Of course............Samuel L. was in Pulp Fiction as well...........and so was the King of New York........Chris W......
Cast
- John Travolta as Vincent Vega:
- Tarantino cast Travolta in Pulp Fiction only because Michael Madsen, who had played Vic Vega in Reservoir Dogs, chose to appear in Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp instead. Madsen has since expressed regret over his decision.[15] Harvey Weinstein pushed for Daniel Day-Lewis in the part.[16] Travolta accepted a bargain rate for his services—sources claim either USD$100,000 or USD$140,000—but the film's success and his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor revitalized his career.[17] Travolta was subsequently cast in several hits including Get Shorty (1995), in which he played a similar character, and the John Wooblockbuster Face/Off. In 2004, Tarantino discussed an idea for a movie starring Travolta and Madsen as "The Vega Brothers"; the concept remains unrealized.[18]
- Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield:
- Tarantino had written the part with Jackson in mind, but the actor nearly lost it after his first audition was overshadowed by Paul Calderón. Jackson assumed the audition was merely a reading. Harvey Weinstein convinced Jackson to audition a second time, and his performance of the final diner scene won over Tarantino.[19] Jules was originally scripted with a giant afro, but Tarantino and Jackson agreed on the Jheri-curled wig seen in the film.[20] (One reviewer took it as a "tacit comic statement about the ghettoization of blacks in movies").[21] Jackson received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Calderón appears in the movie as Paul, a bartender at Marsellus' social club, as well as being Marsellus' assistant.
- Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace:
- Miramax favored Holly Hunter or Meg Ryan for the role. Alfre Woodard and Meg Tilly were also considered, but Tarantino wanted Thurman after their first meeting.[22][23] She dominated most of the film's promotional material, appearing on a bed with cigarette in hand. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and was launched into the celebrity A-list. She took little advantage of her new-found fame by choosing not to do any big-budget films for the next three years.[24] Thurman would later star in Tarantino's two Kill Bill movies (2003, 2004).
- Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge:
- Willis was a major star, but most of his recent films had been box-office disappointments. As described by Peter Bart, taking a role in the modestly budgeted film "meant lowering his salary and risking his star status, but the strategy [...] paid off royally: Pulp Fiction not only brought Willis new respect as an actor, but also earned him several million dollars as a result of his gross participation."[27] Willis' appearance and physical presence were crucial to Tarantino's interest in casting him: "Bruce has the look of a 50s actor. I can't think of any other star that has that look."[28]
- Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolfe or simply "The Wolf":
- The part was written specifically for Keitel, who had starred in Reservoir Dogs and was instrumental in getting it produced. In the filmmaker's words, "Harvey had been my favorite actor since I was 16 years old."[29] Keitel had played a character similarly employed as a "cleaner" in Point of No Return (1993). In the film, he is a very wealthy man, strict to his rules and also Jules's model assassin, as he has a lot respect for Wolfe. He also drives a grey Honda NSX.
- Tim Roth as "Pumpkin" or "Ringo":
- Roth had starred in Reservoir Dogs alongside Keitel and was brought on board again. He had used an American accent in the earlier film, but uses his natural, London one in Pulp Fiction. Though Tarantino had written the part specifically with Roth in mind, TriStar head Mike Medavoy preferred Johnny Depp or Christian Slater.[30] Early in production, Tarantino had contemplated casting Roth as Vincent and Gary Oldman as Jules, rewriting those characters as "two English guys".[31]
- Amanda Plummer as Yolanda or "Honey Bunny":
- Tarantino wrote the role for Plummer, specifically to partner her with Roth onscreen. Roth had introduced the actress and director, telling Tarantino, "I want to work with Amanda in one of your films, but she has to have a really big gun." She is "Pumpkin"'s girlfriend and partner in crime.[32]
- Maria de Medeiros as Fabienne:
- Butch's girlfriend. Tarantino met the Portuguese actress while traveling with Reservoir Dogs around the European film festival circuit.[33] She had previously co-starred with Thurman in Henry & June (1990), playing Anaïs Nin.
- Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace:
- Before Rhames was cast, the part was offered to Sid Haig, who had appeared in many classic exploitation movies of the 1970s. Haig passed on the role.[34] According to Bender, Rhames gave "one of the best auditions I've ever seen."[23] His acclaimed performance led to his being cast in big-budget features such as Mission Impossible (1996), Con Air (1997), and Out of Sight (1998).[35]
- Eric Stoltz as Lance:
- Vincent's drug dealer. Courtney Love later reported that Kurt Cobain was originally offered the role of Lance; if he had taken it, Love would have played the role of his wife.[36] Tarantino, however, denies that he ever met Cobain, much less offered him a role in the movie.[37] Gary Oldman was the preferred choice among TriStar executives, based on his portrayal of drug-dealing pimp Drexl Spivey in the Tarantino-writtenTrue Romance (1993).[38][39]
- Rosanna Arquette as Jody:
- Lance's wife. Pam Grier read for the role, but Tarantino did not believe audiences would find it plausible for Lance to yell at her.[40] Grier was later cast as the lead of Tarantino's Jackie Brown. Ellen DeGeneresalso read for Jody.[41]
- Christopher Walken as Captain Koons:
- Walken appears in a single scene devoted to the Vietnam veteran's monologue about the gold watch. In 1993, Walken had appeared in another small but pivotal role in the "Sicilian scene" in True Romance.
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