'Wolf of Wall Street' movie workers sue studio, saying they were forced to pee in bottles

Paramount Pictures and a group of production companies are being sued by four production assistants from films including The Wolf of Wall Street over what they say were punishing working conditions, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The results, according to the suit, were pretty gross.

“Due to limitations on their ability to leave their assigned locations, many of the plaintiffs are forced to urinate and defecate into bottles and buckets in their vehicles,” the lawsuit says.

The assistants, who served as on-set drivers and parking attendants, further allege they were not paid overtime despite working up to 100 hours a week. And they accuse the studios of denying them on-set food and forcing them to continuously run their cars to stay warm.

Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The suit echoes a 2012 Vulture article by producer Gavin Polone, who describes that for many off-camera workers, a Hollywood set job is “extreme.”

“The average below-the-line worker (the budgetary classification for those who aren’t producers, directors, actors, or writers) has to be there every day and make a middle-class wage,” he wrote. “Twelve hours of work and a twelve-hour turnaround should be mandated and instituted immediately on all film and television productions, period.”

In fact, the so-called 12-on 12-off movement, which calls for a limit of 12 hours of work followed by 12 hours of time-off, just lost its biggest supporter: Director Haskell Wexler, who founded nonprofit organization 12 On 12 Off, just died.

Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.