10 Times Actors Had ZERO Idea What Movie They Were Making

Some actors are just clueless.

Spider-Man Homecoming Gwyneth Paltrow Robert Downey Jr.
Columbia Pictures

To ensure a movie cast give the best possible performance and maintain the director's vision, it's logical that they would be privy to the plot's most intimidate details. Alan Rickman knew the truth about Severus Snape long before it was revealed in the Harry Potter franchise. Mark Hamill was one of the only people aware of the Darth Vader twist before The Empire Strikes Back came out. In situations like this, it seems like the actors know more about the movie than anyone.

Ironically, there are times where the performers are the last to know what's going on. Sometimes, this isn't their fault. To avoid leaks, the script mightn't be shared with the ensemble, so they only know the bare-minimum. Sometimes, there is no script, so the actors don't know what's happening until the day of shooting.

Occasionally, the stars only have themselves to blame for not knowing what's what. They might show up on set before they double-checked their contract, learned their lines, or studied their character.

But every once in a while, an actor might be oblivious to what movie they signed up for because they're just... dumb.

10. Everyone - Suicide Squad

Spider-Man Homecoming Gwyneth Paltrow Robert Downey Jr.
Warner Bros.

When a movie undergoes rushed scripts and last-minute rewrites, it's understandable when actors involved get a little muddled about the character they're portraying or the overall narrative.

But sudden script changes happen all the time, especially with blockbusters. The Lord of the Rings and The Avengers had rewrites on a daily basis, forcing the actors to adapt. This practice may not be ideal, but it's not uncommon.

However, Suicide Squad took this to a whole new level. David Ayer's script, which was penned in just six weeks, didn't stop changing until the eleventh hour. Even though Margot Robbie and Will Smith were playing the leads, Robbie admitted "We don't know what our characters' relationship is really gonna be, it's ever-changing. We're not being secretive, we just actually don't know."

If you thought the stars would be clued in after production wrapped, guess again. Unimpressed by the militaristic and grungy aesthetic, Warner executives urged Ayer to make Suicide Squad more light-hearted. After spending a preposterous $22 million on reshoots, The Joker's scenes were drastically cut down and the entire third act was redone. There were so many versions of Suicide Squad, nobody involved knew what the finished product was going to be until it premiered.

Contributor
Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85