It looks like the cozy relationship between Hollywood and local banks is becoming strained.

At least three celebrities are being sued by local banks for falling behind on loan payments during the recession.

In the past month, Nicolas Cage, Toni Braxton and Janice Dickinson each have had papers filed against them in Los Angeles Superior Court as financial institutions, dealing with reduced earnings and under intense regulatory pressure, are tightening ship.

“The banks are playing a little bit more hardball these days,” said Lon Morton, chief executive of Morton Capital Management, a wealth management firm that has clients in the entertainment industry.

L.A. banks have long been sources of ready cash for Hollywood stars, whose large but sporadic paydays made them good customers. They sometimes borrowed money to maintain their life styles and repaid the banks when they got a huge paycheck.

However, in the new Hollywood, those checks are no longer so fat.

Banks are having their own problems, too. Over the past year, in particular, loan losses have spiked, leading regulators to shutter more than 100 banks nationwide. In an effort to keep institutions solvent, regulators have dramatically stepped up scrutiny of lending practices.

As a result, banks across the country have been forced to rein in lending and clamp down on truant borrowers. In Hollywood, that means that more than a few well-known entertainers are getting caught.

Big-name stars across the country have run into problems with loans of all types: Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy in a much publicized matter after failing to repay a $24 million loan. Even director Steven Spielberg had to jump through hoops to secure financing for his new studio.

Indeed, some in the entertainment industry are finding it difficult to obtain loans because of their notoriously inconsistent pay, Morton said. In recent years, many high earners could easily secure mortgage loans, for instance, to build luxurious second homes.

“The fact that you had an entertainer that made X dollars last year doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to work this year and make the same kind of money,” he said. “It’s very tough for a lot of people in the entertainment business – because of the unpredictability of their income – to just go out and qualify for a loan (now).”

Stars’ bank