Michael Madsen Says He Passed On John Travolta's 'Pulp Fiction' Role & Says Actor Is A "Huge Reason" The Film Works

Of Quentin Tarantino’s first eight films that are covered in the upcoming doc “QT8,” perhaps “Pulp Fiction” is the one that film fans hold in the highest regard. After the breakout success of “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction” firmly cemented Tarantino as one of the most exciting voices in Hollywood, as well as the guy that could revitalize an actor’s career, thanks to the performance from John Travolta. But what if Travolta didn’t star in the film?

As seen in a clip from “QT8” (via EW), it’s confirmed that Michael Madsen was originally expected to play Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction” but had to turn it down because he had already said yes to starring in “Wyatt Earp.” This led Tarantino to look at Travolta as a replacement, and the rest is history. Of course, if you’re a big fan of Tarantino’s work, you probably already knew that Madsen turned down the role.

READ MORE: Quentin Tarantino Reveals Details Of His Unproduced ‘Pulp Fiction’ Prequel ‘Double V Vega’

But perhaps surprisingly, it’s interesting to note that Madsen doesn’t really regret passing up on the role. Not because he didn’t want to do it, but instead, because of what Travolta brought to the role that he couldn’t.

“I was already committed to ‘Wyatt Earp,’” said Madsen. “And now, here’s Quentin, wants me to do ‘Pulp Fiction.’ And they were both going at the same time.”

He explained that even if he did take on the film, there’s a chance that “Pulp Fiction” wouldn’t have worked as good as it did because Travolta added something to the role that Madsen couldn’t.

“Isn’t it true that part of John Travolta being in it, it became John’s comeback?” he explained. “He was doing movies about talking babies! And suddenly he’s Vincent Vega! He had that wig on. No one had seen Travolta with a fucking gun.”

READ MORE: ‘The Fanatic’: An Unhinged John Travolta Can’t Help Fred Durst’s Deep Contempt For Fandom [Review]

He continued, “That’s a huge, huge, huge reason why the movie worked.”

Of course, it’s hard to think about Madsen starring in “Pulp Fiction” 25 years after the film has gone on to iconic status. But, if Tarantino had his way, Madsen would have played Vic Vega in “Reservoir Dogs” and Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction.” Instead, Travolta got a kickstarted second career in Hollywood, which led him to go on to star in films like “Broken Arrow” and “Face/Off.” So really, if you think about it that way, the real winners are fans of less-than-great, mid-‘90s action films.