Oscar-Worthy Performances You'll Never Get To See
No matter how precisely composed your favorite movies may be, nearly every movie goes through a turbulent editing process that results in major scenes getting stripped away from the runtime. What may work on the page or a film set ends up seeming excessive when it's incorporated into the structure of a feature-length motion picture. This is a well-worn process for crafting movies, but it can sometimes lead to bruised egos and displeased actors since this maneuver can result in performers having most or even all of their scenes removed from a feature. In some extreme cases, this can even dilute or outright erase performances that were tremendous enough to warrant award-season consideration.
Over the years, a slew of movies casted high-profile actors known for being award-season darlings only to stifle their performances in the editing room. Some extreme cases of this phenomenon saw performers let go from major films before they even stepped foot onto the set. These events plagued prolific actors ranging from Robert Downey Jr. to Sean Penn to Samuel L. Jackson, among many others. What was deemed necessary by a variety of directors and editors deprived the world of a bevy of performances from acclaimed actors that could've been nothing short of game-changers that the Academy Awards couldn't have ignored. Though these turns were never fully realized, it's time to give them their due and recognize the Oscar-worthy performances that never were.
Adrien Brody in The Thin Red Line
In 2003, Adrien Brody scored his first (and to date only) Academy Award nomination for his work in the 2002 feature "The Pianist." His best actor nod here ended up resulting in an Oscar win for the actor, providing him with a massive career boost. While Brody never made his way back to the Oscars, he's still secured other high-profile awards nominations for his accomplishments, such as multiple Emmy nominations. There's a chance, though, Brody could've broken through into the awards circuit much sooner if he hadn't had almost all of his screentime removed from the 1998 Terrence Malick movie "The Thin Red Line."
Brody told The Independent in 2001 (per Cinephilia & Beyond) that he was originally poised to have a pivotal role in the movie, but during post-production, his part was cut down to almost nothing. This wasn't necessarily the end of the world, except that Brody hadn't been told about this creative change before he started promoting "The Thin Red Line." Brody remarked that he was incredibly proud of his performance that was left on the cutting room floor and given that "The Thin Red Line" turned into an awards-season darling, it's entirely possible his work here could've given the actor his very first taste of Oscar recognition.
Richard Dreyfuss in W.
There was a time when the works of Oliver Stone regularly got drowned in Oscar recognition. From 1979 to 1996, Stone secured 11 Oscar nominations across a wide array of categories, and many actors in his projects also got high-profile nods. In an alternate timeline, it's easy to imagine Stone's 2008 movie about George W. Bush, "W.," could've been catnip for Oscar voters and secured tons of nominations for the various members of its ensemble cast. Among that cast was Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, a turn that Dreyfuss described in the Nathan Rabin book "My Year of Flops" as being "like a great meal ... I'm really good."
A two-time Oscar nominee and winner of the best actor trophy for his work in "Mr. Holland's Opus," it's entirely possible Dreyfuss' version of Dick Cheney could've secured the actor some more Oscar love. However, in "My Year of Flops," Dreyfuss recalled that Oliver Stone was a nightmare on the set who kept whittling down both Cheney's role and the more challenging aspects of the entire script. In the process, a role he initially found so fascinating to play became a nightmare that was incredibly truncated in the final cut.
James Gandolfini in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
James Gandolfini was an acting titan taken from the world too soon. Though best known for his iconic work in "The Sopranos," Gandolfini was far more than just a mob boss in his esteemed acting career. Whether it was in his impressive voice-over work in "Where the Wild Things Are" or his beautifully understated turn in "Enough Said," Gandolfini demonstrated a versatility that's truly remarkable. Among his final forays into acting was one role audiences never got to see, a supporting performance in the 2011 drama "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." Gandolfini was a part of this feature's star-studded ensemble cast for so long that he even got credited on the film's initial poster, which dropped just three months before its domestic debut.
However, anyone who's seen "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" knows that Gandolfini is nowhere to be seen in the final product. A Hollywood Reporter piece in January 2012 revealed that "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" went through a lot of post-production changes, such as removing the film's original composer at the last minute. Meanwhile, the feature's shift to being more about the adolescent protagonist meant that a subplot with the character's mom falling in love with a guy (Gandolfini) at a support group meeting had to be cut. Considering this drama eventually scored multiple Oscar nods, Gandolfini's role in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" totally had the potential to secure this actor his first-ever Oscar nomination.
