LOS ANGELES, CA: As the highly popular film series ‘Fast Furious’ approaches its grand finale, fans are eagerly waiting for the release of Part 1 of ‘Fast X’ on May 19. However, here’s an interesting fact: before Vin Diesel became synonymous with the iconic role of Dominic Toretto, another actor had been offered the opportunity to portray the character.
Surprisingly, in 2001, Timothy Olyphant emerged as a more renowned actor compared to Diesel, thanks to the triumph of the movie ‘Gone in 60 Seconds.’ It is worth noting that prior to this, Diesel had only appeared in supporting roles in films like ‘Iron Giants’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ Now, let’s delve into the events that unfolded afterwards, leading to Olyphant’s inability to finalize the contract.
Producer Neal H Moritz once revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly about the casting process for the film. He discussed how the studio had initially expressed interest in casting Timothy Olyphant for the role of Dominic Toretto, stating, “The studio told us, ‘If you can get Timothy Olyphant on board as Dominic Toretto, then we’ll greenlight the movie.'” However, the movie took a different turn when Olyphant declined the offer, leading Moritz to reflect, “We approached Tim, but unfortunately, he decided not to join the cast. At that point, we were uncertain if we would be able to proceed with the project.”
Moritz then went on to share his thoughts about how he successfully recruited Vin Diesel for the movie. Recalling the moment, he vividly remembers sitting at the bar anxiously awaiting Vin’s arrival. As the doors swung open, Moritz felt a sudden surge of excitement, as if a spotlight had been instantly cast upon the entrance, revealing the arrival of the biggest star in the world.
Furthermore, Moritz went into detail about how he discovered the perfect actor for the role of Dominic Toretto. Despite Vin not possessing the same level of commercial success at that time, Moritz recognized a certain aura of confidence surrounding him – the kind of assurance that only a true star possesses. Initially, he had assumed that Vin would be attempting to persuade him to hire him for the role. However, to his surprise, Moritz soon realized that he had to do the convincing, persuading Vin to take on the iconic character of Dominic Toretto.
Timothy Olyphant declined the opportunity to play Dominic Toretto in the ‘Fast Furious’ series, as he believed it was not his cup of tea. During an interview with Andy Cohen, when asked if he regretted his decision, Olyphant confidently replied with a firm “No.” He elaborated on his choice, stating, “I just felt like this would be an absurd move,” and went on to explain, “I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to watch the same movie eight or nine times.” The talented actor, known for his role in ‘Scream 2,’ expressed his belief that audiences would inevitably grow weary after the third or fourth sequel, proclaiming, “By then, people would undoubtedly lose interest.”
