Joel Kinnaman Had Enough: Why He Fired a Director Over a Massive Ego

Alright, let me walk you through a recent Joel Kinnaman story that manages to land somewhere in between a juicy Hollywood anecdote and a cautionary tale about not being a jerk in the workplace. Yes, directors can get fired, and yes, sometimes the reasons are even more dramatic than you might think.

Kinnaman Opens Up About Firing a Director

So, Joel Kinnaman (you might know him from Altered Carbon or The Suicide Squad) sat down on Michael Rosenbaum's podcast, and the conversation took a turn for the behind-the-scenes ugly. Rosenbaum straight-up asked Kinnaman whether he'd ever dealt with an 'a**hole.' (Only in Hollywood would that be a normal podcast topic.)

Kinnaman did not name names, but oh boy, did he paint a picture. According to him, the director in question was supposed to helm a project Kinnaman was both starring in and producing. Instead, the guy showed up unprepared, acted like the world revolved around him, treated crew members horribly—basically every cliché about a nightmare director. And here's where things get particularly wild: apparently, this director wasn't shy about partying. Kinnaman said the guy actually showed up 'coked up on set.' I mean, that's not even subtle bad behavior, that's just trying to get fired.

Here's how Kinnaman put it:

'Huge ego, treated the crew like s**t and just made a mess of everything. Showed up coked up on set.'

The fallout was inevitable. Kinnaman said there were some long conversations in an attempt to address things, but eventually, they had to cut ties. No word on whether the director tried to stage a comeback—or if he even noticed he was being pushed out.

Why This Director Had to Go

Kinnaman didn't just drop the story and move on. He had some real thoughts about the kind of people he wants to work with (spoiler: not egomaniacs). He broke it down like this: some folks in Hollywood haven't dealt with their own demons, so they end up trying to pump themselves up by treating others badly. Kinnaman made it clear he's not about to let that slide on his watch, even joking that if he got a do-over, he'd happily fire the guy again. He compared it to choosing your friends—why keep someone around who makes everyone miserable?

Kinnaman's takeaway was pretty direct: he's learned to vet collaborators a lot more closely now, and he doesn't plan on making the same mistake twice. Can't say I blame him. There are fewer cocaine-fueled meltdowns on set that way.

What's Next for Joel?

If you're rooting for Kinnaman, don't worry—he's still working steadily. Next up, he'll be appearing in The Beast. Let's hope the director on that project keeps the drama on the screen.