Released in 1994, Pulp Fiction remains one of Quentin Tarantino’s best works to date. Despite breaking many conventional patterns, the loud, violent, and yet hilarious movie became a major critical and commercial success.
Tarantino seemingly put the nail on the head when it came to casting, as every major character in the movie went on to become a classic character, with fans reminiscing their dialogues and sequences to this day. From John Travolta’s repartee with Samuel L. Jackson to the former’s dance sequence with Uma Thurman, the cast delivered plenty of memorable moments. However, one of the stars wasn’t even the first choice of the director, who then had to go head-to-head with the producers to realize his vision.
What Quentin Tarantino Did to Cast John Travolta in Pulp Fiction
In Pulp Fiction, John Travolta played the character of Vincent Vega, a hitman and associate of Marsellus Wallace, for whom he goes to Brett’s apartment to retrieve something he owes to Wallace. Later that night, he also takes Marseullus’ wife, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) for a night out.
Travolta was absolutely brilliant in these two episodes as the wittingly cold hitman and a charming partner in the restaurant. Interestingly, Harvey Weinstein, who headed Miramax, the company that backed Pulp Fiction, was dead against casting Travolta. But Quentin Tarantino was not willing to take no for an answer.
Weinstein didn’t see Travolta – who was at the time going through a frustrating phase in his career – as an ideal fit for the role. “He put his career on the line with Weinstein in order to get me to do it,” the Grease star once recalled (via omidfilms).
Mike Simpson, Tarantino’s agent at William Morris Endeavor, told Weinstein (via Vanity Fair), “You’re going to agree to it right now, or there’s no deal.” Eventually, he agreed to the filmmaker’s demands.
Travolta was absolutely brilliant in the movie and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Tarantino got the credit for reviving the actor’s career. However, he wasn’t the genius filmmaker’s first choice for the role.
Who Quentin Tarantino Wanted to Play Vincent Vega Before John Travolta
One Pulp Fiction detail that many fans don’t know is that the Inglourious Basterds director wrote Vincent Vega to be the brother of Vic Vega/Mr. Blonde from his first feature film, Reservoir Dogs.
Accordingly, he wanted Michael Madsen, who played Vic, to portray Vincent. However, Madsen committed to do Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp. He said (via Entertainment Weekly):
“I was already committed to Wyatt Earp, And now, here’s Quentin, wants me to do Pulp Fiction. And they were both going at the same time.”
There wasn’t any ill-feeling between the two though, as Madsen praised the decision to cast Travolta and also went on to reunite with Tarantino in movies like Kill Bill, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
