Iconic movie characters with surprisingly little screen time

When the trailers hit and the press circuit started for 'Dune,' Zendaya stole the show with how present she was on screen and how glamorous she looked on red carpets. But fans were shocked when, throughout 2.5 hours of the film, her character Chani appears on screen for a total of just seven minutes! But with only seven minutes on screen, it left something to be desired for fans.

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Chani in 'Dune' (2021) -

To be fair, her involvement in this first part of the 'Dune' series remains loyal to the books, but the fact that most of her screen time is also completely wordless boggled fans' minds since she was paraded around as a central star of the film alongside Timothée Chalamet.

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Draco Malfoy in the 'Harry Potter' franchise - Oh yes, the whole franchise. Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy is an incredibly popular character, but across all eight films he only had 31 minutes of screen time!

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Fantine in 'Les Misérables' (2012) -

Anne Hathaway's character only had approximately 15 minutes of screen time in the 2.5-hour film adaptation of the musical, which includes her five-minute 'I Dreamed a Dream' interlude. Still, Hathaway took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress!

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Hannibal Lecter in 'Silence of the Lambs' (1991) -

It's one of Anthony Hopkins' most legendary roles, but Hannibal Lecter only had about 24 minutes of screen time in the whole two-hour film. He really made those minutes work for him, however, as he ended up taking home the Oscar for Best Actor.

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Mrs. Miller in 'Doubt' (2008) -

Viola Davis had around only eight minutes of screen time in the film, most of which was centered on her character's iconic monologue delivered to Sister Aloysius, but the legendary actress was still nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

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Juan in 'Moonlight' (2016) -

Mahershala Ali's character really set the tone and theme of the film early on, but Juan only had about 20 minutes of screen time. It was such an impactful 20 minutes, however, that Ali won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

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Edwin Hoover in 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006) -

Everyone remembers Alan Arkin's character's pep talk to little Olive, but in total he was in the film for only 14 minutes! Arkin still managed to take home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor though!

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Beetlejuice in 'Beetlejuice' (1988) -

The titular character of the film and one of Michael Keaton's most iconic and memorable roles, Beetlejuice still only got about 17 minutes of screen time.

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Queen Elizabeth I in 'Shakespeare in Love' (1998) -

Judi Dench was marvelous as Queen Elizabeth I, and she has the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress to prove it, but it might surprise you to know that she only spent around eight minutes actually on screen.

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The Joker in 'The Dark Knight' (2008) -

Throughout the 2.5 hours of the film, Heath Ledger's Joker completely steals the show, but he was only on screen for about 33 minutes! Ledger ended up posthumously taking home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

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Marge Gunderson in 'Fargo' (1996) -

The role of Marge Gunderson completely rocketed Frances McDormand into fame and earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, even though she was only on screen for about 25 minutes!

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Darth Vader in 'Star Wars' -

Darth Vader (not Anakin), whose body was played by David Prowse but who was voiced by James Earl Jones, only had 34 minutes of screen time in the entire original Star Wars trilogy!

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Casey Becker in 'Scream' (1996) -

Drew Barrymore was cemented as one of the top scream queens in cinematic history because of this film, but her character only had about 15 minutes of screen time, and only at the beginning.

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Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in 'Batman Begins' (2005) -

Cillian Murphy plays the main antagonist of the film, but despite that he only received about eight and a half minutes of screen time in its 2 hour and 20 minute run.

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Colonel Nathan R. Jessup in 'A Few Good Men' (1992) -

Jack Nicholson was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Colonel Jessup, but his character was just in three scenes—including his iconic courtroom scene.

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Mark Hanna in 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013) -

Matthew McConaughey's role as the chest-thumping Mark Hanna was a definite highlight of the three-hour film, but he only had about 10 minutes of screen time in it!

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Beth Emhoff in 'Contagion' (2011) -

Though a still of Gwyneth Paltrow's character getting examined by a doctor has become closely linked to the film's image, she's only on screen for a few minutes before she (spoiler alert) dies.

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Blake in 'Glengarry Glen Ross' (1992) -

“ABC: Always Be Closing.” Many of us have heard the famous speech from Alec Baldwin's character Blake, but little do most people realize he only had about eight minutes of screen time in total!

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Freddy Krueger in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984) -

One of the most memorable horror villains of all time, Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger only had about seven minutes of screen time!

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Edna Mode in 'The Incredibles' (2004) -

Makeover scenes in films are always iconic, but in this animated film Miss Edna Mode, voiced by Brad Bird, was truly inspiring—there are still countless Halloween costumes taking after the character who had a mere five minutes on screen!

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Totoro in 'My Neighbor Totoro' (1988) -

While Totoro is the titular focus of this Studio Ghibli film, and the most recognizable photos always show him at the bus stop in the rain, he actually has very little screen time. It takes about half an hour for him to first appear, and then he's only in a couple more scenes.

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The Wicked Witch of the West in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) -

Though central to the plot, The Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton, only had about 10 minutes of screen time. Still, she inspired a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical!

23 / 30 Fotos

The Monster's bride in 'Bride of Frankenstein' (1935) -

Though she's the titular character of the film, Elsa Lanchester's role as the Monster's bride gets only three minutes of screen time!

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Vincent Grey in 'The Sixth Sense' (1999) -

Donnie Wahlberg famously lost 43 lbs to play Vincent Grey, the disturbed former mental patient who kills his former psychiatrist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), before shooting himself. He ended up being on screen for just three minutes of the entire film!

