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Before hisStranger Thingsfame, David Harbour did many small and significant character roles in several films and TV series. Steven Spielberg’sWar of the Worldswas one project he could never forget due to a major disappointment. If you don’t remember seeing him in the sci-fi flick starring Tom Cruise, that’s because he was cut from the film. While Harbour accepted his fate, he was probably hurt by the fact that Spielberg had no memory of working with him in the film.
Harbour has two major projects in his current slate. He will reprise his Red Guardian role from Marvel’sBlack Widowin the upcoming filmThunderbolts*. Harbour has also started filming his fan-favorite role as Jim Hopper for the fifth and final season ofStranger Things.
David Harbour’s Scene With Tom Cruise Was Cut From Steven Spielberg’sWar of the Worlds
David Harbourwas credited as a dock worker in the production ofSteven Spielberg‘s 2005 film,War of the Worlds. However, his scene withTom Cruise, as his drinking buddy at a bar, was cut from the film. Harbour opened up about his unfortunate encounter with theJawsdirector during an interview with Yahoo!.
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The film featured Cruise as a divorced father Ray Ferrier, who works as a crane operator at a dock. In a scene in the film, Cruise’s character is late to pick up his daughter and gets in trouble with his ex-wife. However, Harbour shot a scene with Cruise at a bar which shows the real reason why the father was late.
Harbour shared that the scene was not a necessary one and he had the feeling that it would be cut from the film. However, he agreed to the scene because he was excited to meet Spielberg. However, the scene was cut at the editing table and never made it into the movie. TheBansheeactor shared withYahoo!:
“We had a little scene in this bar and it was not a great scene. It was also not a necessary scene to the film at all…And we shot it and I remember thinking it was probably going to get cut, but Spielberg was there and it was so exciting to meet him. He cast me. And then, you know, it just got cut, just never wound up in the movie.”
Harbour was right about the scene since it didn’t have any relevance to the larger plot of the film.His fortunes turned aroundwhen he got a meaty role in theSam Mendes-directed film,Revolutionary Road. The film was produced by Spielberg’s production company, DreamWorks Pictures.
Steven Spielberg Had No Memory Working With David Harbour In The Tom Cruise Movie
David Harbour did a pretty good job in his role as Shep Campbell in theLeonardo DiCapriofilm. He even managed to impress theSchindler’s Listdirector who praised his performance inRevolutionary Roadwhen they met during a table read for another project. However, Spielberg had no clue that they had worked together earlier inWar of the Worldsand told Harbour that they should work together on a project. Harbour told Yahoo!:
“[Spielberg] came up to me at another table reading for something else and he was just ‘Oh, David, I just want to say I really love you in Revolutionary Road. I think you’re just terrific. We’re so happy. I really one day would love to work with you.’ And I did not bring up the fact that we had already worked together and he had cut me out of his movie.”
Spielberg hasn’t cast Harbour in one of his movies yet, but he should really make up for his unintentional mistake soon. A 6 foot 3 inch actor who has the skills to make their audience emotionally invest in their character is a rare find in Hollywood.
“David was far more nervous”: David Harbour Admits He Was Nervous While Making Out With Old Crush Winona Ryder in Stranger Things 4
BothWar of the WorldsandRevolutionary Roadare now available for streaming on Paramount+.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
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