20 Things You Somehow Missed In Jackie Brown
17. The Significance Of Sid Haig's Cameo
If you recognise the judge presiding over Jackie's case early in the movie, that's because he's played by Sid Haig, better known in recent years for his role as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's Firefly trilogy.
But Tarantino cast Haig in the film for one majorly specific reason - he'd previously starred as the white villain in a number of exploitation/blaxploitation films opposite Pam Grier throughout the 1970s, such as Coffy, Black Mama White Mama, and Foxy Brown.
Grier didn't know about Haig's casting until she arrived on set and reportedly burst out laughing at the pleasant surprise.
As for Haig, this wasn't his first time dealing with Tarantino - he was originally offered the role of Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction, as of course eventually went to Ving Rhames after he turned it down.
Haig later expressed regret for rejecting the part, but at least got to work with Tarantino just a few years later - and also had a small role as the strip club bartender in Kill Bill Volume 2.