Actors & the Cutting Room Floor

[Ash]

Ever watch a DVD's deleted scenes and notice that an actor appears in a deleted scene but not in the regular movie at all?

That would have to be a huge disappointment to be cast in a movie only to have your scene or scenes cut from the film especially if you were an unknown and a first time actor.

I was wondering, do those actors who appeared and then were cut still get paid?
I was thinking that they probably do but is their pay cut to a lower rate?



Post Edited (12-08-03 20:17)

[Neon Noodle]

The only one that comes to mind is Michael Bien in Terminator 2. His whole dream sequence was cut, and personally, I would hope he got paid for all that. Probably means they got time paid for being onset but a smaller piece of the profits - dunno, but a good question!

[JohnL]

Wil Wheaton was cut from The Last Starfighter.

[ulthar]

Kevin Costner was essentially cut from "The Big Chill" ... I am trying to think if that would have been his first movie.  He played the guy who killed himself, and I think there was originally supposed to be some flashback scenes or something.  Anyway, he still played 'the corpse,' but therefore ended up with no speaking parts.

[Vermin Boy]

Dick Miller was cut from Pulp Fiction.

[The Burgomaster]

Actors get paid even if they are cut from the movie.  The Screen Actor's Guild sets minimum pay rates for actors regardless of whether they actually show up in the film.  Plus, they would have been paid LONG before the film was edited.

Rob Lowe was cut from Austin Powers, but he appears in the deleted scenes.

I just got the 2 disc set of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.  There is an interesting scene of Michael Berryman peeing his pants that was cut from the theatrical print (although, he does appear in a few other scenes).

[Velvet Brotha]

>Actors get paid even if they are cut from the movie. The Screen Actor's Guild sets minimum pay rates for actors regardless of whether they actually show up in the film. Plus, they would have been paid LONG before the film was edited.

True.... However, in reality... it depends on the studio's politics at the time. Believe it or not, a lot of actors that get cut, get cut for some unscrupulous reason.
Who says power doesn't spawn corruption?

[The Burgomaster]

They may get cut for unscrupulous reasons, but they still get paid.  Ah, the power of the unions!

[Neville]

I've heard that some actors were cut from "The thin red line". One of them is Mickey Rourke. I think it is a pity, because he has gone through real hard times and his role could have meant a sort of silent comeback to the A movie arena. At least he has stopped doing lead roles in B-Movies to do interesting supporting roles in A movies, like "The Rainmaker".

[Velvet Brotha]

>They may get cut for unscrupulous reasons, but they still get paid. Ah, the power of the unions!


Sorry bro... not true in some cases. I use to work for a production company and they hated unions. We've filmed numerous projects where the actors were set up to get paid in the contract. However, there was a clause indicating that if their likeness was not used, there would be no compensation. It sucks buty it's true.

[ElectroSunDog]

Sometimes when their parts are cut, their names (and designated roles) still appear in the credits.