# Why do actors/actresses take "uncredited" roles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847 "2010-01-06T02:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/21 "2010-01-07T12:59:30Z")
Kathleen Turner went uncredited as the voice of Jessica Rabbit in **Who Framed Roger Rabbit**. I don’t remember hearing why. Maybe just because it was a cartoon character. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/22 "2010-01-25T08:36:16Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Sometimes, though, it’s to surprise the audience (e.g. Mel Gibson in **Father’s Day** ). Or Tom Cruise in **Tropic Thunder**. Wesley Snipes was not in the opening credits of Waiting to Exhale. He requested that because it was the women’s movie. I saw it on opening night, so naturally, no one was forewarned, and when he showed up onscreen, there was a spontaneous “Ooooooooohhhhhhhhh!” ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/23 "2010-01-25T15:11:18Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Or Tom Cruise in **Tropic Thunder**. > > Wesley Snipes was not in the opening credits of Waiting to Exhale. He requested that because it was the women’s movie. I saw it on opening night, so naturally, no one was forewarned, and when he showed up onscreen, there was a spontaneous “Ooooooooohhhhhhhhh!” So people took the title literally, then? ---
**Author:** ![screengems](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@screengems](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screengems)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/24 "2017-01-18T19:18:46Z")
I work as an uncredited actor if I am not overly fond of a project but need the work (money). I also work uncredited if my agent wants me to work and get experience with a certain director or producer. There is a host of reasons why an actor will elect to work credited. The above reasons are mine alone and do not reflect other performers reasoning. However, as a SAG-AFTRA member, I always work to scale or on a negotiated contract ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/25 "2017-01-18T19:23:51Z")
> [@screengems](#): > > I work as an uncredited actor if I am not overly fond of a project but need the work (money). I also work uncredited if my agent wants me to work and get experience with a certain director or producer. There is a host of reasons why an actor will elect to work credited. The above reasons are mine alone and do not reflect other performers reasoning. However, as a SAG-AFTRA member, I always work to scale or on a negotiated contract …but he’ll still give you ‘The Stink Eye’ if you ask him for an autograph, so treat him like a leper & everyone’s happy. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/26 "2017-01-18T19:56:17Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > Uncredited roles in Hot Fuzz: > > …Peter Jackson cameo’d as a fan as well… I presume you mean he appeared because he was a fan of the creators of the film. His uncredited role was as a knife-wielding Father Christmas (Santa). ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/27 "2017-01-19T19:43:04Z")
> [@screengems](#): > > I work as an uncredited actor if I am not overly fond of a project but need the work (money). I also work uncredited if my agent wants me to work and get experience with a certain director or producer. There is a host of reasons why an actor will elect to work credited. The above reasons are mine alone and do not reflect other performers reasoning. However, as a SAG-AFTRA member, I always work to scale or on a negotiated contract But are you famous? You’d tell me if you were famous, right? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/28 "2017-01-19T21:45:39Z")
Sean Connery was uncredited in **Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves** , wasn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/29 "2017-01-19T22:02:22Z")
One I’ve always wondered about is [Paul Reubens in _Flight of the Navigator_](https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/52631/why-did-paul-reubens-use-a-pseudonym-for-flight-of-the-navigator). Technically not uncredited, but he did use an obscure pseudonym that he never used before or since. Anyone know the story behind this one? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847/30 "2017-01-19T23:04:27Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > And when Hoffman lent his voice to the Simpsons, he was credited as “Sam Etic,” a play on the word “Semetic.” According to what I remember of the commentaries on the show, that’s because there was a stigma about doing voices on a cartoon at the time. After Michael Jackson came on uncredited they said enough, no more, and since all guest voices have been credited (by their known name). Certainly hasn’t stopped many people from doing the show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-actors-actresses-take-uncredited-roles/523847.md?page=1)