20 Things You Didn't Know About Jackie Brown

20. It Was Always Going To Be Robert Forster

Oftentimes when looking over the production history of a film, the studio hems and haws for months on end, debating about casting, negotiating salaries and dealing with whatever personal issues said actor has had made public lately. This isn't the case with Tarantino, who writes with a fairly clear head about who he wants for a role, dream-casting scripts along the way. It's rare that an actor ha refused a role with such rich dialogue.

Such was the case with veteran character actor Robert Forster, who would go on to be nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Forster was largely known as a tough guy actor, taking on cop roles in movies like Alligator and a lot of B-movie fare throughout the 80s.

Brown, little did he know, wouldn't necessarily make him a household name, but it would elevate his status and open him up to roles in Mullholland Dr., The Descendants and perhaps most notably the mysterious vacuum cleaner repairman in Breaking Bad. He would die of brain cancer the day El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie debuted on Netflix.

And he certainly didn't forget what Brown wound up doing for his career, often promoting literacy campaigns by encouraging kids to read Leonard's novel.

Forster had auditioned for the role of Nice Guy Eddie in Reservoir Dogs, but Tarantino decided on tough guy Lawrence Tierney. By the time Jackie Brown had become a property, he didn't even have an agent.

Instead, Tarantino approached him at an L.A. restaurant, through the script on the table and said, "You're going to do this and that's all there is to it."