In the coming weeks, a 30-second fast food commercial will air. It will feature two men and a celebrity. The men will compete in a battle of wits, and at the end of the commercial, there will be a status shift involving the celebrity. There may be some improv involved.
If you see the commercial in question, know this:
- I auditioned for it via my agent.
- I was among the last ten candidates being considered for the roles of the two men.^
- If I'd gotten cast in it, the buyout would have covered my rent for 6 months.
- I didn't get cast in it.
What would the entertainment world be like if Christopher Walken had played Han Solo? If Danny DeVito had taken on Vizzini? If Jack Nicholson had played Michael in The Godfather? What about Matthew Broderick or John Cusack as Walter White?
What if I had been in that commercial?
You may argue that a regional commercial is not nearly as significant as an iconic movie. You may also argue that while all of these actors turned down those respective roles, I was turned down for the commercial. You may argue that in each case listed above, the correct casting choice was made. All of these arguments are valid, but they ignore one important element of this blog:
It's about me. And I wanted to be in that commercial.
So when you see that commercial, and you think "Boy, those guys are really funny," or "Boy, those guys really aren't funny," remember me. And tell all your friends how it could have been. Please?
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^ That's a 20% chance of me playing one of those two men!
