Kirk Douglas quit Rambo mid-filming when his scenes were cut

The legendary American actor Kirk Douglas lived an impressive life, reaching 103 years old and leaving behind a remarkable legacy in Hollywood. He starred in numerous iconic roles, but one film that doesn’t bear his name is Rambo. This is because Douglas walked away from the project mid-filming after his scenes were drastically cut.

Douglas is best remembered for his powerful portrayal of the title character in Stanley Kubrick’s epic film Spartacus, but throughout his storied career, he took on roles in various genres, including romance and drama. In the ‘80s, he was set to appear in Rambo, but things didn’t go as planned.

According to a report by The New York Times, Douglas was cast for a small yet significant cameo as Sylvester Stallone’s army trainer. However, when he found out that many of his filmed scenes were heavily edited or cut altogether, he became furious. His frustration led him to quit the project on the spot, never to return to Rambo.

The Rambo production faced its share of challenges, as is often the case in filmmaking. Stallone reportedly suffered an injury during a stunt, and inclement weather halted shooting, causing delays in important stunt sequences.

Then, when Kirk Douglas left the project, the production team had to scramble to find a replacement. Richard Crenna stepped in to fill the role, but he had a contract clause that significantly raised his pay after a certain period on set. With the ongoing delays and additional work required, the decision was made to release Crenna as well.

Honestly, it’s easy to sympathize with Douglas in this situation. If all your scenes were cut from a movie, you’d probably be pretty upset too!