# Uncredited actors in significant roles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952 "2016-06-21T12:34:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/1 "2016-06-21T12:34:00Z")
Recently I started rewatching Star Trek: DS9 on Netflix. At the beginning of S2 there is a three-episode arc involving an opposition movement against the Bajoran provisional government. One of the major characters in this arc was a Bajoran minister played by Frank Langella. I thought it was odd that his part was uncredited in all three episodes - I never saw his name in either the opening or end credits. Why would an actor or actress appear in a major role (not a cameo) and not be credited? And what are some other TV or movie examples where this has happened? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/2 "2016-06-21T12:44:42Z")
Sometimes it’s a favor, in either direction. These won’t be people y’all have ever heard of so I won’t bother with names, but recently I watched about 10 minutes of the pilot of a horrid American TV series where the family of the protagonist are all big name comics in Spain, and all uncredited; by being in that irrecoverable piece of trash they were able to join the actors’ union, so whomever gave them those roles did them a big favor. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/3 "2016-06-21T12:49:33Z")
Robin Williams had a major role in _The Adventures of Baron Munchausen_ but was credited only as “Ray D. Tutto” (a pun on Rei di Tutto - “King of Everything”). Not sure why; in fact, looking at IMDB Williams has a few roles either uncredited or using a blatant pseudonym. In _Shakes the Clown_ he was credited as “Marty Fromage”. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/4 "2016-06-21T13:24:58Z")
There might be some kind of payment thing too. If you’re uncredited you may not have to be paid what your minimum standard rate might normally be, and instead do it for scale or 10% of the usual or whatever. Maybe. I dunno, that was just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/5 "2016-06-21T13:33:18Z")
Sometimes it’s ego: A major star in a supporting role may think that fourth billing is beneath him, so he’ll choose to be uncredited instead (see F. Murray Abraham in _Bonfire of the Vanities._) Sometimes, as others have said, it’s a favor to other actors in the movie. Bill Murray played a significant role in _Tootsie_ as Dustin Hoffman’s roommate, but chose to be uncredited so the film wouldn’t be marketed as a Bill Murray vehicle. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/6 "2016-06-21T13:35:59Z")
In general, if you’re a star and you take a small role, it becomes a point when you negotiate your next role. By not being credited, the studio can’t argue you took a small role so shouldn’t get a star’s salary. If you aren’t credited, you have a comeback, since your name isn’t being used to draw an audience. Robin Williams did this a lot, including his role in _Dead Again_. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/7 "2016-06-21T23:40:12Z")
Vanessa Redgrave as Anne Boleyn in “A Man for All Seasons”. She did it for fun and refused any money. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/8 "2016-06-22T01:53:08Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Vanessa Redgrave as Anne Boleyn in “A Man for All Seasons”. She did it for fun and refused any money. Also, when Stephen King was asked why he wrote novels under “Richard Bachman,” his [reason](http://www.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Richard_Bachman) could be semi-related to this thread: > [@wiki article](#): > > At the beginning of Stephen King’s career, the general view among publishers was that an author was limited to one book per year. They thought publishing more would not be seen as good to the public. King wanted to write under another name so he could write more than one book per year. His publisher, Signet Books, agreed to print more books under a pseudonym.[1] > > In the start of The Bachman Books, King said using the nom de plume Bachman was to see if his success was due to talent or luck. King said he put out the Bachman books with very little marketing. He did his best to “load the dice against” Bachman. King never found the answer to the “talent versus luck” question. He said he let everyone know that he was Bachman too soon. The Bachman book Thinner (1984) sold 28,000 copies during its first printing. When it was told that King wrote the book, the sales went up by ten times. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/9 "2016-06-22T01:56:33Z")
IIRC, Jack Nicholson was uncredited in his role as the network’s Walter Cronkite proxy in _Broadcast News_ (starring Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, and William Hurt). ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/10 "2016-06-22T02:18:06Z")
