# Actor not credited **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 20, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082 "2009-05-20T16:08:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/1 "2009-05-20T16:08:42Z")
A couple of months ago I was watching Ocean’s Eleven, and noticed that Don Cheadle is nowhere in the credits–it’s like Basher Tarr’s character didn’t exist in that movie. It’s not on IMDB, either. This doesn’t make much sense to me–it would be one thing if Basher wasn’t a high profile character, but he’s got just as many lines as the Mormon brothers, and they’re both listed. Is there a story behind this? And can anyone come up with other actors/roles who didn’t make the credits of a movie in which they had a good-sized speaking role? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/2 "2009-05-20T16:20:28Z")
Not a speaking role, but a good-sized one. Christopher Walken played the Hessian in the Johnny Depp “Sleeping Hollow”. ---
**Author:** ![Doom\_Slinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Doom\_Slinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doom_Slinger)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/3 "2009-05-20T16:22:30Z")
IIRC, Kevin Spacey did not appear in the credits for his role as John Doe in _Se7en_. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/4 "2009-05-20T16:31:26Z")
Bill Murray in _Tootsie_. Danny Glover in _The Rainmaker_. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/5 "2009-05-20T16:32:07Z")
In “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” Robin Williams is listed in the credits as “Ray D. Tutto”. His agent discouraged him from appearing in the movie, and the pseudonym was a compromise. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/6 "2009-05-20T16:32:47Z")
Some well-known uncredited performances: Sean Connery in _Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves_ Robert Duvall in _The Conversation_ Alec Guinness in _The Empire Strikes Back_ and _Return of the Jedi_ Gene Hackman in _Young Frankenstein_ Glenda Jackson in _The Boyfriend_ Raul Julia in _Havana_ Bill Murray in _Tootsie_ Jack Nicholson in _Broadcast News_ Elizabeth Taylor in _Winter Kills_ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/7 "2009-05-20T16:33:57Z")
> [@Doom\_Slinger](#): > > IIRC, Kevin Spacey did not appear in the credits for his role as John Doe in _Se7en_. Not true. He doesn’t appear until the end credits (and was also omitted from all posters, trailers, and publicity material), but he does appear in the closing credits. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/8 "2009-05-20T16:33:59Z")
Not a movie but Ron Howard was never credited for his narrations on Arrested Development. I also wonder why uncredited parts exist… Something to do with the pay or actor’s guild regulations perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/9 "2009-05-20T16:34:46Z")
IIRC, Kathleen Turner’s role as the voice of Jessica Rabbit in _Who Framed Roger Rabbit?_ went uncredited at her request. Not sure as to the “why” in the OP’s post. I don’t think Ms. Turner was concerned about being typecast or saddled with an embarrassing entry on her CV, as it was seemingly part of the publicity campaign during the film’s original release that she was the voice. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/10 "2009-05-20T16:37:58Z")
Judson Scott for _Star Trek II: TWOK_. Aside from him and Ricardo Montalban, none of the villains have any dialog at all. And he closes his eyes _after_ he dies. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/11 "2009-05-20T16:44:49Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Judson Scott for _Star Trek II: TWOK_. Aside from him and Ricardo Montalban, none of the villains have any dialog at all. > And he closes his eyes _after_ he dies. Well somebody had to. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/12 "2009-05-20T16:48:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Some well-known uncredited performances: > > Alec Guinness in _The Empire Strikes Back_ and _Return of the Jedi_ This is definitely not true (he’s in the closing credits of both), and I’m inclined to believe IMDB over Wiki/EW, so I’m going to assert that Hackman is also credited in _YF_. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/13 "2009-05-20T16:50:07Z")
Owen Wilson went uncredited in _Night at the Museum_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/14 "2009-05-20T16:56:14Z")
Victor Killian, who played the lead in the horrible SF film **Unknown World** \*, was not credited. While the film was in post-production, he was blacklisted (this was the McCarthy era), so the producers removed his name. Robin Williams in **Dead Again**. There are several general reasons why big names aren’t credited. Most often, it’s at the request of the actor. If he’s a big star, but took a small role, he refuses credit so his agent doesn’t have to explain why he took so much less money in that movie than his usual fee. \*Sort of like **The Core** , but with worse science. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/15 "2009-05-20T16:59:41Z")
F. Murray Abraham was uncredited in _The Bonfire of the Vanities_. I always heard it was a billing dispute. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/16 "2009-05-20T17:01:53Z")
According to IMDB, Meercedes McCambridge had to sue to be credited as the voice of the demon in _The Exorcist._ That squares with my memory that she wasn’t credited at all when the film came out, and it was something of a surprise to find out that an Academy Award winner a) did the voice and B0 didn’t get credit. Similarly, neither Debra Winger nor Pat Welsh received screen credit for their voice work on _E.T._. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/17 "2009-05-20T17:11:16Z")
James Earl Jones refused credit for doing the voice of Darth Vader in the three original _Star Wars_ films, although I believe he is credited in the Special Editions. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/18 "2009-05-20T17:17:01Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > According to IMDB, Meercedes McCambridge had to sue to be credited as the voice of the demon in _The Exorcist._ That squares with my memory that she wasn’t credited at all when the film came out, and it was something of a surprise to find out that an Academy Award winner a) did the voice and B0 didn’t get credit. There was some speculation that Linda Blair might have lost the Supporting Actress Oscar because of McCambridge’s fight for recognition after the film was out. Originally, people thought that part of Blair’s acting arsenal was the voice, which was later revealed to be MM’s. Another juvenile (Tatum O’Neal) won instead, though the _Exorcist_ did win the Sound Oscar, in part for the effective vocal distortions on display. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/19 "2009-05-20T17:17:58Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > There are several general reasons why big names aren’t credited. Most often, it’s at the request of the actor. If he’s a big star, but took a small role, he refuses credit so his agent doesn’t have to explain why he took so much less money in that movie than his usual fee. How can one determine salary from the credits? Also, wouldn’t whoever the agent is talking to know he was in the movie anyway? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082/20 "2009-05-20T17:26:49Z")
John Wayne is not mentioned in the credits of Clint Eastwood’s _Unforgiven_. However, since he had been dead for 13 years and, for this reason, took no part in the movie, this is not all that surprising. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-not-credited/497082.md?page=2)