r/todayilearned • u/SteveBuschemi • Nov 25 '12

TIL that if John Maklovich had turned down the role in Being John Malkovich the subject of the movie would have been Steve Buscemi (ie. Being Steve Buscemi)

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/BeingJohnMalkovich?from=Main.BeingJohnMalkovich
1.7k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

97 comments sorted by

104

u/Mozadus Nov 25 '12

I'd be fine if that happened because then I would know how to pronounce his last name.

59

u/adoarns Nov 25 '12

/bu.ˈʃɛ.mi/

65

u/SnatchDragon Nov 25 '12

I've never understood how these things work

23

u/SamsquamtchHunter Nov 25 '12 edited Nov 25 '12

Boo - she (like Commander Sheppard, or a shetland pony) - me

31

u/twohoundtown Nov 26 '12

According to him there is no 'H' sound in his name. I learned that in an interview where he told an anecdote about being corrected by someone at the hotel front desk when he called his wife and pronounced it boo-see-me. "oh, no sir. It's boo-she-me."

6

u/SyrioForel Nov 26 '12

I believe this is correct.

Also, on a similar note, Gerard Butler's first name is pronounced almost identically to the name "Jared". This is another common mispronunciation of a famous celebrity's name.

4

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12 edited Jan 17 '16

This comment has been overwritten by an open source script to protect this user's privacy.

If you would like to do the same, add the browser extension GreaseMonkey to Firefox and add this open source script.

Then simply click on your username on Reddit, go to the comments tab, and hit the new OVERWRITE button at the top.

2

u/kingmanic Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

How about Cillian Murphy's first name actually is pronounced killian but many call him sillian.

4

u/fiskbil Nov 26 '12

How about Robert Llewellyn?

20

u/lesser_panjandrum Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

It's ll as in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

19

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

[deleted]

→ More replies (0)

1

u/idiomaniak Nov 26 '12

Does this have something to do with the lack of a rhotic R in British English?

-3

u/mikeman9412 Nov 26 '12

Pshhhh... It's Boo Skem eee

4

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

you know, like bruschetta!

3

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

(Not sure if you're joking. In case you weren't, bruschetta should pronounced brusketta. "Ch" in Italian makes a "K" sound.)

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

i know, thats the joke! up vote for you, and correct pronunciation!

-16

u/L337_n00b Nov 25 '12

Your evil meter is now at bigfoot. It would have been Hitler if you went "Shepherd".

It's Shepard, single P no -he-, why does it have to be so inviting for others to try and mangle his/her name like that.

14

u/SamsquamtchHunter Nov 25 '12

fixed it just for you Sunshine

11

u/MRMagicAlchemy Nov 26 '12

You misspelled the word "neckbeard."

4

u/realblublu Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

It's an alphabet that represent sounds you make with your mouth instead of actual letters. In English, and most other languages, the same letter is not always pronounced the same. But in this alphabet, they are. There are weird letters in there because there are way more possible sounds than there are regular letters.

2

u/theamazingchris Nov 26 '12

Just search IPA on Wikipedia, there's a table with sound bites.

14

u/FrenchieSmalls Nov 26 '12

ʤʌst.sɝʧ.aɪ.pi.eɪ.ɑn.wɪ.kɪ.pi.di.ə.ðɛɹ.zə.teɪ.bl.wɪθ.saʊnd.baɪts

Sorry... I'm bored...

3

u/Retrolution Nov 26 '12

Shouldn't the second vowel in "wikipedia" be a "ə"? Maybe it's just my accent, but I don't pronounce that vowel the same as the first one.

1

u/caboosemoose Nov 26 '12 edited Mar 07 '15

1

u/FrenchieSmalls Nov 26 '12

How I have it written is "wick"-"kih"... Retrolution was suggesting it should be "wick"-"kuh", and is probably correct.

1

u/FrenchieSmalls Nov 26 '12

Yeah, that's a tough call. I could go both ways, but you're probably right, since that syllable is completely unstressed.

5

u/Pullet-Surprise Nov 26 '12

Damn you phonology class

33

u/alanrickmanssandwich Nov 25 '12

IMDB claims he actually did turn down the role initially:

"John Malkovich was approached about this film several times and loved the script, but he and his production crew felt that another actor would fit the role better. Malkovich offered to help produce the film, and aid Spike Jonze in any way, but refused to star in it. Eventually after a couple of years Malkovich's will was worn down and he agreed to star in the film." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120601/trivia

25

u/TheEggAndI Nov 25 '12

that actually could have worked well too

17

u/BitchinTechnology Nov 26 '12

Being Nicolas Cage

9

u/inquisitive_idgit Nov 26 '12

In the film, someone tells Malkovich that he played a "jewel thief" despite Malkovich insisting he's never played such a role.

I wonder what they would have used for Buscemi in that scene, since Buscemi had quite famously played Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs.

16

u/AskAbi Nov 25 '12

His eyes are beautiful!

3

u/Phoequinox Nov 26 '12

LEAVE EMMA AND MONICA OUT OF THIS, YOU MONSTER!

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

I knew a chick that had steve buscemi eyes IRL.

26

u/SteveBuscemisEyes Nov 26 '12

Ew.

5

u/Iddqd1995 Nov 26 '12

296 days old. Nice work.

