given a firm no before Disney pitched them an eerily similar spinoff idea
00:56that sounded like the twins' pitch a year later. Dylan and Cole gave them a firm no,
01:00and neither twin has looked back since.
01:01I always thought if this ship were going to be destroyed, it'd be because of you two.
01:07So did I. So did I.
01:10Number 9. Demi Lovato
01:12I was just so excited to have a summer that was all about music, and I know.
01:17Another open secret about working for Disney is the great mental toll they can sometimes inflict
01:22on their stars, especially the younger ones. Demi Lovato of As the Bell Rings and Camp Rock
01:27Disney fame has been somewhat vocal about this since her departure.
01:30There's no way to hold it in.
01:33Across a multitude of videos and interviews, Lovato has opened up about how her work on the
01:37Disney channel affected her mental health, causing her to develop an eating disorder while
01:42under the pressure of perfection.
01:43I just wanted to fit in, okay?
01:45It had become so severe that she barely remembers most of her Disney channel days.
01:49In 2021, Lovato also revealed that she had been assaulted by someone she had to see all
01:53the time during her tenure at Disney. This person has yet to be identified at the time of this video.
01:58Number 8. Kirk Douglas
02:00Two years after portraying Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Walt Disney invited
02:05Douglas and his kids to visit his home, where he had his own miniature railway ride.
02:09Unbeknownst to Douglas, he and his kids were being filmed for use of promotional material,
02:14specifically the behind-the-scenes Disney show, Where Do the Stories Come From?
02:17Kids and grown-ups alike seem to be fascinated with model railroads.
02:21Douglas wrote a letter, Disney apologized, and all was well, until the footage was still
02:26included in a rerun of the episode. Douglas was furious and threatened to sue Disney,
02:30until he suddenly dropped the case. The two had supposedly resolved their differences
02:34outside of court, with Douglas stating,
02:36You can't sue God. A joke, yes, but eerie, given Disney's near spotless record in winning
02:41lawsuits today.
02:42I demand a fair trial.
02:43You've had your trial. The sea brought you. The sea shall have you back.
02:46Number 7. Johnny Depp
02:48Long before severing ties with Disney over his dispute with Amber Heard,
02:52Johnny Depp had already experienced a rocky relationship with the Walt Disney Company.
02:55You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of.
02:59But you have heard of me.
03:00Going all the way back to production of Pirates of the Caribbean, The Curse of the Black Pearl,
03:04Disney executives weren't exactly thrilled with Depp's unique walk for Jack Sparrow.
03:08That is a wonderful trick.
03:11Except once again, you are between me and my way out.
03:15According to Depp, the walk was too much for the executives, and he was almost replaced.
03:19Depp doubled down on his performance, though, and he became a key part in Jack Sparrow's character.
03:23No! Not good!
03:26Stop! Not good!
03:28Number 6. Raven Simone
03:30Even the most successful Disney Channel shows were subject to micromanagement under the weight of the House of Mouse,
03:36such as the case with the star of That's So Raven.
03:38If you weren't lying all day, maybe I would have believed you.
03:41A few years after Raven Simone had revealed her sexuality,
03:44in 2016, she appeared in the short documentary series called It Got Better.
03:48I never thought I would come out because my personal life didn't matter.
03:52It was only what was supposed to be sold as, you know, the Raven Simone print.
03:56Here, she opened up about some of her experiences working with Disney,
03:59including having her likeness being criticized,
04:01and pressured to conform to branding standards by 15 different people.
04:05If I did whatever I want, I'm not going to sell, because it doesn't go with the brand.
04:08I was branded at such a young age.
04:10Number 5. Bella Thorne
04:12Much like Raven Simone and Demi Lovato,
04:15Bella Thorne was also the victim of intense scrutiny of her public image
04:18when working with Disney on Shake It Up.
04:20Rocky, I practice all day. I'm fine.
04:23When appearing on the podcast High Low with Emrata,
04:26Thorne recalled a time where Disney had almost fired her for wearing a bikini.
04:30At the time, Thorne was a minor and was spending the day at the beach with a stylist.
04:34I almost got fired. It was all over the media. It was literally viral in that time.
