Oh, what might have been... Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the stars who had their characters cut from movies after having already filmed.
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00:00 "The thing is, whatever it is you think you have with this chick, once the thriller's
00:04 off, you're still Joel."
00:08 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the stars who had their
00:12 characters cut from movies after having already filmed.
00:16 Whether it was for time, narrative reasons, or scandals, these actors were left on the
00:20 cutting room floor.
00:22 "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth.
00:25 Something that you have failed to see."
00:28 10.
00:29 Kevin Costner - The Big Chill
00:31 "I knew he wasn't happy, that doesn't tell you much.
00:34 I had no idea how bad it was.
00:37 I think he purposely wanted to cut off from all of us because he was so unhappy with where
00:41 he was at."
00:42 Getting started in Hollywood isn't easy, so you have to take opportunities when they come.
00:47 One of the earlier gigs Costner got was as Alex in The Big Chill, a film centered around
00:52 the aftermath of his character's passing.
00:54 "I should have known."
00:58 "How could you know?"
01:00 "Nobody knew.
01:01 I can't even believe it now."
01:04 While it's understandable he wouldn't have had much screen time due to playing a dead
01:07 guy, there were flashbacks that didn't make the cut.
01:10 While it wasn't a starring role, it could have potentially been an important chance
01:14 to add context and depth to both the character and the overall story.
01:18 However, the director, Lawrence Kasdan, ultimately felt that the idea just wasn't landing.
01:24 It's not all bad, though.
01:25 Costner was subsequently cast in Kasdan's Silverado, which helped jumpstart the actor's
01:31 illustrious career.
01:32 "I'm gonna ask you once.
01:33 Was it self-defense?"
01:34 "Had I still got him, he would have killed me."
01:41 Number 9.
01:42 Ellen Pompeo - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
01:45 "Maybe I should get back together with Naomi.
01:48 She was nice."
01:50 Before finding success on television as Meredith Grey, the actress notably also tried her hand
01:55 at the silver screen.
01:56 At one point, Pompeo was cast in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as a character named
02:01 Naomi, who had a relationship with protagonist Joel.
02:05 While the segments were recorded, they were ultimately taken out, despite the screenwriter
02:09 trying his best to save her role.
02:11 "The thing is, whatever it is you think you have with this chick, once the thriller is
02:16 off, you're still Joel, with the same problems."
02:21 From what has surfaced since, we can gather that she would have largely been the opposite
02:26 of Kate Winslet's Clementine.
02:28 This definitely could have added an interesting dimension to the story, and to Joel's development.
02:33 Luckily for Pompeo, though, Grey's Anatomy premiered just a year after Eternal Sunshine
02:38 came out, and she's been booked and busy ever since.
02:41 "So pick me.
02:43 Choose me.
02:46 Love me."
02:47 8.
02:48 Viggo Mortensen - The Purple Rose of Cairo
02:50 Considering how much of a household name he is now, it's hard to believe that he had a
02:54 relatively slower start to his career.
02:57 Early on, Mortensen was cast in a Woody Allen project, The Purple Rose of Cairo.
03:02 This could have been his big break, but things didn't quite go to plan.
03:06 "So it's been bad for you?"
03:08 "Oh, it's been hard for everyone."
03:11 And to him, once he was on set, he wasn't given any direction on what to do or say.
03:16 While he gave it his best shot, he learned once the film was released that he didn't
03:20 make the cut.
03:21 "What a shame.
03:22 It was such a good picture."
03:23 It certainly could have been interesting to witness the now-seasoned performer handling
03:27 that situation as a newbie on the big screen, though.
03:31 "Is knowing how to set a broken bone or how to treat a severe burn ridiculous?
03:34 Knowing how to navigate by the stars in total darkness, that's ridiculous?"
03:38 7.
03:39 Anna DeArmus - Yesterday
03:41 "We were thinking you could write something right now."
