Tim turned down Vin Diesel's role in the Fast & The Furious

[superglue]

OK, coincidentally I had JUST read an interview with Tim where he said he actually turned down some bigger roles that he probably shouldn't have (I think it was from 2007, when I was trying to find out what asswipe Kevin Smith had said about him after Catch & Release)

Then I just saw this:

screenrant.com/fast-furious-timothy-olyphant-vin-disel-role/

Honestly, I'm glad he turned it down. I don't think it was right for him and who knows, maybe he wouldn't have gone on to do Deadwood and Justified if that role had pushed him into movies only. Vin Diesel was really good in that part also.

[superglue]

OK, it was in the Sharp magazine interview I just reposted:

"In some ways I was trying to get my hands on the best possible thing I could get without having to deal with anything I wasn’t prepared to deal with. So it was always one step forward, two steps back. Take a breath. See if I can deal. I got great opportunities right off the bat. And at the same time I either passed or failed to get things that would have made things ridiculously quick. I passed on enormous opportunities only to end up playing the supporting role in the next film. And then I'd think to myself, "What the fuck am I doing? Why did I do that?" But sometimes I feel like I got away with some things, because I’ve been able to work for a long time and I haven’t had to deal with any kind of fame issues."

It must have been The Fast and The Furious movie he was kicking himself over. When the first two Fast movies made $500 million and then he was playing the supporting role in A Man Apart behind Vin Diesel of all people.... Vin Diesel who is now worth something like $175 million with the majority of that from the Fast franchise alone.   But like I said earlier, who knows.... it could have gone badly or gone to his head and ended up wrecking his career and/or personal life in some way. He could have just had a career as a burned out action star playing the same role over and over, and never getting the dramatic opportunities that led to critical acclaim. 

By the way, this is the interview with F&F producer Neil Moritz. The part about Tim is right at the beginning, but the whole thing is actually really interesting if you are into movies. Moritz seems like a really authentic guy for being such a massive producer. soundcloud.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/the-mvp-winner-with-joe-house-and-the-history-of-the-fast-furious-with-neil-moritz-ep-199

[sarad]

I remember reading somewhere that Tim passed on the Kelly character in The Girl Next Door 3 times because he felt it was too similar to other characters he'd played.   His manager persuaded him to take it, pointing out he hadn't been seen by many people in those other films.

Maybe he had a similar thought process about The Fast & The Furious.  He was in Gone in 60 Seconds the year before, (I think he commented in another interview that the actors were playing 2nd fiddle to the cars!)  Perhaps he didn't want to be in another car movie.

[superglue]

Apr 14, 2017 7:23:08 GMT -6 sarad said:

I remember reading somewhere that Tim passed on the Kelly character in The Girl Next Door 3 times because he felt it was too similar to other characters he'd played.   His manager persuaded him to take it, pointing out he hadn't been seen by many people in those other films.

Maybe he had a similar thought process about The Fast & The Furious.  He was in Gone in 60 Seconds the year before, (I think he commented in another interview that the actors were playing 2nd fiddle to the cars!)  Perhaps he didn't want to be in another car movie.

I thought the same thing when trying to think what he didn't like about the part. He was playing a good guy in Gone in 60 Seconds but other than that it's the same genre, ie car movie + heist. I haven't seen TF&TF in a lot of years but the Vin Diesel character seemed to be a guy without much dialogue who is there to be the quiet tough guy, whereas the character played by Paul Walker (RIP - what a beautiful soul) had a lot more dialogue and was more complex as he struggled with himself.

I'm glad Tim's manager made him reconsider The Girl Next Door. He completely stole every scene in a movie that was already very cool.

[superglue]

Another place where Tim most likely hints about The F&TF but interestingly calls it "absurd" .... from the group interview he did with Tom Selleck, Andre Braugher, William H. Macy etc. in 2011: (The Drama Actor Roundtable, The Hollywood Reporter)

What's the most absurd project someone has pitched you?

OLYPHANT I've passed on absurd projects and they have become enormous, enormous hits spawning numerous sequels, and I'm not in them.

So... it sounds like it wasn't just that it was another car movie but it sounded totally stupid to him at the time. "Ok, Paul Walker from Varsity Blues is the most gorgeous undercover cop ever trying to infiltrate a Los Angeles crime syndicate made up of young, very attractive street racers who steal VCRs. You're the lead street racer and most of the job is you in front of a green screen pretending to drive cars not just fast but furiously. You in?"



I can't think of any other "absurd" movie that would have become a smash with multiple sequels unless it was Twilight.    

[sarad]

Maybe he wasn't sold on the 'Point Break with cars' pitch.

[superglue]

Apr 15, 2017 10:11:20 GMT -6 sarad said:

Maybe he wasn't sold on the 'Point Break with cars' pitch.

LOL, yes!!!! 

Next pitch: Point Break but with skateboards.

[sarad]

btw there's a video clip of the Drama Actors Roundtable here: www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/drama-actor-roundtable-196296

[angellovestim]

Yay for Tim! I found this short A Man Apart
interview clip where he is looking hot as always😍

Much hotter than Vin has ever been 😍

[superglue]

Jun 2, 2017 17:37:33 GMT -6 angellovestim said:

Yay for Tim! I found this short A Man Apart
interview clip where he is looking hot as always😍

Much hotter than Vin has ever been 😍

Tim is the best. We know he couldn't stand Vin Diesel, but I just love how he puts a positive spin on every project and finds a way to express his gratitude about every experience.