Moon Bloodgood Talks Her Terminated Topless Scene

So after all McG's excitement about naked Moon Bloodgood, turns out he was the one to cut out the infamous Salvation topless scene. Moon had no problem with it — we know, because we asked her. Find out what that scene entailed, and why it was cut.

At the Terminator Salvation roundtables we sat down and discussed the edits and decisions with the cast, and director McG, that were made to take Terminator Salvation from an R movie to PG-13. The first thing on the chopping block for censor purposes was an already shot topless scene involving Moon Bloodgood and Sam Worthington. Talking to the press recently, McG called it gratuitious, which is a far cry from his Wonder Con appearance where he enticed the crowd to ogle Moon's breasts live and in person, which we remember in horror:

McG made a huge big deal of making Moon Bloodgood stand up so we could look at her breasts (fully clothed) and asked if we wanted to see "Moon's boobs" in the movie...

The scene was also reportedly showed off during some reporters' set visit, so clearly it was a moment near and dear to someone's heart. So why the change in tune? McG explains...

The elements that would take it to R just ended up feeling gratuitous in the edit room. There was a topless scene with Moon Bloodgood, I was trying to echo that scene in Witness where Kelly McGillis turns and says to Harrison Ford and said, "I'm not ashamed." But it just felt like "oh there's the genre stunt of the good looking girl taking her top off." And it felt counter productive in the spirit of what we were looking to achieve on a story telling level....I suspect it will be on the DVD. Ask Moon, she was very passionate in a third wave feminine take on the whole thing. It was a fun conversation to have with her.

So when Moon came around of course everyone was going to ask her about it:

We heard that you were fighting to keep your topless scene in the movie.

Let me clarify, I wasn't fighting for it, I just don't like to feel that as a woman I should be apologetic about my sexuality, or that I made a choice because I was forced to do it. I thought the scene was appropriate. I thought it was beautiful. I have a very European feel about nudity. I just don't ever want to, as a woman, confine myself and be a certain way when sexuality if a part of me. So I didn't fight for it. But I didn't fight, you know, against it. I just want what's right for the scene.

They said it might be on the DVD?

My boobs, or the whole thing? I mean I've shown my boobs to Robert De Niro, you now what I mean, it's a boob. Why are we making such a big deal? [Laughs] Please don't put that in quotes.

What was that scene?

Basically, it's a moment when I'm cleaning off a wound. And I feel Sam, I feel the presence of him staring at me. I just turn back and there were scenes where I had my hands covering me. It's literally a quick silhouette. It's not gross or in your face. It's just a moment where you are feeling naked and this is my sexuality and here I am, and I'm a strong woman.

So now Moon is pro showing off her lady lumps, and McG isn't? I personally am glad they decided to edit it out, even if it did mean watching the poor characters get literally edited to death (from rain to no rain in mere seconds). It would have been just like McG said, a "token" naked moment. And I'm willing to bet all of my hard earned monies that had it been included, it wouldn't have felt an iota like the Witness moment the director was so inspired by. Then again, maybe Peter Weir got crowds revved up by asking about Kelly McGillis' curves.?

Besides, breasts or no breasts, the damage was done to Terminator Salvation long before anyone was taking their top off.

Send an email to Meredith, the author of this post, at meredith@io9.com.