04:38In the same episode, Thorne talked about a time where a casting director thought she was trying to flirt with him.
04:43Whether this incident occurred during a Disney-related audition had not been clarified.
04:47My agent calls my mom, and they're like,
04:50so she's not moving forward because the director felt like she was flirting with him,
04:56and it made him really uncomfortable.
04:57Number 4. Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus
05:00While her on-screen character was relishing in the best of both worlds,
05:03the real Miley was in turmoil about her identity and her relationship with her family.
05:07Better seats for Hannah Montana!
05:10I'm sorry, it's just that I don't like Hannah Montana.
05:13In 2021, Miley Cyrus spoke with USA Today about her experience.
05:17To her, the life of Hannah Montana felt too familiar,
05:20as she felt like nobody cared about her until she put the wig on.
05:23They're gonna hate you! They're gonna hate you!
05:26Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, has also gone on record to say that Hannah Montana the show had destroyed our family.
05:31Honey, I could never tell you not to go to college.
05:34It's gotta be your decision, yours alone.
05:36Number 3. John Boyega
05:38Out of all the actors who have ever worked for Disney,
05:41none have been so vocally frustrated and resentful as John Boyega.
05:44During his time with the conglomerate,
05:46Boyega played the stormtrooper-turned-rebel Finn.
05:49It belongs to me. Come get it!
05:51Despite his character's critical role in Star Wars Episode VII, The Force Awakens,
05:55Finn would take a backseat while Rey, Kylo Ren, and Poe
05:58became the frontrunners of the new trilogy.
05:59Why would you stop me?
06:02I saved you.
06:05Tell me.
06:07In the years after the trilogy wrapped up with Rise of Skywalker,
06:10Boyega has spoken out about how he and his character were cast aside in a talk with GQ,
06:15feeling that they expected him to just dismiss the false marketing
06:17and be grateful for the experience itself.
06:19Go without us.
06:21We're taking this entire ship down.
06:23Number 2. Scarlett Johansson
06:25The actress behind Black Widow, across several cinematic Marvel entries,
06:29had her own falling out with Disney during production of her character's titular movie.
06:33Don't do this.
06:34Do what?
06:35Come after me.
06:37I mean, you're embarrassing yourself. It looks desperate.
06:39Prior to Black Widow's production,
06:41Johansson and Disney settled on a contract with a stipulation
06:44that Black Widow be released exclusively in theaters
06:47where Johansson would earn a percentage of the box office revenue.
06:50Disney walked back on the agreement
06:51and proceeded to release the movie on their streaming service, Disney+,
06:54the same day it was theatrical release.
06:56You just sent away the one thing that would stop me from killing you.
07:01Try then. Do it.
07:03Johansson filed a lawsuit shortly after the film's release
07:05before the two parties settled outside of court for an undisclosed amount.
07:09And would you believe this was not the first time
07:11Disney went back on agreements with one of their biggest stars?
07:13See if I can't help patch things up.
07:15Oh yeah. It's our next entry.
07:17Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
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07:28make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
07:33Number 1. Robin Williams
07:35When the legendary comedian agreed to voice Genie in 1992's Aladdin,
07:39he only asked that he and the character
07:41not be a massive part of the marketing campaign.
07:43In the mood to help you, dude.
07:45You ain't never had a friend like me.
07:47Disney notoriously went behind Williams' back
07:50and did so anyways for years.
07:52Though the two would make amends a few years later,
07:54Disney did Williams dirty again
07:55during the production of 1999's Bicentennial Man.
07:58The House of Mouse had severely cut the movie's budget
08:00and gave the film little to no marketing,
08:03despite co-financing the movie with competitor Sony via Columbia Pictures.
08:06Could you fix this piece of shit?
08:08Sure enough, the movie was a complete failure critically and commercially.
08:12Williams never worked on another Disney project ever again,
08:14while Bicentennial Man would later become known
08:16as a misunderstood classic among film buffs,
08:19writers, and visual effects artists.
08:21I don't care. I don't like it.
08:22Which of these stories shocked you the most?
08:24Let us know down in the comments.
08:26I get it out.
08:38Let us know down in the comments.
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