03:46 Anna DeArmus was set to co-star in 2019's Yesterday, a movie about a man, Jack, waking
03:51 up in a world where the Beatles never existed.
03:54 "Who?"
03:55 "The Beatles."
03:56 "The what?"
03:57 DeArmus was going to play Jack's romantic prospect, named Roxanne.
04:01 The addition, including her, was shown to a sample audience, who found that their relationship
04:06 made him seem less likeable.
04:08 This led to her being removed.
04:09 However, by that point, she was in the trailer that had already been released.
04:13 A couple of her admirers even sued the studio for false advertisement, with the case eventually
04:19 being dismissed in 2022.
04:21 It kind of sounds like something they could make a movie about, doesn't it?
04:24 "You want a good life?
04:25 It's not complicated.
04:26 Tell the girl you love that you love her."
04:32 6.
04:33 Mick Jagger - Fitzcarraldo
04:34 The Rolling Stones' frontman took the world by storm with his music, but also started
04:38 dabbling in acting.
04:40 He notably found a part in a German adventure picture, Fitzcarraldo, as the protagonist's
04:45 assistant, which would have been an opportunity for him to flex his chops.
04:48 However, his own star power ended up getting in the way.
04:51 "Sometimes I am determined to prove a villain and hate the idle pleasures of these days."
04:58 The band was nearing a peak and were thus set to tour.
05:02 This conflict with filming, which had itself been pushed back for unrelated reasons, so
05:06 the moviemaker made the call to erase Jagger's part entirely.
05:09 "My friends, I think we will continue."
05:13 While that wasn't the singer's big acting break, he's since been able to show off his
05:17 skills in other projects.
05:18 "I like the reminder that they bring.
05:20 I should never let a thing's worth obscure its value."
05:25 5.
05:26 Jenna Malone - Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice
05:29 Considering this film had a runtime of roughly two and a half hours in the theatrical cut,
05:34 it makes sense that scenes, and even characters, would be erased throughout the process.
05:39 However, that probably didn't stop many from being disappointed when scientist Janet Clyburn,
05:44 portrayed by Jenna Malone, didn't make the final cut.
05:47 "This is what makes you such a good reporter.
05:50 Stuff like this still shocks you."
05:53 If you've seen her work in things like the Hunger Games franchise or 2005's Pride and
05:57 Prejudice, you know that she has the chops to nail any role.
06:01 "We passed Sarah Simms on her calendar.
06:03 So I took off my gloves and let my hand just rest so she might see the ring.
06:06 Then I bowed and smiled like an idiot."
06:09 Unfortunately, we only got to see her appearance in the Ultimate Edition cut of the flick.
06:14 While the role wasn't huge, people still got to enjoy a glimpse of what she could bring
06:18 to a superhero series.
06:20 "The inside of the chair was lined with lead."
06:24 4.
06:25 The Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King
06:28 Christopher Lee, who played the villainous Saruman, was an essential part of the Lord
06:32 of the Rings trilogy.
06:33 In the third film, he was supposed to meet his end in a dramatic climax.
06:37 However, during the editing process, director Peter Jackson found that it didn't quite fit
06:42 the narrative they had already set.
06:44 "I will not be held prisoner."
06:47 Thus his swan song was removed, to the dismay of both fans and Lee himself.
06:53 He was understandably confused, feeling it was important plot-wise.
06:56 "And when the third film came on, I couldn't believe what I saw, because I wasn't in it."
07:05 Some folks even started a petition in protest.
07:08 While his part was included in the much longer extended edition, some can't help but wish
07:12 it had made it to the theatre as well.
07:15 "Save your pity and your mercy!
07:17 I have no use for it!"
07:19 3.
07:20 Shailene Woodley – The Amazing Spider-Man 2
07:22 Besides Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson was supposed to be a keen player in The Amazing Spider-Man
07:28 series.
