For a few months, the first cast list that Quentin Tarantino had envisioned for Pulp Fiction was available online. One of the numerous people mentioned that stood out the most was Johnny Depp, who was up for the part of Pumpkin, but Tim Roth ultimately won it. The director discussed this list and the reasons Depp eventually did not join the cast of Pulp Fiction while appearing as a guest on a recent episode of the podcast 2 Bears, 1 Cave.
There’s a rumor going around the internet about my Pulp Fiction cast wish list. I was still determining who I wanted to play this or that part, so I wrote a gigantic list with loads of names.
I wanted them all to be pre-approved because I wanted to know if it would work, if I would like the vibe with a specific person or if they would do a good job, but I still wanted to get them approved.
Why Quentin Tarantino refused to Cast Johnny Depp in Pulp Fiction
However, Mike Medavoy, a co-founder of Orion Pictures and a former president of TriStar Pictures, tried to persuade Tarantino to cast Johnny Depp. The director of Kill Bill admitted that even after Roth’s rejection, he would have chosen Christian Slater over Johnny Depp.
Will Johnny Depp play Pumpkin in this film, appearing in the opening and closing scenes, add that much to the box office? So Tarantino asked Medavoy. Mike said, “He wouldn’t add a cent, but it would make me feel better.”
