The Field Workplace Hit Johnny Depp And Mark Wahlberg Remorse Turning Down

Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 Las Vegas heist film “Ocean’s Eleven” is an entire lot of enjoyable. Taking cues from the unique 1960 movie of the identical identify, which starred the Rat Pack as numerous expert criminals working with con artist and thief Danny Ocean, “Ocean’s Eleven” is without doubt one of the final heist flicks of all time. A giant a part of what makes it work, other than Soderbergh’s expert route and a whip-smart script (courtesy of Soderbergh and co-writer Ted Griffin), is the unimaginable forged who encompass George Clooney’s model of Danny Ocean. His workforce is made up of Brad Pitt as his finest good friend Rusty, Bernie Mac as conman and playing fanatic Frank, Elliott Gould as former on line casino proprietor Reuben Tishkoff, Don Cheadle as explosives knowledgeable Basher Tarr, Casey Affleck and Scott Caan as mechanics Virgil and Turk Malloy, Quin Shaobo as acrobat “The Wonderful” Yen, Eddie Jemison as tech knowledgeable Livingston Dell, Carl Reiner as con man Saul Bloom, and Matt Damon as pickpocket Linus Caldwell. These eleven males assist Danny rob Vegas on line casino proprietor Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), and it is an absolute blast. 

“Ocean’s Eleven” was so profitable that it spawned two sequels and a spin-off, with lots of the stars reprising their roles for at the least “Ocean’s Twelve” and “Ocean’s 13,” together with Clooney, Pitt, and Damon. When the gang was all being assembled within the first place, nonetheless, Damon’s function almost went to another very high-profile actors, together with Johnny Depp and hamburger salesman Mark Wahlberg. 

On the 2023 TCM Traditional Movie Competition (through the Unbiased), Soderbergh and Clooney talked in regards to the troubled highway to manufacturing for “Ocean’s Eleven,” which noticed lots of casting shuffles earlier than it even began filming. Actors who wished to work with Soderbergh on the mission needed to drop out as a consequence of scheduling conflicts and looming guild strikes, together with Bruce Willis and Luke and Owen Wilson, after which there have been some who, in response to Clooney, simply weren’t in any respect:

“Steven had simply completed ‘Erin Brockovich’ and ‘Visitors,’ and he was nominated for steering each movies. So, folks actually wished to work with Steven. […] Some very well-known folks advised us to f*** proper off. Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp. There have been others. They remorse it now.” 

In accordance with Selection, Mark Wahlberg was truly compelled to again out as a result of he had a dedication to movie Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” remake, so it sounds much less like he simply turned it all the way down to be impolite and extra like he had different (admittedly much less cool) engagements. The commerce famous that Damon was in talks to take the function on the level, however that there have been issues he may not be capable to as a result of he was set to star in “The Bourne Identification.” What a tremendous time, the flip of the millennium. Depp would not be in something huge till 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl,” however it appears he wasn’t desirous about showing in “Ocean’s Eleven” and, to cite Clooney, advised them to “f*** proper off.” Fortunately, Damon was completely good for the function, and the opposite two weren’t.

Whereas we have now to take Clooney’s phrase for the truth that Wahlberg and Depp regretted not taking the function, it’s fairly doable given the success of the “Ocean’s” movies and Damon’s continued function in not solely Soderbergh’s trilogy, however his filmography as an entire. He is an enormous a part of the underrated “Ocean’s Twelve” and actually, he is an ideal a part of the forged, balancing out Clooney/Danny’s smarminess and Pitt/Rusty’s kind of reckless cool. Damon is nice at enjoying the unassuming nerd who’s truly sort of a badass, and he is sensible as one of many world’s finest pickpockets. In spite of everything, he is pretty unremarkable-looking, and when he is dressed plainly, nobody goes to be being attentive to whether or not or not he is only a hair too shut. 

Neither Wahlberg nor Depp might pull off the function the identical means, as Wahlberg is a bit too tough across the edges and Depp is just too odd, particularly at that interval in his profession. This was “Sleepy Hole” and “The Ninth Gate” Johnny Depp, people, who’s a reasonably far cry from boy-next-door Matt Damon. 

In the long run, all of it labored out for the very best, no matter whether or not or not Clooney is true about their regrets. And so far as his regrets? He advised the group, “I remorse doing f***ing Batman.” We all know, George. We all know.