It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Horrible Bosses star Charlie Day reveals that he turned down an audition for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. The film is a unique project in that it encapsulates multiple different infamous artists from the era of the 1960s and re-tells their life stories as imagined alternate realities of what could have been of their fate.
Although the Sony Pictures film explored various affluent figures during the golden era of the '60s, it particularly casts a spotlight on Charles Manson, one of the most well-known criminals and cult leaders in history. Even though Manson is only really featured in the movie as a brief cameo, the strong presence that comes with the character permeates throughout the rest of the film without him even needing to be there physically at all.
An actor like Day, who is known for his brilliant comedic timing and jokes, is definitely not the first person that comes to my mind when thinking about the deranged Manson. Despite Damon Herriman doing a phenomenal job in playing the role of Manson, it’s hard to not imagine how the movie would have been different had Day not turned down the audition. Day recently revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he ended up turning down the audition because he is such a massive fan of Tarantino's work, and he wanted to be absolutely sure he could do it justice. Day stated, “I’m a bit of a movie nerd, and with the Guillermos, the Quentins, the Paul Thomas Andersons of the world, I adore anything they do. And I don’t miss anything they put out. But there was a side of me that didn’t want to be watching Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - because I was very excited about it - and then being taken out of the film by seeing myself in it. It’s a really dumb way to think as an actor. Talk about limiting your opportunities."
Day added that the idea of taking on a role Herriman had already portrayed factored into his decision. "The truth is, I couldn’t really see myself as the character, and Damon Herriman was amazing. I think he played the character before on Mindhunter. So it was one of those things where I was like, ‘I don’t want Quentin to not cast me, so if I’m going to read for something, let me make sure it’s something that I feel like I can really shine in,'" Day explained. "But that contradicts what I said earlier about always picturing myself in whatever. So I guess there was a side of me that thought I could do it.”
It might be hard to picture Tarantino seeking out an actor like Day for him to play the role of a famous criminal. However, despite the premise of the film and the heaviness of the era it chooses to dive into, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actually falls under the Dramedy genre. Given the film’s heightened sense of imagination and knowing that it intentionally warps the storyline or perspective of characters that the audience thinks they know already, it distorts their narratives further with comedy instead rather than more darkness.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is now available on digital platforms.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter