10 Actors Who Didn't Want To Be Credited For Horror Movie Roles

Aside from the titular terror himself, the Hannibal franchise had served up some great bad guys. The Silence of the Lambs, in particular, boasted a petrifying performance from Ted Levine as Jame Gumb, and Ridley Scott’s 2001 looked to push the envelope further with antagonist Mason Verger.

The despicable character is a mutilated patient-turned-victim of Dr Lecter, who was disfigured during a therapy session. The wealthy sadist returns looking for revenge on Hannibal, happy to implement extreme measures. This out-there character needed an impactful actor, and they don’t get much more impactful than Gary Oldman.

Oldman initially wanted a prominent credit in the picture. Normally this would be feasible, but Hannibal is the story of the eponymous doctor and Clarice Starling - it’s not really appropriate to add anyone else to the mix. This was enough to detach Oldman from the project, until he returned with another proposition - omit his name altogether.

This, it transpired, was a great decision. The already-chameleonic actor is hidden beneath layers of heavy makeup; settling down to watch the movie with no idea who you’re looking at makes Mason Verger all the more frightening.