Did you know that Stargate SG-1 actor and staunch Canadian Michael Shanks once took a role in a low-rent TV film called Mega Snake just so he could extend his US visa? Well, you do now, and more to the point, how ridiculous is that? Well, the answer is not very, really. The fact of the matter is that actors are human beings like the rest of us. Impossibly glamourous and fabulously well-paid human beings, but human beings nonetheless. And like the rest of us human beings, they're subject to their feelings and the taxman, and this may affect their decision-making. Of course for regular people, a crazy decision might often go unnoticed because we don't live our lives in the public eye. However, for actors this is somewhat differrent they exist under a harsh media glare where all their decisions are endlessly scrutinised. Yet despite this scrutiny, they have been known to take on roles for reasons other than money or the possibility of awards. These reasons are many and varied, ranging from the rather cool to the utterly insane, and always make for good reading if you can find them. Well, I've found a couple that I'd like to share with you instances where actors just left the sanity wagon and decided to play a role for the hell of it. Be aware, there's a mild
SPOILER WARNING in effect. Don't say I didn't warn you.