While not a requirement, having an over-inflated ego and a touch of narcissism seems to go a long way in helping someone succeed in show business.

When all major players on a set carry around their massive egos, it is only a matter of time before they clash, usually with disastrous consequences. We all have colleagues we can’t stand; imagine being forced to pretend you like them every day while cameras are rolling. Here are famous TV series where co-stars just couldn’t stand one another.

Dominic Monaghan – Matthew Fox (Lost)

In the series, Monaghan plays a washed-up rock star battling drug addiction, while Fox is a successful surgeon who becomes the de facto leader of a group of survivors of a plane crash on a deserted island. The duo became allies, even nearing friendship territory, but apparently, things were not as they seemed.

In 2012, a fan of the show tweeted at Monaghan asking him to get Fox to join Twitter. The response was swift, short and wild: “He beats women. No thanks.”

Immediately, people flocked to ask for details and Monaghan doubled down: “He beats women. Not isolated incidents. Often. Not interested.” This triggered coverage as The Los Angeles Times published an article titled “No Lost love between Dominic Monaghan and Matthew Fox,” noting Fox was “reportedly puzzled” by Monaghan’s comments, denounced them, and added in another interview that he never, ever hit a woman nor would he do so.

Monaghan’s animosity didn’t dry up, as when he was reached for comment he said that he had no regrets for speaking out.

Suzanne Somers – John Ritter (Three’s Company)

This late-70s to mid-80s sitcom was hugely successful despite an unthinkable premise for the time: three people, two women and one man, live together as roommates, platonically. THE HORROR! The show starred actors John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt, along with Suzanne Somers.

Somers was a wild card. She was inexperienced and was hired literally the day before the third pilot was supposed to be shot (the first two pilots had been rejected by the network). During the first four seasons everything was fine, but as the show became a success, resentment bubbled up. Somers demanded to be paid more, as she had equal screen time with her co-stars, while Ritter was being paid five times her salary. The studio refused, and Somers went on strike, limiting herself to one-minute segments. She was replaced by the end of the season.

Ritter and DeWitt blamed Somers for the show losing its momentum and completely cut her off, refusing to talk to her for decades. In 2012, DeWitt and Somers patched things up and reconciled, while Ritter is said to have reached out to her shortly before he died.

Shannen Doherty – Jennie Garth (Beverly Hills, 90210)

There is a saying in Greek: “Either the shore is crooked, or we’re sailing crooked,” meaning that we fail to acknowledge the source of a problem, even when it’s right in front of us, opting for a much more convenient and blatantly incorrect conclusion.

That is the case with the late actress Shannen Doherty, who famously did not get along with co-stars on several series she worked on. Her rivalry with co-star Jennie Garth on the set of the famous teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210 was evident from the start, creating constant tension on set, culminating in the infamous ‘skirt-up day’ prank.

As Doherty said, Garth used to play a prank on everyone by pulling their pants down and calling it “pants-down day.” So one day Doherty decided to return the favour by pulling her skirt up, but Garth wasn’t having it. The two almost came to blows and only stopped when two other actors intervened. Tori Spelling, also starring in the series, was often caught between the duo until she couldn’t take it anymore and had her father, studio head Aaron Spelling, fire Doherty after season 4.

The group reconciled in later years, with Doherty even acknowledging that she had been difficult to work with.

Betty White – Bea Arthur (The Golden Girls)

While everyone above let their feelings affect their work, this was not the case with Bea Arthur and Betty White, two of the stars of the sitcom The Golden Girls, about four elderly women deciding to live together. Both accomplished actresses, Arthur and White always maintained a perfect working relationship and chemistry on set.

But the truth was that the two main stars absolutely could not stand each other. According to many reports, Arthur despised White’s sunny demeanour, believing that it was all just a facade, while White found her co-star to be dour and unfriendly. Arthur also disliked White’s tendency to play to the audience, something she considered deeply unprofessional.

In later interviews, White admitted to their strained relationship, and while they never appeared to patch things up, when Arthur died, White spoke fondly of her and praised her immense talent.