Studying Time: 3 minutes
The 1993 movie What’s Consuming Gilbert Grape earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar nomination and introduced the younger star as a serious new expertise.
However Hollywood historical past nearly performed out very otherwise, as ’80s icon Corey Feldman was initially solid within the function of Johnny Depp’s developmentally disabled youthful brother, Arnie Grape.
And plainly it was Depp who determined that Feldman wasn’t proper for the half.
A minimum of that’s the scandalous declare Feldman made throughout a latest look on Billy Corgan’s new podcast.
(Sure, this story has extra Gen X and millennial nostalgia bait than a Nirvana cowl band performing in a Blockbuster parking zone.)
Corey Feldman says he was handled unfairly following ‘What’s Consuming Gilbert Grape’ casting
“I used to be truly solid to play Leonardo DiCaprio’s function,” Feldman explained to Corgan.
“Johnny Depp … was solid after I used to be and apparently whispered into the producers’ ear that he wasn’t keen on me,” he stated.
In keeping with Feldman, Depp objected to his historical past of drug use. Which is considerably ironic, as Depp’s issues with substance abuse have been well-documented over time.
“He stated I used to be a junkie and that he didn’t work with junkies,” Feldman claimed, including that “that is the primary time I keep in mind ever telling this story, so I’m positive I’m gonna get hung by this one.”
Feldman says the dismissal was made much more painful by the truth that after being uncovered to medicine and alcohol at a really younger age, he was newly sober on the time.
“I used to be sober. I had simply gotten sober,” he insisted. “I had simply gotten out of rehab. I had turned my life round.
“The truth is, [I] was making an attempt to assist River [Phoenix] on the time,” Feldman added.
Phoenix, who was Feldman’s costar within the beloved 1989 movie Stand By Me, died of a drug overdose in a membership owned by Depp.
The 23-year-old handed in October of 1993, simply months after filming wrapped on What’s Consuming Gilbert Grape.
Feldman says he’s haunted by ideas of what might need been
DiCaprio, after all, went on to grow to be one of the crucial revered stars in Hollywood historical past.
Would which have been Feldman’s destiny if he had been allowed to stay on Gilbert Grape?
We’ll by no means know, after all, however Feldman says the reminiscence of being handled unfairly haunts him to this present day.
“Had I not been pushed out and achieved that function, who is aware of what would have occurred from the purpose ahead,” he stated. “That gave Leonardo his first [Oscar] nomination.”
Feldman says that greater than 30 years later, he nonetheless has not watched What’s Consuming Gilbert Grape.
It’s an unimaginable movie full of wonderful performances — however in Corey’s case, that is perhaps extra motive not to observe it.
