Actor Jason Isaacs recounts his calamitous initial day on the set of 'Armageddon' filming.

In an unexpected turn of events during the filming of the blockbuster Armageddon, renowned actor Jason Isaacs found himself on the hot seat, thanks to a tough critique from director Michael Bay. On his very first day of shooting, Isaacs' performance received some less-than-favorable feedback from Bay.

"I do the one scene in which I speak, and Michael goes, 'Hey, what is that? Theatre training?'" shared Isaacs in an interview on The Hollywood Reporter's renowned podcast, Awards Chatter. His heart racing, he thought he was about to lose his role as scientist Ronald Quincy in the action-packed NASA project.

Isaacs's dramatically intense delivery, a common trait from his theater background, seemed to be a disconnect for Bay. Unprepared for the query, Isaacs admitted, "I absolutely s--- myself, obviously, thinking I'm gonna be fired."

However, fearing for the worst didn't quite pan out as Isaacs expected. Upon hearing his concerns and a sudden increase in his voice five octaves, Bay clarified, "Is that what they teach you in theatre school?" Relieved, Isaacs realized, "Oh my God. This is my worst nightmare."

He then scurried over to Bay and asked, "Was that terrible?" to which Bay responded, "No. It was awesome." A tense exchange, indeed, but one that ended on a positive note and paved the way for the successful completion of the film[1][2][3][4].

Armageddon, released in 1998, starred a slew of Hollywood heavyweights, including Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Owen Wilson, alongside Isaacs.

"Who among us hasn't imagined what it would be like to apologize to Michael Bay for a less-than-favorable performance in one of his movies-and-tv projects?"
"In the world of entertainment, even an actor as seasoned as Harry, with a background in theater and PTI, can find themselves in a precarious position like Isaacs did during the filming of Armageddon."
"The nuclear tension between Isaacs and Bay could have potentially derailed the production of Armageddon, but thankfully, it was Harry who ended up proposing a truce instead."
"The world watched as Isaacs, the actor who played scientist Ronald Quincy, had to adapt his intense theater style to Bay's preference during the filming of Armageddon."
"In an ironic twist, it was Bay who ended up apologizing, albeit indirectly, for his harsh critique of Isaacs' performance in the blockbuster Armageddon."
"Despite the initial hurdle, Isaacs' performance in Armageddon, a classic of the action-packed NASA project genre, was well-received by both fans of movies-and-tv and critics alike."