“In that moment in life — and I’ve had my own, trust me — he was buck wild, dude,” Hill said of Russell’s behavior on the set of the 2004 indie comedy.

Jonah Hill says David O. Russell was ‘buck wild’ while filming* I Heart Huckabees*: ‘He was f---ing nuts’

"In that moment in life — and I’ve had my own, trust me — he was buck wild, dude,” Hill said of Russell's behavior on the set of the 2004 indie comedy.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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April 27, 2026 1:56 p.m. ET

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Jonah Hill; David O. Russell. Credit:

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Presley Ann/Getty

- Jonah Hill is remembering his time on the set of David O. Russell's 2004 indie comedy, *I Heart Huckabees*.

- The actor and director explained that Russell was "f---ing nuts at the time" and acting "buck wild" on set.

- "He was screaming at Lily Tomlin. It’s online and s---. And he’ll talk about it," Hill said.

Jonah Hill says David O. Russell wasn’t spreading the love on *I Heart Huckabees*.

The 42-year-old actor and director, who earned his first-ever film credit for his role in the 2004 indie comedy, opened up about his experience working with Russell and did not mince words about the fellow director’s infamous behavior on set.

“David O. was f---ing nuts at the time,” Hill said while making a special guest appearance at SiriusXM’s *Smartless* *Live* recording at the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday, per *The Hollywood Reporter*.

Jonah Hill and Ger Duany in 'I Heart Huckabees'.

Fox Searchlight

“He was buck wild and I’m, like, homies with him. He’s awesome. Super nice guy. But in that moment in life — and I’ve had my own, trust me — he was buck wild, dude,” Hill continued. “He was screaming at Lily Tomlin. It’s online and s---. And he’ll talk about it.”

*Y*ears after its release, *I Heart Huckabees *went viral when a video was leaked online that depicted a fiery clash between Russell and Tomlin, with the director lashing out at the actress in an expletive-ridden tirade in front of the cast and crew.

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Tomlin later told *THR* in 2015 that she was "stoic in my suffering" during filming but that the pair had since “overcome” the confrontation and mended fences. “It dissipates and it's gone,” she said.

Despite the altercation, Hill went on to describe Russell as “one of the best directors ever” on the podcast, adding, “I mean *Flirting With Disaster* and *Three Kings*. He’s so goated. It’s insane.”

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And, according to Hill, that wasn’t the only argument that Russell had on set. “Everyone’s screaming at each other,” he said of the experience. “The first time I walked on set, him and K.K. Barrett, the production designer, were joking around, wrestling, and then it turned into a real fight.”

Hill continued, “It was like joking that turned into a fight, and these guys were fighting and they were setting up my first scene to act. I was like, ‘Hollywood is so tight. This is so cool.’”

Russell remembered the atmosphere on the *Huckabees* set a little differently, telling IndieWire in 2013 that the production felt like “one big party” outside of his and Tomlin’s notorious fight. “The party just went right on past that day, but then that was the day that got remembered,” he said at the time.

Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin in 'I Heart Huckabees'.

Claudette Barius/Fox Searchlight

Russell added, “I became a better filmmaker because of it, but it was painful. It was six years of losing my way a little bit.”

Russell also told *The New York Times** *that same year that he and Tomlin “love each other" and would "work together tomorrow" if the opportunity presented itself.

Produced, directed, and co-written by Russell, *I Heart Huckabees *followed two existential detectives (Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman) who are tasked with investigating the strange coincidences happening in their clients' lives. The film also starred Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg, and Naomi Watts.

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