Johnny Depp Almost Joined Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction as This Character, Nicolas Cage Was Also a Backup Choice

Johnny Depp was director Quentin Tarantino's second-best choice for the role of Pumpkin after Tim Roth in Pulp Fiction!

Johnny Depp Almost Joined Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction as This Character, Nicolas Cage Was Also a Backup Choice

SUMMARY

  • Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the iconic 1994 film Pulp Ficton which received worldwide fame and love.
  • As per a tweet, notable actors Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage were Tarantino's backup plans for the role of Pumpkin if Tim Roth would have refused.
  • In a podcast, Tarantino talked about the potential casting of Depp in his film and how it would have impacted the box office collection.
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Oh, what a world it would have been if veteran actor Johnny Depp had worked with another iconic director Quentin Tarantino in one of his most famous projects. Starring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in the main lead, Tarantino created the iconic 1994 movie Pulp Fiction.

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In the film, the role of Pumpkin went to Tim Roth. According to recent reports, however, Tarantino had made a backup plan if Tom Roth had refused. In the list of actors to play the role of Pumpkin, Johnny Depp was a strong second contender and the world would have surely loved him in that role!

Tim Roth as Pumpkin in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction
Tim Roth as Pumpkin in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction

Johnny Depp Could Have Worked With Quentin Tarantino!

It is no doubt that Tim Roth’s performance as Pumpkin was an iconic one. Playing an erratic lover who decides to rob a restaurant with his brilliant ideology, the plan ultimately failed but Roth became famous for his role in Pulp Fiction. 

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Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean

As per a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), the list of actors that Tarantino had in mind, was revealed. In that list, the director had mentioned that the role of Pumpkin was made with Tim Roth in mind. But just beneath Roth’s name, the name of Johnny Depp was written as the next best choice if Roth were to refuse.

And upon a little bit more inspection, the name of Nick Cage aka Nicolas Cage can also be seen for the role of Pumpkin. So it would have been something iconic to see either Johnny Depp or Nick Cage don the role of Pumpkin. After all the dealings, Tarantino got what he wanted when Tim Roth joined the film as Pumpkin. However, his every other choice had to be done with the next best option.

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Quentin Tarantino Talked About The Potential Casting of Johnny Depp

Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction

Well, it seems that the world would have indeed loved to see Johnny Depp in the role of Pumpkin but Quentin Tarantino… not so much. During the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast, Tarantino talked about the potential casting of Depp and how it would have made no difference to the box office numbers!

Do you think Johnny Depp playing the role of Pumpkin in this movie, which is the opening scene and the closing scene, that’s it, do you think that will add that much to the box office?

In the end, the iconic 1994 film received a rating of 8.9/10 on IMDB and a whopping 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Besides the rating, the film became an iconic film that has been revered for almost three decades. Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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Written by Visarg Acharya

Articles Published: 2036

Visarg Acharya, Associate Content Writer, has been heavily involved in movies, series, and history. Having an experience of 2 years in the field of content writing, Visarg is a seasoned writer. Having a degree in Physics, Visarg Acharya has published a dissertation alongside a plethora of poems and short stories along the way.