Billing (filmmaking) - Unbilled Appearances

Unbilled Appearances

• As Gary Oldman appeared under heavy make-up in Hannibal, he requested that his name be completely removed from the billing and credits in order to "do it anonymously". However, Nathan Murray is still credited as "Mr. Oldman's assistant" and Oldman's name was added to the end credits upon the film's home video release.
• For suspense purposes, Kevin Spacey, in Seven, requested not to be credited in the opening titles or in any advertising for the film. His name appears in the closing credits.
• Likewise, in the opening of 1931's Frankenstein, the credit for "The Monster" is a question mark. Boris Karloff is named in the closing credits.
• Ashton Kutcher appears as the main antagonist, Hank, in the 2003 family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen and is uncredited although he is one of the film's main characters.
• In the 1974 film Earthquake, Walter Matthau agreed to provide a cameo performance without compensation on the condition that he not be credited under his real name; he was credited under a fictitious name of his choosing, "Walter Matuschanskayasky."

• Because he played the part without remuneration, Bruce Willis is not credited for his prominent role in the portion of Four Rooms directed by Quentin Tarantino.
• Owen Wilson does not receive credit for his "Jedidiah" character in Night at the Museum, though he receives credit in the sequel, Battle of the Smithsonian.
• John Wayne was billed as "Michael Morris" in two cameo television appearances directed by John Ford, an episode of Wagon Train and an anthology installment called Flashing Spikes starring James Stewart. Wayne's real name was Marion Michael Morrison.
• For his cameo appearances in Cabin Boy and Beavis and Butt-head Do America, David Letterman was billed as "Earl Hofert."

Other unbilled roles feature famous actors or actresses who pop up in a movie as a face in a crowd, a man on a bench, or other 'background' characters, who are given screen time for a brief, but recognizable, moment, such as Bing Crosby and Bob Hope momentarily appearing in a circus audience during The Greatest Show on Earth.

They can be recognized, but sometimes are not credited for financial reasons—if they receive credit, they would be due payment commensurate with their fame. Or, they just wanted to be part of the production.

David Bowie's appearance in Yellowbeard was apparently unplanned. The singer was vacationing on a beach when two sailing ships appeared in the bay — the ships from the movie. Bowie investigated, and when the production crew found out who he was, he was asked if he wanted to be in the movie. He became the 'shark' that convinced Madeline Kahn's character to talk.