12 Actors Who Were Cut Out Of Films In Post-Production

How long do you think it takes to produce a movie? A month, six months, or a year? Well, it certainly takes a great deal of time and effort from directors, actors, and the entire crew for a movie to be presented on the silver screen. During production, they often have to make some significant decisions that lead to the outcome of the project. All aim to achieve an excellent result and turn it into a blockbuster. Because of it, there are some actors who were cut out of films.
Producers have an important mission that defines the amount of footage to be included in the final version of the movie. It means that which scenes are kept and which ones are removed. As a result, a part of the storylines, characters, and actors who played them are affected. Especially actors, they couldn’t make it into the finished version of the movie and even their characters are considered minor. Because of it, their careers may not be influenced well.
Below are 12 actors who were cut out of films in post-production. Besides them, there are some actors who were kicked out in the middle of the production, you can read here, here, and here.

#1 Ashley Judd in “Natural Born Killers”

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Ashley Judd was under huge pressure when starring in the Quentin Tarantino-written, Oliver Stone-directed film in 1994. It was the beginning of her career after making her film debut two years prior, but her character in the crime thriller never made it to the big screen. Stone cut Judd's sorority girl character entirely.

#2 Paul Rudd in “Bridesmaids”

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We can’t help but obsess over what Paul Rudd-Kristen Wiig romance might have looked like. In fact, the actor filmed a dating scene with the leading lady but because of time constraints, the director decided to remove it.

#3 Maya Rudolph in “Anchorman”

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Many audiences wonder why Maya Rudolph’s performance in “Anchorman” didn’t test well with screening audiences, so her character was slashed post-production.

#4 Harrison Ford in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”

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One less-known fact about “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” is that Harrison Ford played the Principal of Elliot's (Henry Thomas) school but his scenes were not included in the final version.

#5 Uma Thurman in “Savages”

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Many stars like Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, and Salma Hayek, rose their fame after starring in “Savages”. Uma Thurman was cast in the movie but her role as Blake Lively's mom was cut for time.

#6 Angela Bassett in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

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Angela Bassett signed to become a part of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”. However, her scenes were cut and she never made it into the final film. Despite it, we still heard her voice in the film.

#7 Tim Roth in “Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood”

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Many felt eager to see Tim Roth’s performance in “Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood” but due to time, Quentin Tarantino had to exe his storyline.

#8 Christopher Lee in “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

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Christopher Lee appeared as the wizard Saruman in “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”. However, his character had been completely edited out of the franchise’s final film and that shocked the actor. He felt so insulted and decided not to attend the film’s premiere.

#9 Jena Malone in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice”

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Jena Malone confirmed to appear in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” and that news made her fans so excited. However, when the movie was released, she was nowhere to be found. Despite being cut from the theatrical film, we could catch a glimpse of her scenes as a scientist in its extended-release.

#10 Katherine Langford in “Avengers: Endgame”

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In Avengers: Endgame, Katherine Langford filmed a scene with Robert Downey Jr. that was meant to be the grown-up version of his daughter coming to him before his death. However, it was cut.

#11 Robert Pattinson in “Vanity Fair”

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Before getting a lot more attention in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “The Twilight”, the actor was cast as Reese Witherspoon's son in “Vanity Fair”. Like the actors mentioned above, his character was cut from the final version.

#12 Shailene Woodley in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”

Source: STEFANIA D'ALESSANDRO / GETTY IMAGES

Many audiences were so excited when it was announced that Shailene Woodley starred in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”. However, the director decided not to incorporate the character into the film and instead focus on the romantic storyline of Emma Stone's character, Gwen Stacy.