Did Steve Buscemi almost take the Iconic Reservoir Dogs Role? (Photo Credit – Wikipedia)
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Quentin Tarantino nearly stepped into a very different pair of shoes in Reservoir Dogs and had it not been for one absolutely killer audition, the entire film might have looked a little different.
Now, Tarantino isn’t just any director, he’s Hollywood’s mad genius, the mind behind Pulp Fiction, the Kill Bill saga, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and a whole blood-soaked parade of cult classics.
If you consider yourself a true Tarantino fan, you would probably know by now that there’s one thing he loves almost as much as crafting razor-sharp dialogue and unforgettable violence – that’s sneaking himself into the frame. He’s done it in Inglourious Basterds, Death Proof, and, of course, Reservoir Dogs, where he played the ill-fated Mr. Brown.
But, here’s the twist: Mr Brown wasn’t the role Tarantino had in mind for himself. Nope. He originally wanted to be Mr. Pink, the wisecracking, paranoid, tip-hating wildcard who, let’s be honest, ends up being the smartest guy in the room. He wrote it for himself and was ready to step into it. And he surely wasn’t about to let it go without a fight.
That is, until Steve Buscemi walked into the room. See, Tarantino had an open-door policy on casting, letting actors throw their hats in the ring for Mr. Pink but he wasn’t exactly encouraging them, he was more like daring them to try and take it from him.
After all it was his role and unless of course, someone delivered an audition so electric, so undeniably perfect, that he had no choice but to hand it over.
Much to Tarantino’s disappointment, Buscemi did exactly that. The moment he finished his reading, it was game over and Tarantino knew it. The part had found its rightful owner. And the rest is cult-film history.
That wasn’t the only shake-up in the Reservoir Dogs casting process as the film nearly had a very different lineup. Tarantino had his eye on James Woods for a role, but somehow the offer never reached him. Jon Cryer and David Duchovny both threw their names into the mix.
“Lawrence Tinney was fired on the third day of filming, because he was easily distracted and would constantly forget his lines. Vincent Gallo was considered for the role of Mr Pink. Sam Jackson and Ving Rahmes were considered for roles in the film,” a Reddit post stated. “Jackson rumored for Mr Orange and Rahmes for the role of Holdaway. They would later be in Pulp Fiction.”
The film itself became a legend, racking up 13 awards and 23 nominations. At the 1993 Independent Spirit Awards, Buscemi took home the trophy for Best Supporting Male, proving that Tarantino made the right call.
And as for the man himself? Across his career, Tarantino has raked in an eye-watering 171 awards and 286 nominations, including two Oscars, two BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, and a Palme d’Or from Cannes.
But in a parallel universe, maybe there’s a version of Reservoir Dogs where Tarantino is Mr. Pink. A version where Buscemi never gets that breakout role. A version where one audition doesn’t change the course of cult cinema.
