Corey Feldman has opened up about losing a major role in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, claiming that Johnny Depp was responsible. Feldman said he was initially cast in the movie but was later replaced. His revelation has sparked curiosity among fans.
Read on to know more.
Corey Feldman’s comment on Johnny Depp explained
Corey Feldman has claimed that Johnny Depp played a role in him losing out on a major opportunity in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. During an appearance on The Magnificent Others podcast, Feldman revealed that he had initially been cast in the 1993 film. He was supposed to play the younger brother of Depp’s character. However, the role ultimately went to Leonardo DiCaprio, who later received an Oscar nomination for his performance.
According to Feldman, Depp was cast after him and allegedly convinced producers to replace him. He claimed that Depp told them he didn’t want to work with him. Feldman said, “He was cast after I was, and apparently whispered into the producers’ ear that he wasn’t fond of me, and thought — he said that I was a junkie and that he didn’t work with junkies.” However, Feldman denied the accusation, stating he had recently completed rehab and was sober at the time.
Feldman also hinted that his attempts to support River Phoenix, who was close to Depp, may have contributed to the tension. He said, “Was trying to help River [Phoenix] at the time, who [Depp] was running with at the time, as we all know. As you can imagine, there was a bit of a thorn in the side on that one.”
Feldman admitted that losing the role left him feeling “bitter.” He added that he has never watched the film as a result. He also shared that he later competed with DiCaprio again for the lead in Titanic. However, he acknowledged that he was not as close to landing that part.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.
