10 Genius Ways Directors Got The Actor They Wanted
4. James Gunn Sells Pete Davidson On An Appearance With A Name - The Suicide Squad
The promise of simply getting to work under the guidance of one of the most exciting directors in the business today is sometimes enough to guarantee an actor's signature out of the gates. But that wasn't the sole reason Pete Davidson eventually agreed to appear in James Gunn's spin on all things The Suicide Squad in 2021.
As the Saturday Night Live star would reveal during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Guardians of the Galaxy director knew exactly how to pitch the role of Blackguard to the funny man who is also "a huge James Gunn fan".
In a phone call with Gunn, the actor was told:
"There's this role for you in the movie. And you play a guy named Richard Hertz."
Without skipping a beat, Davidson responded by saying "Dick Hertz. I'm in!", claiming it was "the greatest" to be playing a character whose name was literally "dick hurts".
Some stars desire all the money in the world and top billing before giving a director the green light. Others simply need to boast a childish innuendo of a moniker before having their face blown off...