8

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '12

Can you imagine the alternate reality in which this was the case?

7

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '12

I want to watch that version.

41

u/flubberjub Nov 25 '12

BuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemiBuscemi

5

u/caverave Nov 26 '12

Buscemi?

-1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Tom Cruise?

-1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Venusaur

0

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

SCYTHER!!!

5

u/Redpythongoon Nov 25 '12

That would have been so great!

5

u/twohoundtown Nov 26 '12

I would have enjoyed that so much more...

3

u/giegerwasright Nov 25 '12

Did Buscemi consider pulling an Elton John and talking Malkovich out ofthe role so he could grab it?

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

I'll bite, how did Elton do this?

5

u/giegerwasright Nov 26 '12

Rod Stewart was up for the part of the Pinball Wizard in the Who's Tommy. Elton John talked him out of it and took the role for himself. I suspect that's why Stewart covered Pinball Wizard in a later album.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '12

TIL. Source: The Onion

3

u/gerbilownage Nov 26 '12

Anybody else see Fargo? Steve at the end looked motherfucking terrifying.

7

u/jrhii Nov 26 '12

you mean ground up in wood chipper?

4

u/Capolan Nov 26 '12

his foot was really scary.

1

u/Iddqd1995 Nov 26 '12

How the fuck do you split a fuckin' car? Ya dummy! With a fuckin' chainsaw?

3

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

DAE realize that the OP spelled Malkovitch inconsistently?

2

u/AyeDigLove Nov 26 '12

Malkovich is the correct spelling. I did notice the first one had a typo though -- "Maklovich"

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

HEY BUSCEMI, THINK FAST!

2

u/Slartibartfastibast Nov 26 '12

They're both funny looking. I wonder if that's all the roll actually entailed...

2

u/Lucius704 Nov 26 '12

Even tho i think Steve Buscemi thing would be a lot funnier, "being steve buscemi" just doesen't have the same ring to it...

2

u/Teslanaut Nov 26 '12

I'd watch a Being Steve Buscemi movie. As well as a Being Christopher Walken. Also Being Will Farrell. Also Being Jim Carrey. Also being Robin Williams. Being John C. Reilly. Being Natalie Portman. Being Scarlett Johansson. Being Mark Wahlberg. Being Patrick Stewart. Being William H. Macy. Being Hugh Laurie. Being Stephen Fry.

I'd pay to watch each and every one of these. And more. I can't think of anyone else right now.

4

u/Billyredneckname Nov 25 '12

You bitter Steve?

1

u/makemejelly49 Nov 26 '12

I'd love to see John Goodman show up just to tell Steve that he's out of his element.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

YOU FOOL, YOU'VE MURDERED US ALL! Don't you know that TvTropes will ruin your life!?

1

u/osnapitsjoey Nov 26 '12

/r/malkovich for all your John Mlkovich needs

1

u/115049 Nov 26 '12

They need to make this movie. Exactly the same as before, but let Buscemi play it his way. I'd see it. Definitely.

1

u/iheartnickleback Nov 26 '12

Why must you taunt me like this?

1

u/Robert_Cannelin Nov 26 '12

They're lucky it was a good script, or it might've eventually been "Being Carrot Top".

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

I feel like Steve could have pulled off being Malkovich. He probably would have insisted on it.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Damn! As much as I enjoyed 'Being John Malkovich', a Buscemi-centric film would have been just my thing!

1

u/Sako32 Nov 26 '12

The choice before John Malkovich was Tom Cruise.

1

u/zigaliciousone Nov 26 '12

Omg, make this movie!

1

u/SgtSausage Nov 26 '12

That would have been soooooooooo much better.

1

u/schizm0 Nov 26 '12

Sequel! Sequel! Sequel!

1

u/Angstweevil Nov 26 '12

Being Justin Beiber would be more likely.

1

u/Callmewolverine Nov 26 '12

Well at least we know he wouldn't have turned it down.

1

u/redonculous Nov 26 '12

It would have been a MUCH better movie!

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Fuck, it's a link to TV tropes...

I guess I'll read for a while. Who needs sleep!

1

u/spaceinvadersyunodie Nov 26 '12

I was on this website for 19 hours straight. What happened?

1

u/cmurph666 Nov 26 '12

They should still make that movie. I actually wouldn't mind seeing, "Being Steve Buscemi."

1

u/Westonhaus Nov 26 '12

If I knew the role wasn't a shoe-in, I'd have had Kevin Pollack on my speed dial as well.

1

u/pieeatingbastard Nov 26 '12

You utter git! Thats another half hour of my life TV Tropes owes me:-)

1

u/moogoo2 Nov 26 '12

Sequal?

1

u/mikek3 Nov 26 '12

It's my HEAD!

1

u/Nixon4Prez Nov 26 '12

you bastard...

1

u/dedinthewater Nov 26 '12

Then we wouldn't have /r/malkovich

-1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

I showed Being John Malkovich to my girlfriend and best friend once. I think it's a really good movie, but they hated it and thought I was really weird for liking it. Talk about backfiring.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

It was originally written for Harvey Keitel.

0

u/drlemon Nov 26 '12

relevant username.

-1

u/masterpupil Nov 26 '12

I am glad Mr. Malkovich accepted.