Unknown star Liam Neeson, who was set to film a cameo for The Hangover Part II, will not appear in the comedy sequel after all. According to People magazine, the British star’s cameo scene has been cut from the movie and is now being reshot, with noted actor/director Nick Cassavetes taking on the part.
Neeson, who took over for The Beaver actor Mel Gibson, had his role taken out of the flick in part due to scheduling conflicts. Director Todd Philips insisted that the removal was not personal and that the producers hoped to reshoot Neeson’s scenes, but were constrained by the British actor’s other movie commitments.
“We were in a complete time crunch, so I called Nick [Cassavetes] and asked if he would do the part,” Phillips said. “He came in and crushed it, and that is the scene that you will ultimately see in the film.”
Philips said that he’s looking forward to the movie’s final outcome.
“It turned out great,” he said of the film, which hits theaters this summer.
Last month, Entertainment Weekly reported that former president Bill Clinton would not pop up in The Hangover Part II as rumored, adding that the Arkansas Democrat had only visited the movie’s set and eaten dinner with the cast.
“He stopped by the set because the Secret Service guys were like, ‘Hey, that would be fun on the way out of town to stop by a movie set,'” Phillips said. “But you can’t control what somebody writes on the Internet.”