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Every person experiences moments of forgetfulness in their lives, whether it’s misplacing a phone or forgetting a recent acquaintance. Forgetfulness is a universal aspect of being human, and even celebrities are not immune to memory lapses. These instances can range from forgetting interviews or scenes in movies to occasionally completely forgetting their involvement in a particular film.
Celebrities like Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt have found themselves in situations where they forgot they worked together, as in the case of The Big Short. Much like anyone else, actors may not remember every co-worker or project they’ve been a part of. However, there are instances where actors go beyond forgetting specific details and completely blank out on their roles in entire movies. Here are some examples of Actors Who Forgot They Were in a Movie.
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6 Actors Who Forgot They Were in a Movie
Gwyneth Paltrow — Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Gwyneth Paltrow, a longstanding member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since its inception in 2008 with Iron Man, has portrayed Pepper Potts alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark in various films, including all three Iron Man movies, The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. However, she surprisingly forgot about her brief appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017. Paltrow’s appearance in the film occurred toward the end when Tony Stark invited Peter Parker (Tom Holland) to join the Avengers officially. Her memory lapse was brought to light by co-star Jon Favreau while they were co-hosting The Chef Show.
During a cooking session, Favreau reminded Paltrow about her role in Spider-Man: Homecoming, to which she responded with surprise, saying, “That was Spider-Man? Oh my god!” Juggling the timelines of numerous MCU projects can be challenging, especially for an actor who has portrayed the same character across multiple films. Interestingly, the forgotten appearance held significance for her character, as the scene involved Tony Stark planning to propose to Pepper Potts.
Paul Bettany — Iron Man (2008)
Similar to his MCU colleague Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany has had notable roles in several Marvel movies. Since 2015, he has portrayed Vision, a character introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and has appeared in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and WandaVision.
Before embodying Vision, Bettany lent his voice to J.A.R.V.I.S, Tony Stark’s AI assistant, in all three Iron Man movies and The Avengers. Strangely, he had forgotten his involvement in the first Iron Man film, as his contribution involved only 30 minutes of voice acting in a recording studio.
During an interview with Digital Spy, Bettany recounted an instance when someone complimented his work in the first Iron Man movie. Perplexed, he responded by saying, “You’ve got me mixed up with someone else.” Ironically, Bettany acknowledged that his voice acting gigs in those early MCU movies were among the best in his career, humorously summarizing it as, “I say the lines, and they pay me money.”
Anna Kendrick — Twilight (2008)
Anna Kendrick, undoubtedly launching her acting career with a prominent role in the blockbuster Twilight over 15 years ago, found herself surprising fans when she seemingly forgot about her involvement in the franchise. Despite being a major part of three out of the four Twilight movies, which remains one of the most significant film franchises of the 21st century, Kendrick tweeted in 2018, “Holy s***, I just remembered I was in Twilight.”
The tweet sparked speculation online about whether Kendrick genuinely forgot about her role, especially given that her memoir, Scrappy Little Nobody, featured an entire chapter dedicated to her experience co-starring in the movies. Whether her tweet was a sincere lapse of memory or a playful use of her comedic skills remains uncertain. Nevertheless, for the time being, fans are left to ponder if Kendrick truly had a moment of forgetfulness about her Twilight days.
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Heidi Klum — Zoolander (2001)
Heidi Klum, a multitasking personality with roles ranging from television host, supermodel, business owner, to being a mother of four, has had a bustling career with involvement in various projects. Given her extensive portfolio, it’s understandable that certain endeavors might slip from her memory. However, it’s a bit peculiar that she had no recollection of a small role in Ben Stiller’s quirky comedy Zoolander.
Despite being approached to reprise her role in Zoolander 2, Klum had to decline due to scheduling conflicts with three television shows she was filming simultaneously. When asked about her part in the first film, Klum initially struggled to grasp the reference, eventually recalling her involvement. She attributed the memory lapse to the 15 years that had passed since the project, humorously stating, “That’s a brain fart. See what happens when you have four kids? They suck it all out of you.”
Jack Black — The Holiday (2006)
Despite being a comedy legend known for movies like School of Rock and Tropic Thunder, Jack Black experienced a moment of forgetfulness about his own filmography. During an interview with Variety at the premiere of Jumanji: The Next Level, he was asked about his favorite Christmas movie in December. Black revealed Elf as his top pick, praising Will Ferrell’s performance. When commended for not choosing his own holiday movie, he candidly responded, “Do I have a Christmas movie? Which one is mine?” After a reminder, he eventually recalled his role in the beloved Christmas romantic comedy, The Holiday, expressing appreciation for director Nancy Meyers.
Chris O’Dowd — Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World is often regarded as one of the less memorable entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by many fans. Criticisms include uninteresting villains, a weak plot, and perceived lack of chemistry between the lead actors. The movie is deemed forgettable to the extent that even one of its actors, Chris O’Dowd, forgot about his involvement in it.
In a 2019 interview with MTV, the Irish actor revealed that he had a minor role in the film as Richard, a character involved in Jane’s (Natalie Portman) attempt to move on from Thor. Surprisingly, O’Dowd admitted to having completely forgotten that he was part of the MCU. When asked about the specific Thor movie he appeared in and whether his character survived Thanos’ snap, O’Dowd humorously responded, “I actually have no idea. I’m not going to try and guess it.”
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