Bruce stars in new action movie Red alongside Mary-Louise Parker, Dame Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman. Mary-Louise was determined to test Bruce’s reputation as a Hollywood tough guy and decided to try to scare him by placing the reptile in his trailer on the New Orleans film set.
Mary-Louise persuaded actor John Malkovich to take Bruce out for lunch, while she put the alligator in a cooler and hid in his shower to wait for his reaction.
However, Mary Louise was disappointed to discover the animal was so small it failed to frighten her rugged co-star.
“It was more like a bloated lizard," Mary-Louise told the New York Daily News.
In fact rather than shock Bruce with her stunt, the 55-year-old action hero was thrilled she had gone to so much effort for him.
"He actually was kind of touched that I went through the trouble," the Weeds actress laughingly added.