It’s hard not to get lost while watching Life of Pie. The film’s depth of storytelling is its power, and as the movie concludes, viewers engage it with their own lives. Life of Pi fosters philosophical musings and has so many strong connections to love and faith.
Starring Suraj Sharma, it follows a young boy named Pi who is stuck on a lifeboat with only a Bengal tiger (named Richard Parker) for company. The story is presented as an interview between Pi and an author (Rafe Spall), who’s looking to write a book on his life experience.
While Sharma did a commendable job in playing Pi Patel (Despite no prior acting experience and managed to separate himself from 3,000 applicants), the role was originally to be played by Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire.
Why Tobey Maguire Didn’t Get to Play in the Oscar-Winning Life of Pie Movie?
Although Tobey Maguire had worked with Ang Lee previously, he still didn’t get considered for the main role. The actor and director had previously collaborated on The Ice Storm in 1997. The actor also starred in Lee’s 1999 Western Ride with the Devil.
Despite their working relationship, Lee turned down Maguire because he was too famous. That’s right because, by 2012, Maguire became famous after being in the Spider-Man trilogy.
He had become an easily recognizable name because of his appearance in the blockbusting Marvel adaptations. In a conversation with USA Today, Lee explained his mistake in selecting Maguire for the role:
“I misjudged the situation. I underestimated the power of stars. I love Tobey, but it’s a small part, so when it’s a movie star sitting there, it captures attention. It didn’t really work out.”
Although Lee’s decision was understandable because the part was too small for which the Maguire was to be onboard for. The director worried that Maguire’s appearance in the film would overshadow the story (mostly among the unknown cast).
Tobey Maguire Respected Ang Lee’s Decision for Not Considering Him in Life of Pi
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Maguire supported Lee’s decision and praised the movie. The Pawn Sacrifice actor went on saying:
“Ang shared a lot of the film with me, and what I saw was absolutely beautiful.”
To which Lee added:
“To be consistent with the other casting choices made for the film, I decided to go with an entirely international cast. I very much admire Tobey and look forward to working with him again in the future.”
Starring Macquire’s Spider-Man 2 co-star, Irfan Khan makes Life of Pi a must-watch. Viewers can watch Life of Pi on Amazon Prime.
Source: Far Out
