If you haven’t done so already, check out Lily Tomlin‘s outrageous ‘performance‘ in this extreme outtake from the movie ‘I Heart Huckabees.’
Her boorish, bullying behavior notwithstanding, what must she have been thinking? Does being a fading Hollywood star exempt Ms. Tomlin from decent behavior? Were her meds simply having an off-day? 
Equally perplexing, though, is the passive, almost nonchalant, attitude of her co-actors (including megastar Dustin Hoffman in the middle seat). What’s up with that? Were they too embarrassed to say anything? Too intimidated? Why didn’t they respond in kind when Tomlin turned her wrath on them and used the F-word in various forms and combinations?
Coming at this from an image and reputation standpoint, does Tomlin’s idiotic behavior say more about her or that of her nonplussed peers? Personally, I’ve lost respect for the whole carload of actors.
I’ve been subjected to CEOs who used cursing and shouting as part of their management-by-fear style. Sadly, hostile workplace suits weren’t in vogue in the 1980s when these tirades occurred, so beaten-down employees had one of two choices: endure the abuse or leave.
Happily, those days are long gone and abuse, whether it’s in the workplace or on a Hollywood set, simply shouldn’t be tolerated. Let’s hope Mr. Hoffman has stiffened his backbone since the Tomlin outburst and is now telling other abusive actors he doesn’t ‘heart’ screaming or abuse.
If this film clip was of some unknown or even “mildly” up and coming starlet then the situation would be different. But Lily Tomlin is not a B actress looking to advance her career! I think you have a point to be made, but this is not the right example for it. Maybe you’ve just fallen into the shock pit that is YouTube and feel compelled to make something out this supposedly unusual “performance.”
Rants may go with the Hollywood turf, but they don’t advance the career of a “B” actress. Ditto for the office. Ranters and ravers may get away with it when they’re at the top of their game. But they’re the first to go when things go south for a business. The lesson here is to be aware of your own image and reputation. Aside from one’s talent, it’s all we have.
Rep, what’s the big deal? These are actors- emotional, dramatic, temperamental dramatists by nature. This wasn’t workplace abuse. This was the clash of two egos. What is on the video is not unusual for a film set…. everyone around was nonchalant about it because it is part of the Hollywood creative “dance”. Different culture than from your typical workplace. Hoffman simply didn’t care because he’s heard this kind of rant a billion times. This is just one that made it out to the public. Actors and directors fights are legendary.