Allen Payne was reportedly the original Kyle choice.
Leon reportedly said Washington was offered Shep; the panel doubts he was realistically in contention, but cites Ricochet and other unconventional roles as possible counterexamples.
In hindsight the moment is called the height of the genre, since it got so big it made a movie title and Hollywood.
Guy: no; their big cameo cannot be their apex, and pressing the point draws teasing.
Chris Rock's movie career: yes; it is the best he has been in a movie and his most recognizable role, with Head of State jokingly floated as an Obama precursor.
Box haircuts: Fresh Prince might be up there, but the movie plus the 1991 playoffs may be the peak for high tops; a flat top was kept until 1994.
Mario Van Peebles: 100% his apex; nothing hinted he would make a $50 million movie; later came Posse and Panther and a role in Ali, and his father Melvin Van Peebles was the architect of blaxploitation.
Bill Nunn: no, it has to be Radio Rahim; Judd Nelson: no, with discussion deferred.
Color Me Bad: no, because of their 90210 episode and a number-one record.
Zoot suits are left unresolved, perhaps some 1940s film.
The best what-if was already mentioned: Martin Lawrence was cast as Pookie and had the job; one view says he would have been better than Chris Rock.
According to writer Cooper, Martin Lawrence opted out after his mentor Robin Harris died, and Chris Rock was the backup.
A garbled passage concerns someone turning down Ice T's part; Michael Wright is named and would have killed the part, reuniting later for Sugar Hill.
Vibica A. Fox (transcribed form) auditioned for Selina and Keisha but did a 90210 episode that year instead; she would have been great as Keisha, as Set It Off showed.
The Vanessa Williams married to Rick Fox would have been a great girlfriend for Nino.
Allen Payne was a replacement: Orange Juice Jones was cast as G Money, filmed scenes and was fired, per research; his "Walking in the Rain" is called very 80s.
Tupac Shakur auditioned for G Money but was judged too young-looking to have grown up with Snipes.
Tupac could be both aggressive and vulnerable, as Birdie in Above the Rim; it would have been interesting, though Allen Payne was perfect.
A case that Tupac should have been cast, rewritten as the best friend's younger brother, and would have been better.
