Why do actors/actresses take "uncredited" roles?

[Yllaria]

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.

[Rilchiam]

@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!”

[Enderw24]

@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?

[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

[Count_Blucher]

@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.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@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).

[Kimballkid]

@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?

[ivylass]

Sean Connery was uncredited in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, wasn’t he?

[psychonaut]

One I’ve always wondered about is Paul Reubens in 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?

[TBG]

@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.