Quentin Tarantino and John Travolta on the set of Pulp Fiction.
"John Travolta was at that time as cold as they get," Mike Simpson, Quentin Tarantino’s agent, told Vanity Fair. "He was less than zero."
Quentin Tarantino wrote the part of Vincent Vega for his movie, Pulp Fiction, specifically for Michael Madsen, but Madsen had already signed on for another film, Wyatt Earp, and passed on the role.
With Madsen out of the running for the role, Harvey Weinstein (co-chairman of Miramax) wanted Daniel Day-Lewis for the part of Vega. Other actors were considered for the role, including Sean Penn and William Hurt, but Tarantino wanted John Travolta, for the part.
“I remember it was a big deal with Miramax, too, because Daniel Day was hotter than heck and I was colder than Alaska, so the idea that Quentin went for me over Daniel Day-Lewis was a very big deal,” Travolta told The Daily Beast.
A list of actors considered for the role of Vincent Vega was leaked and it specified that Travolta was Tarantino's clear second choice for the role," but studio boss, Harvey Weinstein, wasn't convinced.
"One of the actors I had on the list was John Travolta," Tarantino said.
"And it came back: 'The entire list is approved...except for John Travolta.' So I got together with Harvey, and he's like, 'I can get Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Penn, William Hurt'."
It was only after Tarantino threatened to walk away from the project that Weinstein reluctantly agreed to cast Travolta in the role of Vincent Vega.
John Travolta’s career was significantly revitalized after Tarantino cast him as Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction.” The film ended up winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as Travolta receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for the role.
“These great directors, they hire you because 90% of their job is done when they cast you. Because they believe you’re the rightest person, so you don’t ever want to force something that isn’t organic. Look how much Quentin fought for me to be in ‘Pulp Fiction.’ This guy put his reputation, his career on the line because he had that much confidence.” said Travolta.