Ben Stiller ‘Tanked’ Audition for Classic ’90s Film, Says It Still ‘Haunts’ Him
Ben Stiller has a number of impressive acting credits to his name. However, there’s one role that slipped through his fingers he wishes he landed.
Per The Independent, Stiller took part in a recent panel discussion for the Apple TV+ series Severance, where he serves as director. Journalist Will Mavity was covering the event and shared via Twitter, “Ben Stiller at a Severance Q&A laments ‘I tanked my audition for My Cousin Vinny. It still haunts me to this day.'”
Mavity doesn’t disclose which role Stiller auditioned for. However, The Independent added the role was “presumably” the one that went to Ralph Macchio. You may or may not remember that Macchio’s character, Bill Gambini, “shot the clerk.”
'My Cousin Vinny': 15 Hilarious Quotes from the Iconic Comedy
My Cousin Vinny hit theaters on March 13, 1992. It would go on to gross a respectable $52.9 million at the box office. However, the comedy took on a life of its own thanks to film rentals and countless airings on cable.
The film was anchored by outstanding performances from Joe Pesci as the titular Vinny Gambini. He is called upon by his cousin Bill (Ralph Macchio) to represent him and his friend, Stan (Mitchell Whitfield), in a trial for a murder they did not commit. Initially, when questioned by police, Macchio’s character thinks he and his friend are being arrested for accidentally stealing a can of tuna from a convenience store. The can of tuna and Bill’s questioning of “I shot the clerk?” is still something that sticks with fans today.
Macchio shared in a retrospective piece on My Cousin Vinny for Rolling Stone that he has signed many cans of tuna for over the years. He recalled one fan interaction involving a can of tuna, “He said to me, “Can you sign it, ‘I Shot the Clerk.'” I said, ‘Only if I can put a question mark at the end of it.'”
My Cousin Vinny would also see standout performances from character actor Lane Smith, who played district attorney Jim Trotter III. The comedy saw Fred Gwynne in his final film role before his death as Judge Chamberlain Haller.
However, the breakout star of the film was Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito, the girlfriend of Pesci’s Vinny. Her performance would go on to win Tomei an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Tomei’s performance is so iconic it led to a hilarious NSFW scene in the 2022 film Fire Island. (You can watch that scene here, but again, NSFW language ahead.)
For fans, the film is endlessly quotable. Here are just 15 hilarious My Cousin Vinny quotes from the iconic comedy. (Honestly, we could’ve included more, but we exercised restraint.)
Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights
