Movies - TV
Why Quentin Tarantino Cut Maggie Cheung's Scene From Inglourious Basterds
By DEVIN MEENAN
Tarantino may be known for the witty dialogue, interconnected stories, and stylized violence in his films, but the filmmaker is also known for frequently collaborating with his heroes. Prior to casting her in “Inglourious Basterds,” Tarantino was a fan of actress Maggie Cheung, but when it came time to edit “Inglourious Basterds,” he cut her character from the film.
Maggie Cheung was originally cast as Shosanna Dreyfus/Emmanuelle Mimieux’s aunt, Ada Mimieux, but when editing, Tarantino realized that the character Ada wasn't critical to Shosanna's story. Tarantino said, “We did the scene, and she was wonderful in the scene, but when we were cutting the movie together we realized we didn't need the scene.”
Tarantino went on to explain, that the scene wasn’t “essential” in the film, but that “in the writing of the script I did feel it was necessary, in order for you follow the scenario on the page. But in the making of the movie, it wasn't necessary." When asked about being cut from the movie, Cheung said it was "really no big deal [...] it's quite common for actors."