Casting What-Ifs
Tupac Shakur as Malik
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:34Read transcript
- Tupac Shakur was cast as Malik before a jail sentence forced a last-minute replacement. — Bill Simmons
- His screen presence is argued to have added anger, intensity, and different chemistry throughout Malik's story.
- Leonardo DiCaprio is discussed as a rumored Remy candidate, with conflicting explanations for why it did not happen. — Bill Simmons
- Vivica A. Fox was considered for the Deja role and is preferred to the final casting.
- Gwyneth Paltrow and Juliette Lewis are reported as early possibilities for the Kristen and Taryn roles. — Wesley Morris
- Sidney Poitier was the first choice for Professor Phipps, followed by Dustin Hoffman and Samuel L. Jackson before the studio chose Laurence Fishburne. — Bill Simmons
- Michael Rapaport playing Scott Moss is rejected because the performance would not support the character's authority. — Bill Simmons