Important voice roles in live-action films are often uncredited:[ul] [li]Mercedes McCambridge as the voice of Pazazu in _The Exorcist_[/li][li]James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader in the first two _Star Wars_ films (he was credited in the third film and in later re-releases of the first two)[/li][li]Laurence Olivier as the narrator (and probably also dubbing the voice of Lord Montague because of the Italian actor’s heavy accent) in Zeffirelli’s _Romeo and Juliet_.[/ul][/li] I seem to recall one of the actors from _Caligula_ (John Gielgud, I thought) demanded his name be removed from the credits because the movie was so bad. I can’t confirm that now. Maybe he just wanted his name removed and didn’t get his way. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/11 "2016-06-22T02:44:09Z")
Forgot another example: Pat Welsh as the voice of E.T. Her distinctive voice was apparently the result of decades of chain smoking. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/12 "2016-06-22T03:08:56Z")
Kenneth Branagh was uncredited in **Swing Kids**. A very good movie, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/13 "2016-06-22T06:05:57Z")
When it was first released, Gene Hackman was not listed in the credits for being the Blind Man. I understand he just wanted a role in the next Mel Brooks film and didn’t care about credits. It’s pretty clear even to me that Gene enjoyed playing that one scene. “Don’t go! I was going to make espresso!” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/14 "2016-06-22T06:12:06Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > When it was first released, Gene Hackman was not listed in the credits for being the Blind Man. I understand he just wanted a role in the next Mel Brooks film and didn’t care about credits. It’s pretty clear even to me that Gene enjoyed playing that one scene. > > “Don’t go! I was going to make espresso!” That film is “Young Frankenstein,” by the way. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/15 "2016-06-22T08:43:01Z")
Mae Marsh was a major star in silent films. If you don’t watch them, you won’t have any idea how huge she was, but she was huge. She was huge like Meryl Streep, and there weren’t as many big stars then. Anyway, around 1935, she “retired.” She had small children, and wanted to be a mother to them. Actually, she continued to work steadily for the rest of her life, just in uncredited cameos until her children were grown. Once her children were grown, she took a few major roles. A couple of times she was credited under another name, and a couple of times uncredited (it was 30 years after the height of her fame, and people no longer recognized her). It was all to keep up the appearance that she was retired. She worked harder and longer when she was a star, but she probably has more total films in her “uncredited” list. She’s in almost every John Wayne film, albeit, only for about five minutes each. IIRC, there’s a film that was re-released with her correct name in the credits. I have no idea why it was changed. I don’t think she was trying to stage a comeback, or anything. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/16 "2016-06-22T14:14:35Z")
One controversial case involving uncredited performers was _Flashdance_. Jennifer Beals performed all the dance scenes but they were also performed by dancer Marine Jahan. The footage was then edited together and most of the dancing you seen onscreen is Jahan. But there was no mention of Jahan in the movie’s credits when it was first released and it was implied Beals had done all the dancing in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/17 "2016-06-22T14:49:09Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > When it was first released, Gene Hackman was not listed in the credits for being the Blind Man. I understand he just wanted a role in the next Mel Brooks film and didn’t care about credits. It’s pretty clear even to me that Gene enjoyed playing that one scene. > > “Don’t go! I was going to make espresso!” In a small Tangent, this scene is one I consider to be in the top five funniest scenes in movie history. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/18 "2016-06-22T15:06:08Z")
Joseph Cotten made an appearance in “Touch of Evil” because he visited the set one day and Orson Welles sent over a make up man for grins and giggles. They also raised the fee Marlene Dietrich got for so they could advertise her appearance. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/19 "2016-06-22T17:37:37Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Vanessa Redgrave as Anne Boleyn in “A Man for All Seasons”. She did it for fun and refused any money. But she WAS credited. Her name is in the closing credits. Some other examples of REALLY uncredited roles: Bill Murray in **Tootsie** Darren McGavin in **The Natural**. And it’s a pretty big part, too. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952/20 "2016-06-22T17:57:55Z")
Kevin Spacey in _Se7en_, so that people wouldn’t figure out from the advertising that he must be the heavy. Dustin Hoffman in an episode of _The Simpsons_, playing Lisa’s wonderful teacher, for whom she develops a huge crush. He was credited as “Sam Etic” (Semetic i.e. Jewish). > [@Superdude](#): > > Also, when Stephen King was asked why he wrote novels under “Richard Bachman”… When his secret was exposed, he wrote a mock obit, mourning Bachman’s death from “cancer of the pseudonym.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncredited-actors-in-significant-roles/757952.md?page=2)