Sophia Michaels
If you’re familiar with actress Chase Masterson, that’s likely because you’ve seen her play Leeta in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (as seen above), a role she vocally reprised in the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks, which can be viewed with a Paramount+ subscription. However, before she joined the Trek franchise, Masterson had a bit part in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, one of those amazing ‘90s movies no one ever talks about anymore. As it turns out, Masterson’s role in Men in Tights was originally supposed to be bigger, and the actress shared a heartwarming recollection of how Brook made it up to her when her big scene was cut.
Masterson went on X to share a Mel Brooks “appreciation” thread, and started off by saying how Brooks was in the room when she auditioned for Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and after they built a “fun rapport,” she was cast as Lady Godiva. However, it wasn’t too long afterwards that Masterson learned that the role had been written out, but not to be deterred, she thought if she found a way to make Brooks laugh, he’d figure out a way to keep her in the movie. So she made “a scroll w/dowels & red tassels from the fabric store,” and wrote the following in calligraphy:
There once was an actress named Chase
Who had a quite pliable face
Lead, supporting, or bit
She was a sure hit
Mr. Brooks, you must find me a place!
Talk about initiative! Chase Masterson’s determination paid off, as Mel Brooks kept her around to play the “main squeeze” of Richard Lewis’ King Richard. There was specifically a moment where Masterson’s character told the king he was a “fresh prince,” of course referencing the popular Will Smith-led TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which celebrated its 33rd anniversary in September. All this led to another encounter between Masterson and Brooks at a reception at the Beverly Hills restaurant Kate Mantilini’s, which closed in 2014:
Mel actually spotted me coming through the door and — yes, actually — scurried over! We hugged, and I will never forget his exact words: ‘Chase, Bubala! I got good news, and I got bad news.’ ‘Wow, tell me, Mel!’ ‘The bad news is your scene got cut —“fresh prince” is a joke that might not hold up.”OK, what’s the good news?’ @MelBrooks said, ‘I left you in, just a little bit, so you could get paid.’
So although Masterson’s big moment to shine didn’t make the final cut of Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Mel Brooks ensured that she got a little bit of screen time to ensure she still earned residuals, and that continues to this day. Masterson described them as her “favorite residuals and capped off her thread by thanking Brooks and saying he was “phenomenal” in every way. The actress and Richard Lewis’ costars in this great ‘90s movie that got bad reviews included Cary Elwes, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck and Dave Chappelle, among many others.
If you’re now in the mood to stream Robin Hood: Men in Tights, that can be done with a Max subscription. It’s just one of the many online platforms where you can find Mel Brook’s movies, but if you’d rather look to the future, then use our 2024 movies calendar to plan your theatrical entertainment in the coming year accordingly.
