New Zealand actor Grant Bowler has dished the dirt, although rather diplomatically, on what it's like working with one of the most troubled actresses in Hollywood.

Bowler stars as Richard Burton alongside Lindsay Lohan in the made for TV movie Liz and Dick.

He said the experience was a "lesson in tolerance".

While Lohan's performance has been panned by critics, Bowler's Burton has been lauded as one of the movie's few saving graces.

Throughout production, a number of Lohan-related incidents placed a halt on filming for the rest of the cast and crew.

Lohan was briefly hospitalised after a car crash on her way to work one morning and filming had to be halted when she was found unconscious in her hotel suite.

In an interview with Access Hollywood Live, Bowler said he got a significant amount of administrative work done in his down time.

"We certainly took our time in a lot of ways, where I would have preferred to be shooting," Bowler said.

"I got a lot of stuff done, I answered a lot of emails. I got brought in a stack of, I think, 4000 fan cards at one point and, in between two scenes, I was able to sign them all."

But he said he wasn't complaining.

"A part of the job is you're off when you're off, you're on when you're on and you're focused.

"I've been doing this for 22 years and all I care about at the end of the day is how well I do at my job and how well I serve my audience.

"There were exercises in patience and there were exercises in tolerance and I believe it could have been smoother at times... and we could have got a lot more done on a couple of days, but you get what you're given..."

- © Fairfax NZ News