10 Actors Who Were Uncredited For Insane Reasons

Sometimes actors just don't want the credit.

John Doe Seven
New Line Cinema

The most basic expectation of any actor is that they'll get paid and credited for doing their work, and unions are thankfully in place to ensure that studios can't dick working performers out of their fair due.

But sometimes actors end up going uncredited, which at first glance might seem like the most antithetical thing they can do, to have their name scrubbed from a movie's credits roll.

Yet acting isn't always about being recognised - sometimes it's about totally the opposite, and sometimes it's about flouting Hollywood's legal structures in order to play a part they really want to.

And so these 10 actors all ended up playing these movie roles sans-credit, yet it was typically for a specific, unexpected, and often downright weird reason.

Perhaps they put the element of surprise ahead of their own ego - always a shock in Hollywood - were persuaded to perform anonymously by the studio, wanted to avoid violating a contract, or maybe even had a bad time on the shoot and chose to be uncredited out of near-spite.

Whatever the reason, these performers were all conspicuously uncredited in these major movies...

10. To Surprise The Audience - Kevin Spacey (Se7en)

John Doe Seven
New Line Cinema

Though Kevin Spacey does admittedly receive first billing in the end credits of David Fincher's Se7en, it was his decision to not be credited at the start of the movie for one very special, vanity-free reason.

Given that Se7en is centered entirely around the enigma of serial killer John Doe's (Spacey) identity, Spacey felt that announcing his presence upfront would rip much of the mystery and unsettling intrigue away.

And he was absolutely right.

While those especially familiar with Spacey's voice might recognise it when we hear John Doe speak on the phone at one point, for the majority of first-time viewers the reveal of John Doe's identity comes as a major surprise.

Considering how often actors negotiate tirelessly to receive top billing in a film's opening titles, it's wild that an actor as well-known as Spacey went the other way entirely, wanting as minimal billing as possible while still being officially credited.

Spacey also didn't appear on the film's press tour whatsoever to further keep his appearance on the down-low - ultimately a win-win for everyone involved, surely.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.