Ryan Gosling in The Lovely Bones
There are few things the world can agree about, but something nearly everyone on the planet must be unanimous on is that Ryan Gosling is a superior dramatic performer to Mark Wahlberg. This is no slam on the talents of the latter actor — Gosling is simply in a class of his own. If you have the chance to cast somebody in your grim meditation on death and murder, Gosling would be the superior choice compared to the leading man of "Ted" and "Father Stu." However, the 2009 Peter Jackson film "The Lovely Bones" opted to cast Mark Wahlberg as a last-minute replacement for a lead role that was originally set to be inhabited by Ryan Gosling.
This seemingly bamboozling choice stemmed from Gosling's decision to gain an excessive amount of weight to play his "Lovely Bones" character. Gosling revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Jackson hated this drastic physical change so much that he just opted to hire a new actor altogether. This ensured that "The Lovely Bones" could adhere closer to Jackson's creative vision, but surely Gosling's work in the film would've been a superior translation of the character. Gosling's track record with realizing both mournful emotions and precise pieces of physicality could've been a perfect fit for his role in "The Lovely Bones" as a grieving father. Alas, Jackson disagreed and deprived the world of a potentially amazing Gosling performance.
Robert Downey Jr. in Inherent Vice
Starting with "Boogie Nights" in 1997, every single Paul Thomas Anderson movie, save for "Punch Drunk Love," "Inherent Vice," and "Licorice Pizza," has scored at least one acting Oscar nod. Perhaps "Inherent Vice" would've had a better shot at joining that streak if the feature had stuck with its original leading man plans. Initially, Robert Downey Jr. was connected to the role of Doc Sportello that Joaquin Phoenix would inhabit in the final version of the feature. Downey is no stranger to securing Oscar recognition and that, combined with his gifts for distinctive comedy — a great trait when anchoring a movie like "Inherent Vice" — could've easily resulted in Oscar-caliber material.
Though Downey admitted to MTV (via SlashFilm) in December 2011 that he was likely going to headline "Inherent Vice," this enticing casting never panned out. By the start of 2013, Paul Thomas Anderson opted to reunite with "The Master" leading man Joaquin Phoenix on the production instead. Downey revealed to GQ in May 2013 that he ended up losing out on the role because Anderson felt the "Iron Man" leading man was too old to play Doc Sportello. Phoenix turned out to be an inspired choice to navigate the looney yet melancholy world of "Inherent Vice," but there's also no denying Robert Downey Jr. could've easily turned in commendable work ... perhaps even commendable enough to become another Oscar-nominated Anderson movie performance.
Michelle Monoghan in Syriana
The 2005 political thriller "Syriana" is a tale comprised of four major plotlines with a star-studded ensemble cast scattered across all those assorted narratives. Originally, though, writer-director Stephen Gaghan was going to go even more ambitious and feature an additional fifth storyline. That deleted plotline was focused on a Miss USA contestant (Michelle Monaghan) who gets intertwined in the life of an oil baron. It was a part Monoghan was thoroughly committed to; she told Interview Magazine in 2016 that she went every possible extra mile for the role.
That level of conviction wasn't enough to keep Monaghan from getting cut from "Syriana," though. The performer divulged to Moviehole in 2006 that producers George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh reached out to her to let her know they loved her work in "Syriana," but that it wouldn't make the final cut of the project. Given how many narrative plates "Syriana" was juggling, it's understandable that something had to get deleted eventually. However, given the praise Monoghan received for her work and her sterling track record as a performer, we're left wondering what kind of top-notch acting audiences were deprived of seeing in "Syriana."
Daniel Day-Lewis in Black Mass
Often, imagining whether or not an actor will get Oscar love is entirely speculative. For Daniel Day-Lewis, on the other hand, one could usually predict that his leading man turns will inevitably grab the attention of the Academy. In his towering career, Day-Lewis secured a trio of Oscar wins and three nominations. Given this man's ability to drum up magnificent performances, it's no surprise to imagine that Day-Lewis' turn as Whitey Bulger in "Black Mass" would've also been Oscar-worthy brilliance.
As noted in early 2010, Day-Lewis was initially signed on to play the part of Bulger in a role that would've made great use of his gift for striking up an intimidating presence, as seen in "Gangs of New York." However, eventually, the extremely picky actor opted to depart, possibly due to director Jim Sheridan (whom Day-Lewis had worked with on 1993's "In the Name of the Father") leaving the project as well. We'll never know the exact specifics of what Day-Lewis' version of this Boston gangster would've looked like, but chances are, it would've been something the Oscars would've considered recognizing.
