An amazing actor, producer, director, voice-over artist, as well as screenplay writer, Vin Diesel has truly come a long way from where he began. Best known for portraying the character of Dominic ‘Dom’ Toretto in the Fast and Furious movie series, the 56-year-old actor has landed numerous roles in super hit movies during his career in the industry.
Despite having that scary demeanor at first glance, Diesel has a rather funny story to tell where he embarrassed himself in front of the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg while being cast in Tom Hanks starrer $482M movie, Saving Private Ryan (1998).
Vin Diesel Embarrassed Himself When First Meeting Steven Spielberg
Despite being one of the most renowned actors now, Vin Diesel wasn’t always this famous. As he always failed while auditioning for roles in movies, The Pacifier star began his acting career by starring in movies written and directed by himself that were based on his real-life struggles. But this job didn’t work too well in providing for him, and he had to work as a telemarketer to make ends meet.
This went on until 1997 when Diesel got a call from Steven Spielberg for a potential role in Tom Hanks starrer $482M movie, Saving Private Ryan. Recalling how he felt while first meeting the Jurassic Park director, the Fast and Furious star said,
“He [Steven Spielberg] asked me to meet him on the set of ‘Amistad.’ And I remember thinking, ‘How should I look?’ He’s writing a role for me based on my being a director, so what do I do here? And what was I going to say to him? I promised myself I wouldn’t say something he’s probably heard a thousand times, like, ‘I’m a big fan of your work.’ And, lo and behold, I get in front of him and he says, ‘I’m a fan of your work,’ and I say, ‘I’m such a fan of your work.'”
Although he ended up slightly embarrassing himself in front of Spielberg by breaking his promise, the director was rather charmed by his response, and the tiny role he got in the $482M movie turned up serving as the boost Vin Diesel needed to soar in the industry.
Steven Spielberg Felt Vin Diesel Needed To Direct More Movies
While Vin Diesel went ahead to star in several more super-hit movies, Steven Spielberg believed that The Pacifier star would do equally fine in the director’s chair too and that he should direct more movies. Sharing the other encounter he had with the director, Diesel revealed,
“He had said to me, ‘When I wrote the role for you in ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ I was obviously employing the actor, but I was also secretly championing the director in you, and you have not directed enough. That is a crime of cinema and you must get back in the directing chair.’ I haven’t directed enough.”
After Spielberg’s compliment, while Vin Diesel didn’t entirely return to ‘the directing chair’, he did direct a few more movies in the years following that ended up pleasing the audience as much as it did while watching him acting.
You can watch Saving Private Ryan on Amazon Prime.
Source: Slash Film
