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Pulp Fictionturned 30 this year and fans love the film even more when they hear the rare behind-the-scenes stories from the Quentin Tarantino classic. Well, here’s one that most fans might have missed — John Travolta was never the first choice for the role of Vincent Vega. Tarantino had another actor in mind who worked with him in his 1992 film,Reservoir Dogs.
Michael Madsen is a frequent collaborator on Tarantino films. However, when he was offered Vincent Vega inPulp Fiction, he had to turn it down due to his commitment to the 1994 Western flickWyatt Earp. However, Madsen felt that Travolta’s addition to the film was one of the major reasons behind the success of Tarantino’s Oscar-nominated film.
Michael Madsen Shares Why His Replacement John Travolta Was Perfect ForPulp Fiction
Michael Madsenis most famously known for his work inQuentin Tarantino‘s films, includingReservoir Dogs,Kill Bill: Volume 2,The Hateful Eight, andOnce Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Interestingly, Madsen had the chance to appear in arguably the best work of Tarantino,Pulp Fiction. However, he turned down the role of Vincent Vega in the film.
Quentin Tarantino Took Matters into His Own Hands When John Travolta Couldn’t Nail His Pulp Fiction Dance
In the documentary,QT8: The First Eight, Madsen shared the story about how he lost the role toJohn Travolta. He shared how he was already committed to Kevin Costner’sWyatt Earp,and Tarantino’s film was shooting at the same time. Madsen shared (via IndieWire):
I was already committed to Wyatt Earp. And now, here’s Quentin, wants me to do Pulp Fiction. And they were both going at the same time.
However, Madsen was not at all disappointed with his lost role. He found Travolta as the X-factor in the film.Pulp Fictionwas largely regarded as Travolta’s comeback movie after his decline through the ’80s. Madsen couldn’t agree more, as he shared that Travolta went from doing movies with talking babies (Look Who’s Talking) to the henchman Vincent Vega.
Madsen shared that no one had seen Travolta carry a gun before. He concluded that the actor’s transformation was one of the biggest reasons why the film worked. Madsen shared:
Isn’t it true that part of John Travolta being in it, it became John’s comeback? He was doing movies about talking babies! And suddenly he’s Vincent Vega! He had that wig on. No one had seen Travolta with a f***ing gun. That’s a huge, huge, huge reason why the movie worked.
TheSaturday Night Feveractor went on to earn anOscar nomination for Best Actorfor his role in the Tarantino film. He went on to star in other successful roles following his comeback role inPulp Fiction, includingFace/Off.
John Travolta Revealed How Quentin Tarantino Cast Him As Vincent Vega
During his appearance at the Supanova Comic Con in Adelaide, John Travolta was asked how he landed the role of Vincent Vega. He shared thathe got a call from Tarantinoat a time when his career was declining. Tarantino and Travolta played board games involving the latter’s famous films, includingGrease,Saturday Night Fever, andWelcome Back, Kotter.
“We see what happens to them after that”: Quentin Tarantino Took a Massive Risk With 1 Pulp Fiction Scene After Confessing He Ripped it Off From Other Movies
However, theInglourious Basterdsdirector had one special request for Travolta — to say a line from his hit classic films. Travolta revealed that Tarantino was impressed with the actor by the end of the game and offered him two movie roles. He was offered a part in eitherFrom Dusk Till DawnorPulp Fiction. Travolta picked the latter and explained to the director (via NZ Herald):
[Tarantino] said, ‘You didn’t react so much to the vampire movie but you liked the other movie better. Why?’ I said, ‘I’m not a big vampire person, not that it’s not a great story, it’s just that I liked the Vincent Vega story better’. He said, ‘Oh, interesting’.
Travolta had a slightly different version of Michael Madsen’s role in the whole ordeal. He shared that Tarantino had already fixed Madsen for the role in his mind. However, the board game evening with theUrban Cowboyactor changed Tarantino’s mind. Travolta shared:
He had already cast Michael Madsen in his mind and that night I changed his mind, one way or another, and he decided to give me that role and offered it to me on the spot.
Travolta’s Vincent Vega became one of the most memorable roles of the actor.Vega’s comedic elements, which elevated the character, were improvised by Travolta and even managed to surprise Tarantino.
Pulp Fictionis now available for streaming on Max.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
