Why Do Some Actors Go Unbilled?

[Ash]

I've noticed that alot of actors will appear in films and go unbilled and their names aren't listed in the credits.

For example: I was watching "Four Rooms" and in the last segment, "The Man From Hollywood" directed by Tarantino, Bruce Willis has a large part, yet he is unlisted in the credits.

Are they doing it as a personal favor maybe?

Possibly good friends with the director or producer?

Why would they appear in a role without pay or credit of any kind?



Post Edited (05-14-03 05:22)

[Johnny Blister]

Imbd always tells you who starred in which anyways.

[Steven Millan]

                    Either to let the other actors shine(as Gene Hackman did with "The Firm"),or are badly embarassed by the film they have appeared in(as with Ron Leibman in "Up The Academy",where he was the evil academy head).

[Vermin Boy]

I suspect it's often done as a union dodge-- The SAG won't allow actors to work for less than a certain amount of money, so if a union actor decides they want to work in an independent (or just non-union) film, they have to either go uncredited or use a false name in order to go under the union's radar. This is why Corey Feldman is credited as Kinky Finkelstein in Citizen Toxie.

[Steve B]

Or, in the case of the guy that played Hitler in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, would you really want to be known as the guy that played Hitler?

[Johnny Blister]

Ian McKellen is billed as playing Hitler in a TV Movie.