You Won't Believe Who Quentin Tarantino Had in Mind for 'Pulp Fiction' (2025)

Pulp Fiction is a cinematic classic for many reasons, not least of which is because of its stellar cast. A who's who of Hollywood players, the star-studded lineup in Quentin Tarantino's sophomore effort includes a talented array of faces that were both fresh and familiar when it debuted in 1994. Aside from featuring star-making turns by then relatively unknowns like Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman, Pulp Fiction is also notable for featuring a major career comeback for John Travolta and a slew of cameos made by well-established actors like Christopher Walken, Harvey Keitel, and Bruce Willis.

In preparing to cast Pulp Fiction, Tarantino compiled a lengthy list of potential actors, complete with a ranking order of his first, second, and third choices for certain roles. Fortunately, he succeeded in casting his first or second choice for several characters, while some performers who were ultimately cast didn't even make the list. With hindsight clear as day, it's nearly impossible to imagine Pulp Fiction without the exact ensemble Tarantino assembled, but the fact that some of the iconic crime film's key roles nearly went to other performers makes for a fun bit of speculation.

Quentin Tarantino Wanted to Cast Matt Dillon as Butch

Among Tarantino's wish list of actors to appear in Pulp Fiction was Matt Dillon, whom the filmmaker initially wanted to cast as Butch. According to Tarantino, he wrote the role specifically for Dillon, but the actor "wasn't so sure" and "didn't 100 percent get it" after reading the script. Another sticking point for Dillon was that he, like many others, wanted to play Vincent Vega. In the meantime, however, Tarantino had a fortuitous encounter with Bruce Willis that proved consequential for Pulp Fiction.

A huge fan of Reservoir Dogs, Willis read the screenplay for Pulp Fiction and, like Dillon, wanted to play Vincent. After discovering Tarantino had his heart set on John Travolta for the role, Willis lobbied to play Jules, a notion that was rejected for obvious reasons. But Tarantino, convinced the actor should appear in his upcoming film, urged Willis to reread the screenplay with an eye towards playing Butch. After taking another look at the script, Willis told Tarantino, "I'm in,' lending Pulp Fiction further legitimacy thanks to the actor's status as a major Hollywood star. Willis may not have been Tarantino's first choice, but his inclusion proved crucial to the film's overall success and, as it turns out, Butch wasn't the only key character the filmmaker had a difficult time casting.

Uma Thurman Almost Passed on 'Pulp Fiction'

According to previsouly cited article from The Independent, Uma Thurman wasn't on Quentin Tarantino's original list of potential actresses to play Mia, which included Virginia Madsen, Alfre Woodard, Jennifer Beals, Bridget Fonda, and Angela Bassett, among several others. As Pulp Fiction's female lead, the role was likely highly sought after by many actresses but, as producer Lawrence Bender recalls, Tarantino eventually set his sights on Thurman. "Uma’s the only person he met with by himself," Bender told Vanity Fair. The actress, however, was initially on the fence about accepting the part, considering elements of Tarantino's screenplay to be "pretty frightening."

"I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the movie," she admitted years later, citing the film's lurid subject matter — particularly the infamous "gimp" scene— as a primary factor. Determined to win Thurman over, Tarantino spent three hours with her over dinner and proceeded to further discuss the role at her apartment in New York. Ultimately, their lengthy meeting paid off in droves, with Thurman accepting a career-changing role that would earn her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as establishing a fruitful creative partnership with Tarantino that would lead to Kill Bill. "No one could believe I even hesitated in any way," the actress said of her reluctance to star in Pulp Fiction. "Neither can I, in hindsight."

Pulp Fiction is available to watch on Pluto TV in the U.S.

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