Vin Diesel Was Not the Original Dominic Toretto- Fast and Furious Producer Feels Lucky Timothy Olyphant Turned Down the Role
The Fast and Furious franchise has been a multibillion-dollar action drama franchise since its debut in the 2000s. The franchise helped actor Vin Diesel to gain fame in the industry. He has been the face of the action films since the first film. Diesel plays Dominic Toretto, the protagonist in the franchise.
From its modest origins of street races and electronics theft, the Fast and Furious franchise has come a long way. The latest installment, Fast X, saw the beginning of a final trilogy. The 56-year-old has been playing Dominic Toretto for so long that it feels like he was born to be the beloved family guy of Hollywood. Fans cannot imagine another actor playing Dom. However, Vin Diesel wasn’t the first choice to play the lead in the franchise. The producer of Fast and Furious revealed some insights on the Bill Simmons podcast.
Vin Diesel almost lost the role in the Fast and Furious franchise
The Fast and Furious franchise has come a long way, but the stoic Dominic Toretto, portrayed by Vin Diesel, has remained a constant throughout every film. Dom has always been a man of few words and great family loyalty, and the actor’s ability to fully inhabit and embody the character was what made Dom so terrifying. However, Diesel wasn’t the first choice to play the protagonist in the action drama franchise.
Neal H Moritz, a producer on action movies, revealed details regarding the casting on the Bill Simmons podcast. He said that Timothy Olyphant was the actor they approached first for the Fast and Furious cast, after getting Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner. Moritz said,
“Rob Cohen, who I had made The Rat Pack with – we gave him the script. The two of them liked the idea. And then we had to look for Dom Toretto. The studio said, ‘If you can get Timothy Olyphant to play that role, we will greenlight the movie’.”
Olyphant was a budding actor in the industry and the studio wanted to be associated with him. However, the actor turned down the part as he had other plans. The rejection led to the Pitch Black star getting the lead role. The producer said,
“The luckiest thing that ever happened to us is Tim Olyphant turned us down. He’s a great actor. In fact, I’m curious to see what that movie would have been.”
Olyphant has since established a reputation for himself as a lawman in many of his projects. Vin Diesel had made a name in the action drama franchise. It is impossible to imagine any other actor playing Dom in the Fast and Furious franchise other than the Riddick actor.
Vin Diesel’s successful portrayal of Dominic Toretto in the Fast and Furious franchise
The Fast and Furious franchise has grown over time and has gotten bigger and better with each film. The first film came out in 2001, and Vine Diesel took the mantle to play the lead, Dominic Toretto. The 56-year-old appeared in nine of the ten movies. Diesel was unable to be part of Tokyo Drift due to other commitments.
Dom, played by Diesel, was a character he was able to create that complemented Paul Walker’s Brian the most. Dom was quiet and methodical in contrast to Brian, who was clever and frequently reckless for his good.
The latest installment, Fast X was a hit at the box office. Jason Momoa playing the antagonist was loved by fans. The success of the tenth installment of Fast And Furious made way for two other films. However, the Fast X actor hinted that the Fast and Furious franchise would end up with a trilogy.
Source: Bill Simmons podcast
