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When talking aboutPulp Fiction30 years later, Bruce Willis’ performance is not something that immediately comes up in discussions. Willis’s character Butch was one of the more conventional characters in the film, which was filled with image-breaking performances. However, Willis’ stardom gave a significant boost to the film at the time of its making.
Interestingly, Willis was not a name that Quentin Tarantino ever had in mind for the role. It was Harvey Keitel, who played the role of Winston Wolfe, who introduced theDie Hardactor to Tarantino. At the time, Willis was one of the only A-listers among the cast.
Bruce Willis Played A Crucial Role InPulp Fiction‘s Epic Success
Pulp Fictionwassnubbed for the Oscarsin favor ofForrest Gump30 years ago. Fans were mindblown whenQuentin Tarantinoredefined cinema with an indie crime film that tells four intertwining tales in a non-linear fashion.Bruce Williswas added to the film as an old boxer, Butch, who was way past his glory days.
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Willis’ role may not be the prime attraction of the film, but it was crucial for the film in a big way. At the time, Willis’ action role as John McClane inDie Hardmade him into an international star. He was indeed one of the only A-listers in the film that was made on a budget of $8.5 million. Willis could’ve easily commanded that amount as his salary for a big-budget film.
However,Willis liked the script of the filmand he believed in the visionary director Tarantino. He once said in Jason Bailey’s book about the film,Pulp Fiction: The Complete Story of Quentin Tarantino’s Masterpiece(via SlashFilm):
I said whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. I didn’t flex. How much I was paid wasn’t a consideration.
TheMoonlightingactor’s involvement also brought all the major Hollywood eyes to the project. According to the book, distributors started queueing up for the international distribution rights for the project. Eventually, Miramax secured the deal for $11 million which was way past the budget. It should be noted that this deal happened before a single shot of the movie was filmed.
Willis essentially madePulp Fictiona success even before it was filmed. The distribution deal covered the budget of the film. The film went on to gross $213.9 million, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the ’90s (via Box Office Mojo).
Bruce Willis Was Never Considered For The Role Of Butch
Author Don Winslow shared a rough cast list that Quentin Tarantino initially considered for each role inPulp Fictionon his X account (via The Independent). According to the list, Bruce Willis was never considered for the role of Butch in the film. Tarantino initially wrote it as a young boxer and hadMatt Dillonin mind to play the role.
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The list also included Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage, Aidan Quinn, and Johnny Depp. According to the site,At The Right Movies, when Tarantino decided to rewrite the role of an old boxer, he approached Mickey Rourke to play the role, who passed on the opportunity. According to aVarietyarticle that included the BTS details from the film, Tim Roth was also interested in the role before he was cast as Ringo/Pumpkin.
Pulp Fictionis now available for streaming on Paramount+ and Prime Video.
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.
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