10 Best Movie Characters Who Only Appear In Deleted Scenes

Once filming has wrapped on a production, you'd assume the hardest part is done. After a couple of weeks in the editing room, the movie should be ready, right?

But it's not that simple. During the editing process, the director might realise certain elements don't work, forcing a scene or two to be axed. Some performers have the misfortune to only appear in these doomed scenes, meaning they never make it into the final cut. Even though this can be frustrating for the actors involved, scenes are rarely removed purely because of a bad performance. Usually, it's due to pacing issues or the scene's tone may jar with the rest of the movie.

Despite the fact every decision the director makes should benefit the movie, there are times where taking a character out is the wrong call. Excluding Saruman from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a bad move. Discarding almost a dozen characters from Justice League really hurt the narrative. Although these characters mightn't add anything to the plot, they could have made their films far more entertaining.

In Joel Schumacher's Phone Booth, Colin Farrell plays a suave but smarmy publicist who feels like he's on top of the world. After receiving a call from a phone booth, he is informed by the caller that a sniper rifle is aimed directly at his head. For the next hour, the anonymous caller plays mind games with Stu, forcing him to face his inner demons and confess his deepest, darkest secrets in order to stay alive.

In a deleted scene, we see Stu meeting one of his clients, Bobby, just before he steps into the booth. Bobby (Jared Leto) is an up-and-coming actor who is about to drop Stu as his publicist. By using a subtle but strategic manipulation, Stu convinces Bobby to change his mind.

It's a very simple, short scene but it's important since it highlights Stu can effortlessly trick people to come around to his way of thinking without them even realising it. The scene may not be necessary but it's surprising why it was cut considering it only adds two minutes onto the film's svelte 82-minute run time.