The Thin Red Line wasn’t the first film to somehow cut Viggo’s scenes, because the same thing happened to him in Woody Allen’s 1985 film The Purple Rose in Cairo. What’s worse is the stressful experience Viggo was put through during the actual filming, all for it to be for nothing!
He was told he’d gotten a part in the movie after his audition, but not told what the part was. He still had no idea what he was supposed to be doing for the part by the time he arrived on set, where the scene was a huge party.
Viggo explained what happened: “He goes, ‘Okay, let’s shoot.’ And I go, ‘Mr. Allen? Sir? What am I supposed to do?’ ‘You just follow his lead. You’ll be alright.’ And I’m freaking out. I have no idea what the story’s about.”
Sadly, he didn’t appear in the film, despite telling his family beforehand. He’d go on to do just fine though, of course!
