Deleted Highlander Action Sequence With The Kurgan Was Cut Because It Was ‘Too Good,’ Actor Says
Actor Alex King, who starred in a sword fight sequence with Clancy Brown (The Kurgan) for the original 1985 Highlander film, has revealed that his scene was cut from the final release 40 years later. The sequence was filmed in London and featured King’s character, Yung Dol Kim, an immortal beheaded by The Kurgan in what was described as an “ambitious” fight choreography.
Remarkably, King was unaware at the time that his scene had been removed from the film—he received no screen credit and was not invited to premiere screenings. According to King’s recent account, the sequence was excised because it was “too good,” suggesting filmmakers may have been concerned about the action sequence overshadowing other narrative elements or conflicting with the film’s intended pacing and dramatic arc.
This revelation highlights how Hollywood historically handled deleted scenes and peripheral cast members, particularly in action films featuring multiple immortals throughout the narrative. The forgotten sequence represents a piece of film history that remained undocumented in credits until the actor’s personal recollection surfaced decades later, shedding light on industry practices around actor communication and post-production decisions in the pre-digital era.