07:29 When Shailene Woodley was rumoured to have the part in Movie 2, many were excited to
07:33 see her play off of Andrew Garfield.
07:36 And indeed, she shot some scenes.
07:38 "One day I'm gonna explode.
07:40 I'm gonna obliterate everything in my wake and...
07:44 I don't know, I just feel like it's my responsibility to minimize the casualties."
07:48 However, the director eventually made the call to put the focus entirely on Peter and
07:53 Gwen, erasing MJ from the story.
07:55 "I didn't get love back last night.
07:57 I got more of a 'want to kill me with his electricity' vibe."
07:59 "That's actually kind of what it's like to love you."
08:02 Thankfully, the decision ended up working out, with viewers largely loving the central
08:06 pair's romance.
08:07 Still, it might have been fun to see how Woodley would fit into the universe.
08:10 However, the actress seemed to totally understand the creative choice, and had nothing but good
08:15 things to say about the series.
08:16 "The characters, it really didn't make sense to introduce such a vital character to the
08:20 comic books in a movie that had so much else going on."
08:24 2.
08:25 Mickey Rourke - The Thin Red Line
08:27 Some filmmakers add a lot at first, and wind up editing extensively later on.
08:32 This was the case for Terrence Malick with The Thin Red Line, which at one point boasted
08:37 several additional A-list celebrities.
08:39 "You've been in the army, what, six years now?
08:42 In about time you smartened up, stopped being such a punk recruit."
08:47 However, many of these stars had their scenes reduced or removed entirely, and this included
08:52 Mickey Rourke.
08:53 He was reportedly offended, as he felt that he had produced some of his finest material.
08:58 He also implied that his part was axed for "political reasons" rather than "professional
09:03 ones."
09:04 "I don't think you understand what's going on down here, sir."
09:07 Rourke was still seen on the big screen in other 90s flicks like Buffalo 66, but we imagine
09:13 this had to have hurt.
09:15 "I know what you're thinking, this story's hard to believe, right?"
09:18 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
09:22 Ashley Judd - Natural Born Killers
09:24 Her character Grace only made the director's cut.
09:27 "Ok, I killed my husband, I chopped him up into little bits and I dumped him piece by
09:31 piece into the Pacific.
09:32 Were you satisfied?"
09:33 Paul Rudd - Bridesmaids
09:34 He gave a great, hilarious performance that was removed to maintain the flow of the story.
09:40 "What happened?
09:41 What happened to you?"
09:42 "My shoulder's chained."
09:43 "Oh, you see, it's a big deal.
09:45 This is bleeding!"
09:47 Sienna Miller - Black Mass
09:48 She was going to play a criminal's girlfriend, but the part was cut in post.
09:52 "You don't think that colour's a little bit intense?"
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10:10 1.
10:12 Harrison Ford - E.T.
10:13 The Extra-Terrestrial
10:15 "I see you find young people from good homes, every advantage, your whole life laid out
10:23 in front of you."
10:25 Some actors have so much star power that even a single cameo could overshadow the rest of
10:29 the film.
10:30 By the time E.T.
10:31 The Extra-Terrestrial came out, Harrison Ford had already proven himself as a box office
10:35 champion with his roles in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series.
10:40 He was cast in the alien flick as Elliot's principal, but Steven Spielberg had a change
10:44 of heart, and the cameo appearance ended up on the cutting room floor.
10:48 "Snakes?
10:49 Why did it have to be snakes?"
10:52 The moment lives on as a bonus feature, but hasn't been added to re-releases, making that
10:57 call can't have been easy.
10:59 Ultimately, Spielberg likely did what he thought was best, and there's no denying E.T. is an
11:04 iconic movie.
11:12 Have any of your favourite actors had their characters cut from films?
11:15 "I'm erasing you and I'm happy!"
11:18 Let us know in the comments below.
11:20 Did you enjoy this video?
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11:28 Thanks for watching!
11:29 See you next time!
11:29 [music]