Original Coverage & Source Attribution: en.vijesti.me
It seems that every actor who becomes famous for roles in which he fights off opponents or uses automatic weapons wants to show his softer side at some point.
Before he first tried his hand at family comedies, former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson received two offers. This was an important turning point in his career at the time, as he was offered two completely different paths.
One option was a supporting role in a film with a large cast, where all the responsibility for its success would not be on his shoulders. The other was a leading role in what could have been the biggest project of his career to date.
However, Dwayne Johnson turned down a role in the Disney comedy “The Pacifier,” which later went to Vin Diesel and became a huge box office hit. Instead, he chose the film “Be Cool,” starring John Travolta, Harvey Keitel, and Uma Thurman, although the decision ultimately did not prove to be particularly successful at the box office.
“I was choosing between a seemingly surefire commercial hit for Disney and a modern movie with big stars,” Johnson recounted.
He decided to follow up with the film “Get Shorty”, which, despite a well-known cast, did not live up to expectations. However, his role as a gay Samoan bodyguard was one of the few bright spots in the film. Johnson showed a strong sense of comedy and charisma, and his acting was met with very positive reviews.
“Vin Diesel ended up making ‘The Pacifier,’ which was a commercial success. I chose ‘Be Cool,’ which wasn’t a success, but got great reviews. That raised my price in Hollywood and opened up new opportunities for me,” the actor said.
Interestingly, “The Pacifier” earned more than $100 million from the film Johnson chose. Had he accepted the offer, the film could have become the most successful film of his career in which he had a leading role.
This choice is made even more interesting when you consider that Johnson and Diesel found themselves in the same “Fast & Furious” franchise a decade later. Their relationship was marked by years of conflict, and the rivalry between the two actors often attracted almost as much attention as the films themselves.
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