Pulp Fiction is one of the most influential films of the ’90s, so slick it’s hard to imagine actors other than those cast playing the like of Jules or Vincent.
However, the “King Kong of crime movies” could have ended up very different to the film we know and love, judging by Quentin Tarantino’s original wish list for his 1994 insta-classic.
The cast sheet has been unearthed on Reddit, and shows the director’s first, second and third choices for some major roles…
Tarantino wanted Michael Madsen, rather than John Travolta, to play Vincent. Travolta is listed as his second pick, with Alec Baldwin and Gary Oldman also making the cut.
Madsen, who Tarantino worked with on Reservoir Dogs, can clearly pull off the black suit and tie.
But would he have had the same moves in his locker to make the dance scene with Uma Thurman as ‘Mia Wallace’ one of the most iconic in film history? Probably not.
If Tim Roth had turned down playing ‘Pumpkin’, Johnny Depp and Christian Slater were drafted as second and third respectively. Meltdown king Nicolas Cage was also on the list for the part…
It seems Tarantino also had a real hankering for Gary Oldman as he had him down for any part at all…not that you can blame him.
John Cusack was down as first choice for ‘Lance’, which would have been really interesting, but as we know it went to Eric Stoltz.
Patricia Arquette was jotted down for ‘Jody’, a part which her sister Rosanna eventually nabbed. Patricia was also wanted as ‘Honeybunny’ if Amanda Plummer was unavailable.
Apparently ‘Mia Wallace’ was never up for debate, as the part was only ever going to go to Tarantino’s muse Uma Thurman. Some say he had it real bad.
Here’s the sheet again simply because with so many variations, it’s a game that can last for hours. Especially on a Monday.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
