Corey Feldman claims Johnny Depp pushed him out of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape by telling producers he was a junkie

https://ew.com/corey-feldman-claims-johnny-depp-pushed-him-out-of-gilbert-grape-11704086?taid=67e490ee142e3e00010d3641

26 comments

  1. >Speaking to Billy Corgan on his Magnificent Others podcast, Feldman claimed that he nearly portrayed Arnie, the disabled younger brother of Depp’s titular protagonist in the 1993 drama. “I was actually cast to play Leonardo DiCaprio’s role,” he said. “I never saw the film because I’m still bitter. Bitter leaf in that one. But yes, I was originally cast for that role.”

    >”Did they push you out?” Corgan asked.

    >”Johnny Depp,” Feldman said, nodding. “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. And this is the first time I’ve ever telling this story, so I’m sure I’m gonna get hung by this one.”

    >When Corgan asked if Feldman was using drugs at the time, the Stand by Me star insisted that he wasn’t. “I was sober. I had just gotten sober,” he said. “I had just gotten out of rehab. I had turned my life around, and, in fact, was trying to help River [Phoenix] at the time, who [Depp] was running with at the time, as we all know.”

    >Feldman continued: “As you can imagine, there was a bit of a thorn in the side on that one. And, had I not been pushed out and done that role, who knows what would have happened from that point forward.”

  2. Thankfully it gave Feldman more time to work on his music career.

  4. I can’t really blame Depp for not wanting to work with him, at the time, he was a known addict with behavioral issues who had been in the news and gossip columns regularly. Yes, he’d been in rehab recently, but graduating rehab doesn’t mean you’re never going to experience relapse again.

    Also, Feldman is always looking for other people to blame for his failures; he is using this story as a way to blame Depp for his lack of success in Hollywood, claiming the role of a lifetime was stolen from him, that Leo went on to have massive success while he did not.

    The truth is that Feldman is a mediocre talent and was never going to be an A list actor.

  6. That role still is my favorite DiCaprio performance. I can’t imagine anyone pulling it off anywhere nearly as well as he did – let alone lil Corey here lol

  7. Feldman wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. He was a junkie. Even if he claimed he was sober back then he was probably “California” sober.

  9. Can you imagine how horrible the movie would have been with Feldman. The dude can’t act his lane was playing obnoxious characters so basically playing himself.

  10. To be fair, I’ve known Corey since his Stand By Me days and that was his best acting performance to date. Leo did a phenomenal job in Gilbert Grape. Good move by Depp.

  11. Yep if not for JD Corey Feldman would have been an A List star. Damn you Johnny Depp!!

  13. I believe it. Gilbert Grape would have been horrible if Feldman was Arnie. That’s hands down Leonardo DiCaprio’s best work in my opinion.

  14. Yeah right. Both the Coreys were struggling in their career by then and as someone who was a big Coreys fan back then, I really doubt they’d choose him to play Arnie. Maybe Haim.

  15. Obviously he turned out to be another Hollywood POS but look at how beautiful Johnny Depp was back then

  18. When Depp is calling you a junkie you know you have a problem

  19. I couldn’t possibly imagine Cory Feldman as Arnie.

  20. Christian Bale and Ewan McGregor were also up for the role of Jack in Titanic, so even if Leo hadn’t been cast it’s doubtful Corey was anywhere near the shortlist.

  23. RE: Corey’s appearance on Billy Corgan’s podcast:

    Total BS about supposedly getting cast as Arnie Grape in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and what even bigger BS about being “up for Titanic.” You only need to look at the movies that each of them were making around 1993 (Gilbert Grape) and Titanic (1997) and each actor’s trajectory was clear:

    Feldman 1991 – 1993 Edge of Honor, Rock n Roll High School Forever, The Magic Voyage, Meatballs 4, Blown Away, Stepmonster, National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1, TMNT 3 1995 – 1997 Voodo, Dream a Little Dream 2, Bordello of Blood, Evil Obsession (an erotic thriller), South Beach Academy, Red Line, Busted, and Born Bad – all Z-list schlock. Some of them don’t even have Wiki pages.

    DiCaprio 1991-1993 Critters 3, Poisin Ivy, This Boy’s LIfe, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (Oscar Nom at 19 years old) 1995 – 1997 The Basketball Diaries, The Quick and the Dead, Total Eclipse, Romeo + Juliet, Marvin’s Room

    Ths claim is so totally laughable, but anyone taking Feldman serious at this point in time will believe it, which is sad. He’s literally sitting there lying to Corgan. There is no proof Feldman was considered for Titanic. Want to know who was being considered for the role of Jack in TItanic along with Leo? Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, and Jeremy Sisto.

    Ascension stupidium.

  25. I’ve always thought Feldman was a little mentally challenged…maybe he would have killed it? I’m only 85% kidding.

  26. Why does the thumbnail look like Feldman is doing an off off off Broadway version of Hamilton?

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