Top 10 Actors Who HATED That Their Character DIED

#10: David Arquette - Dewey Riley

“Scream” (2022)

Flipping through a script gave the Woodsboro sheriff an unexpected gut punch. After spending decades in the “Scream” franchise, David Arquette assumed the fifth entry was just another chapter in Dewey’s story. Instead it was a brutal send-off which left the actor “kind of pissed at the writers”. They didn’t give him a heads-up before he read the script, and shooting the scene sounded like a cold experience. Arquette found it hard to connect with the crew because of all the COVID restrictions, leaving him to essentially process his feelings alone. He did however say that he doesn't hold a grudge towards the filmmakers. Production was just a difficult thing for him to go through.

#9: Bryan Cranston - Joe Brody

“Godzilla” (2014)

This film had marketing that built up Cranston as the central focus, but the writers had different plans. Cranston’s Joe Brody anchors the first half of the plot with grief, obsession, and a desperate need for answers. Then, just as the story finds its footing, he’s abruptly killed during the MUTO containment collapse. Cranston didn’t mince words about his feelings, frequently calling the decision “a mistake”, and criticizing how poorly it was handled. He argued that his character was the story’s emotional core and that removing him was throwing that away. Even acknowledging the importance of his death, he maintained that the timing of it was still wrong. These criticisms are about as blunt as they can get.

#8: Scatman Crothers - Dick Hallorann

“The Shining” (1980)

Few moments feel as abrupt as a rescue that never gets to happen. Dick Hallorann spends the entire film sensing Danny’s danger and eventually travels back to the Overlook Hotel, only to be axed moments after arriving. For fans of Stephen King’s original novel, it was a shocking deviation, and Crothers felt the same. He openly questioned Stanley Kubrick’s change to the story. After all, the original screenplay did have Hallorann survive and escape with Wendy and Danny. Considering Hallorann is one of the story’s only compassionate figures, cutting him down so suddenly didn’t just sting audiences, it left the actor genuinely confused.

#7: Frank Grillo - Brock Rumlow AKA Crossbones

“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)

Signing onto the MCU usually means getting a multi-picture deal. That's why Frank Grillo was caught off guard when Crossbones went out in a blaze of glory in the opening act. After surviving the events of "The Winter Soldier", the villain seemed poised to become a recurring threat, just as he is in the comics. Unfortunately he was gone minutes into his next appearance. Grillo admitted that he was hurt by the decision, especially given that he was contracted for seven films. He would later make a reluctant cameo in "Endgame", but only because his son asked him to. Grillo has also said that he moved to the DC Universe because of his massive disappointment. At least he's getting a lot of screentime under James Gunn’s leadership.

#6: James Phelps - Fred Weasley

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” (2011)

Learning that your character dies can be a hard thing to process. Discovering it mid-travel on a relaxing train ride, must be undeniably brutal. While reading the final Harry Potter book in Japan, Phelps was suddenly blindsided by Fred Weasley's death. He later recalled being "a bit shell-shocked", realizing just how attached he'd become to the character over the years. The moment made him so distraught that when a ticket officer came around he asked for a moment to process his death. We understand the heartbreak, given that he played the lighter half of the Weasley twins.

#5: Marcus Chong - Tank

“The Matrix” (1999)

One of Morpheus' most reliable crew members vanishes without a goodbye. Tank originally survives the film and plays a key role in helping Neo and the team navigate the Matrix. So his absence in the sequels really feels jarring. As it turns out, the character was killed off-screen following a salary dispute between Chong and the studio. The situation eventually went beyond negotiations, and led to legal action and a very public fallout. Chong has never really let it go either, remaining vocal about how things were handled. It's hard to watch the sequels now without feeling the behind-the-scenes drama bleed onto the screen.

#4: Michael Biehn - Dwayne Hicks

“Alien 3” (1992)

After surviving the horrors of "Aliens", Hicks was originally positioned to become a central figure moving forward. Alongside Ripley and Newt, he seemed like part of a trio of heroes we could get behind for the next entry. Instead, only Ripley was kept alive, with Newt and Hicks killed off between films. Biehn was furious when he learned his likeness was being used without his knowledge, recalling how he discovered a dummy modeled after him with a chest-burst wound. Although he was eventually compensated, the actor has remained openly critical, calling the decision "ludicrous" and "stupid" - along with some other colorful criticisms. Even James Cameron seems to hate the decision as much as Biehn.

#3: Christopher Lee - Saruman

“The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King” (2003)

Dedicated Tolkien fans should be more than familiar with this villain’s fate: stabbed by Grima Wormtongue before falling from the tower of Orthanc. Casual viewers, however, may not actually know about this scene, since it was only shown in the film’s extended cuts. This left some audiences confused about Saruman's disappearance. The least thrilled was Christopher Lee, who skipped the premiere after clashing with Peter Jackson over the decision. It didn’t help that the two had already disagreed over the portrayal of Saruman’s death. While Jackson wanted him to scream, Lee insisted that men usually sigh when stabbed in the back. The latter got what he wanted, and the two later reconciled, but Lee has said that he’ll probably never understand why his big moment was ultimately cut.

#2: Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker

“Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017)

The beloved franchise has had a fair share of actors who didn't like their exits. Liam Neeson thinks Qui-Gon could've put up more of a fight, and Peter Cushing was so impressed with “A New Hope” that he wished Tarkin survived the climax. However, Mark Hamill is the one who arguably has been the most vocal about his stance. Luke's somber sacrifice didn't sit well with his vision for the sequels. He hoped to have a larger presence in the new trilogy, and meet a more dignified end in the ninth film. He's since softened his stance and praised both "The Last Jedi" and director Rian Johnson. Still, there's no denying his initial disagreement.

#1: Sean Bean - Various Roles

At a certain point, dying on screen stops being dramatically rewarding, and starts becoming boring. From Boromir in “The Fellowship of the Ring”, to Alec Trevelyan in “GoldenEye”, Sean Bean built a reputation for playing characters who never make it to the end credits. While cinephiles have turned it into a running joke, Bean himself grew tired of the pattern. He’s admitted to turning down roles because his character was scripted to die, noting that audiences had started expecting it the second he appears. At one point he even claimed that if he refused to die, filmmakers would ask if they could at least severely injure him. In his shoes, we’d probably take what we can get.

Which of these characters would you have kept alive for the sequel? Tell us who you’d spare in the comments.