The failed 1988 audition that got Steve Buscemi cast in ‘Reservoir Dogs’: “I’m glad that I went”
Steve Buscemi says a failed audition for the comedy *Biloxi Blues* helped him land the role of Mr Pink in Quentin Tarantino’s *Reservoir Dogs*. Tarantino saw the audition tape and thought Buscemi’s slicked-back hair and shirt made him look like a criminal, showing how an unsuccessful casting can lead to an unexpected opportunity.
Buscemi had auditioned for *Reservoir Dogs*, but Tarantino later told him that tape was not what persuaded the filmmakers to cast him. *Biloxi Blues*, directed by Mike Nichols from Neil Simon’s screenplay, starred Matthew Broderick as a young man drafted into the Second World War. Buscemi did not get that part, but said he was glad he attended the audition.
- A failed audition helped Buscemi win Mr Pink.
- Tarantino liked his slicked-back look on tape.
- Buscemi said he was glad he auditioned.
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Steve Buscemi is an American actor who played Mr Pink, a criminal, in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 film Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino wrote and directed the film, which became an influential independent movie that helped establish his career. Buscemi's role was significant to the film's success.
In 1988, before Reservoir Dogs, Buscemi auditioned for a comedy called Biloxi Blues, which was directed by Mike Nichols and based on Neil Simon's stage play. The film starred Matthew Broderick as a soldier during the Second World War. Buscemi was not cast in that role.
Buscemi has said his appearance at the Biloxi Blues audition—particularly his slicked-back hair and shirt—helped lead to his Reservoir Dogs casting. He has described how those involved with Reservoir Dogs saw the Biloxi Blues audition and thought he looked like a criminal. However, Tarantino later told him that his direct audition for Reservoir Dogs, rather than the Biloxi Blues tape, was what led to his being cast.