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Louise Schumacher in 'Network' (1976) -

Beatrice Straight played Louise, who only had around five minutes of screen time in the film, but it was obviously enough since Straight took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

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The Dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park' (1993) -

Despite being the nucleus of the concept that serves as the main engine for the plot, the CGI dinosaurs in the film only get around six minutes of screen time, while practical effects add another 14, totaling around just 20 minutes!

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Ms. Perky in '10 Things I Hate About You' (1999) -

The cult-favorite '90s film had so many great actors in hilariously memorable roles, including Allison Janney as Ms. Perky, school principal by day and erotica author by night. The 10 minutes of screen time were enough to establish the iconic role, but not enough for even Janney to remember that she was in the film years later! She commented on an Instagram post of the film asking, “What am I in that I forget I was in?”

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Unnamed customer in 'When Harry Met Sally…' (1989) -

The late Estelle Reiner might be remembered largely as the wife of Carl Reiner and the mother of Rob Reiner, but she also delivered one of the most famous lines in cinematic history: “I'll have what she's having.” So much influence for just 30 seconds of screen time.

Sources: (WhatCulture) (BuzzfFed)

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Chani in 'Dune' (2021) -

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Chani in 'Dune' (2021) -

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Fantine in 'Les Misérables' (2012) -

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Hannibal Lecter in 'Silence of the Lambs' (1991) -

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Mrs. Miller in 'Doubt' (2008) -

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Juan in 'Moonlight' (2016) -

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Edwin Hoover in 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006) -

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Beetlejuice in 'Beetlejuice' (1988) -

The titular character of the film and one of Michael Keaton's most iconic and memorable roles, Beetlejuice still only got about 17 minutes of screen time.

NL Beeld

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Queen Elizabeth I in 'Shakespeare in Love' (1998) -

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The Joker in 'The Dark Knight' (2008) -

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Marge Gunderson in 'Fargo' (1996) -

The role of Marge Gunderson completely rocketed Frances McDormand into fame and earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, even though she was only on screen for about 25 minutes!

NL Beeld

12 / 30 Fotos

Darth Vader in 'Star Wars' -

Darth Vader (not Anakin), whose body was played by David Prowse but who was voiced by James Earl Jones, only had 34 minutes of screen time in the entire original Star Wars trilogy!

NL Beeld

13 / 30 Fotos

Casey Becker in 'Scream' (1996) -

Drew Barrymore was cemented as one of the top scream queens in cinematic history because of this film, but her character only had about 15 minutes of screen time, and only at the beginning.

NL Beeld

14 / 30 Fotos

Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in 'Batman Begins' (2005) -

Cillian Murphy plays the main antagonist of the film, but despite that he only received about eight and a half minutes of screen time in its 2 hour and 20 minute run.

NL Beeld

15 / 30 Fotos

Colonel Nathan R. Jessup in 'A Few Good Men' (1992) -

Jack Nicholson was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Colonel Jessup, but his character was just in three scenes—including his iconic courtroom scene.

NL Beeld

16 / 30 Fotos

Mark Hanna in 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013) -

Matthew McConaughey's role as the chest-thumping Mark Hanna was a definite highlight of the three-hour film, but he only had about 10 minutes of screen time in it!

NL Beeld

17 / 30 Fotos

Beth Emhoff in 'Contagion' (2011) -

Though a still of Gwyneth Paltrow's character getting examined by a doctor has become closely linked to the film's image, she's only on screen for a few minutes before she (spoiler alert) dies.

NL Beeld

18 / 30 Fotos

Blake in 'Glengarry Glen Ross' (1992) -

“ABC: Always Be Closing.” Many of us have heard the famous speech from Alec Baldwin's character Blake, but little do most people realize he only had about eight minutes of screen time in total!

NL Beeld

19 / 30 Fotos

Freddy Krueger in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984) -

One of the most memorable horror villains of all time, Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger only had about seven minutes of screen time!

NL Beeld

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Edna Mode in 'The Incredibles' (2004) -

NL Beeld

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Totoro in 'My Neighbor Totoro' (1988) -

NL Beeld

22 / 30 Fotos

The Wicked Witch of the West in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) -

Though central to the plot, The Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton, only had about 10 minutes of screen time. Still, she inspired a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical!

NL Beeld

23 / 30 Fotos

The Monster's bride in 'Bride of Frankenstein' (1935) -

Though she's the titular character of the film, Elsa Lanchester's role as the Monster's bride gets only three minutes of screen time!

NL Beeld

24 / 30 Fotos

Vincent Grey in 'The Sixth Sense' (1999) -

Getty Images

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Louise Schumacher in 'Network' (1976) -

Beatrice Straight played Louise, who only had around five minutes of screen time in the film, but it was obviously enough since Straight took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

NL Beeld

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The Dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park' (1993) -

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Ms. Perky in '10 Things I Hate About You' (1999) -

Getty Images

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Unnamed customer in 'When Harry Met Sally…' (1989) -

Sources: (WhatCulture) (BuzzfFed)

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Iconic movie characters with surprisingly little screen time

Names and numbers that will surely surprise you

19/07/24 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Cinema

When we think back on the films that we love, we often remember the characters that impacted us the most. They're the ones with the most memorable or quotable lines, or they were the creepiest that haunt our nightmares, or they're just plain central to the brilliant plot. But so much has to go into a movie, including world-building, raising the stakes, and other moments of tension and release, that you'd probably be surprised at how little screen time these characters actually get.

But little screen time doesn't mean lesser impact. In fact, it's almost more impressive to consider these characters' influence after seeing how few minutes they had to reach audiences. Many actors have even won Academy Awards for less than 20 minutes of screen time! Click through to see some names and numbers that will surely surprise you.