Sacha Baron Cohen was in final negotiations to become a cast member of Quentin Tarantino’s $426 million film Django Unchained, which also starred Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Christoph Waltz. Given the character’s (Scotty Harmony) significance to the narrative, even though the role was small, insiders claim Tarantino was very picky about the actor he wanted to play it.
Actually, Jonah Hill was originally cast for the role but had to withdraw due to scheduling issues. Scotty was then reportedly rewritten to suit the new actor, demonstrating how excited Tarantino was to collaborate with the Borat star. However, Cohen eventually left the project because of his obligations to take part in The Dictator press tours; as a result, the character was scrapped.
Also, note that Will Smith was also on the verge of starring in the film.
Why Did Sacha Baron Cohen Drop Out Of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained?
Initially, the role of Scotty Harmony was given to Jonah Hill, 39, who is best known for his roles in Knocked Up and Superbad. However, scheduling conflicts forced him to drop out, as Collider reported, probably so he could finish 21 Jump Street. After that, Sacha Baron Cohen was offered the role; he accepted it even though he was taller, thinner, and older than the script indicated.
Quentin Tarantino was reportedly thrilled to work with Cohen, as evidenced by the fact that the role was rewritten to fit the latter. However, as the project’s filming date drew near, it became apparent that Cohen would also have to back out because of his press tour commitments for one of his famous films, The Dictator.
The Ali G Indahouse actor had earlier informed Howard Stern (per Indie Wire) that he had to back out of the film as he was shooting at the moment:
“That was going to be a cameo, but I had to drop out because of [‘The Dictator’] press tour.”
Ultimately, Tarantino made the decision to completely scrap Scotty from the film, and despite two prominent actors backing out to bring the character to life, Django Unchained did well at the box office.
Cohen did not get to work with Quentin Tarantino, but he did star in three films that year: Les Misérables, The Dictator, and the third Madagascar film.
Will Smith Explained Why He Declined Django Unchained
In a roundtable interview with the Hollywood Reporter in 2016, Will Smith, 55, said that he turned down Django Unchained because of the artistic use of violence in director Quentin Tarantino’s films. Despite being drawn to the script, the actor-rapper declined to play the lead because he “could not connect to violence” in the story.
Smith said of his initial approval of it.
“I had said yes to Django, but it was more about the creative direction of the story. To me, it’s as perfect a story as you could ever want. A guy that learns how to kill to retrieve his wife that has been taken as a slave.”
The father of three went on to say:
“I wanted to make that movie so badly, but with that story, I felt the only way I could make that movie is it had to be a love story, not a vengeance story.”
The actor, who has won four Grammy Awards, surprisingly went into detail about how “love” should be portrayed in relation to violence:
“I don’t believe in violence as the reaction to violence. So when I’m looking at this, it’s like, ‘No, no, no. It has to be for love. Violence begets violence. For me, I just couldn’t connect to violence being the answer. Love had to be the answer.”
The plot centered on Jamie Foxx (Django Freeman), a former slave who is now a bounty hunter, and his mission to free his wife (Kerry Washington) from her cruel master. Critics praised the movie primarily for Christoph Waltz’s performance and Tarantino’s direction and screenplay. With two wins from five nominations at the 85th Academy Awards, the movie garnered a lot of praise and recognition.
Django Unchained is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
