10 Actors Who Got Paid To NOT Star In Movies
6. Sammy Davis Jr - Diamonds Are Forever
Out of all the cameos that were featured in the James Bond franchise, Sammy Davis Jr’s small role in Diamonds Are Forever could have been the greatest one of all considering Davis Jr's legendary status in the history of cinema. However, his cameo was axed entirely from the theatrical cut of the movie, only to be featured on the ‘extras’ option when the film finally came out on DVD.
A vaudeville star, member of the Rat Pack and one of the most important African American actors of the 50s/60s, it’s unsurprising that Davis Jr was chosen to star as a Las Vegas gambling man in a Bond film about diamond smuggling.
His humorous cameo as an unlucky gambler could’ve added quite a bit of flair to the film, but, unfortunately, it was ultimately cut with no reason as to why. One theory is that it could’ve just been cut for time purposes, another is that Davis Jr's star power could’ve distracted from Sean Connery's presence.
Considering his history in Hollywood and the lengths that Bond films go to include celebrity cameos, such as having Madonna in Die Another Day, it appears that Sammy Davis Jr was paid handsomely for his time.
Strangely, however, to this date there is very little information on his cameo and the reasons behind it.