Sean Penn in The Tree of Life
In the 2011 Terrence Malick feature "The Tree of Life," Sean Penn plays the aged-up version of Jack O'Brien. Throughout the movie, Jack wanders around an office and other landscapes associated with the adult world as we see flashbacks of the childhood that molded him into the man he is today. He's a prominent presence throughout "The Tree of Life," but he's not the most important figure in the feature. Apparently, though, the original incarnation of this character would've given Sean Penn significantly more to do.
A few months after "The Tree of Life" premiered, Penn revealed to Figaro Magazine that he was given a screenplay for "The Tree of Life" that was much more pathos-oriented and featured more conventional narrative elements. Befuddled over the final cut, Penn felt he was never given proper guidance by Terrence Malick on the film's set to help him realize a performance that lived up to what was on the page. Even with Penn's grievances, "The Tree of Life" still ended up being a major award-season contender. However, an alternate version of the film apparently might've given Penn more room to deliver a truly unforgettable performance.
Kevin Costner in The Big Chill
In 1991, Kevin Costner made a big splash at the Oscars by scoring not just his first-ever nomination but a trio of nods in a wide assortment of categories. Thanks to his directorial effort "Dances with Wolves," Costner secured nominations in best actor, best director, and best picture at that year's Academy Awards. It was an impressive feat that signaled the arrival of Costner as a juggernaut in the world of award-season cinema, though this didn't have to be his inaugural time showing up as a nominee to the Oscars. If the original plan for the 1983 feature "The Big Chill" had gone through, Costner could have delivered an Oscar-worthy performance almost a decade ahead of "Dances with Wolves."
Actor Jeff Goldblum explained to Yahoo that "The Big Chill" originally was supposed to feature a pivotal flashback scene with Costner, who Goldblum felt made a major splash even with his minimal screen time. However, this sequence was cut in the editing room. In the final edit of this feature, only Costner's wrists are briefly shown on-camera, otherwise, he's M.I.A. from the proceedings. Considering "The Big Chill" secured several Oscar nods after its release (including one for best picture), it's not too outlandish to wonder if the deleted scenes with Costner, an actor the Oscars are friendly towards, could've secured his first Oscar nomination.
Brendan Fraser in Batgirl
While Brendan Fraser has long been a favorite performer of internet-dwelling souls, he hit a new level of notoriety and show business respectability with his best actor Oscar win for "The Whale." It was a glorious achievement suggesting that Fraser had truly returned to the pop culture limelight after years of existing in more obscure terrain. However, filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah truly believe that in an alternate timeline, "The Whale" would not be the only movie to secure Fraser Oscar glory. The duo worked with Fraser on "Batgirl," a shelved DC Extended Universe movie that would've featured this actor in the role of Ted Carson, aka Firefly.
Talking to Yahoo, the duo wistfully recalled all the elements of "Batgirl" that they enjoyed working with, including the opportunity to collaborate with Fraser. These directors specifically noted that this man's work as Firefly was worthy of Oscar attention, while, in a separate interview with Collider, "Batgirl" leading lady Leslie Grace was relentless in praising all the virtues of Fraser's performance and worth ethic on set. Given that he became an award-season darling with "The Whale," it seems plausible that Fraser cooked up something special with his work in "Batgirl" not long after. Unfortunately, the decision to shelve this superhero film means the world will never find out just how much the actor knocked it out of the park.
Samuel L. Jackson in A Time to Kill
Samuel L. Jackson has been such a prominent figure in the world of movies for so long that it's astonishing that he's only ever been nominated for an acting Oscar once (he did receive an honorary award from the ceremony in 2022). Beyond a best supporting actor nod for "Pulp Fiction," Jackson has never been recognized for his incredible work on-screen in films from auteurs like Quentin Tarantino, M. Night Shyamalan, George Lucas, and countless others. One particular role that Jackson personally feels he should've received some Oscar attention for, though, was his pronounced work as Carl Lee Hailey in "A Time to Kill."
Specifically, Jackson explained to Vulture that there were scenes shot for the film that really elucidated the vengeful and pained side of his character. Such sequences lent deep insight into this man's fractured psychological state. To Jackson's astonishment, those sequences would all be removed in the editing process, including a pivotal scene shot early on in principal photography where Hailey gives a massive powerful speech. For Jackson, removing the more intimate explorations of Hailey's existence meant eliminating sequences that could've been an easy ticket to award season recognition.