Will Smith was considered for the role of Stan Rothstein in My Cousin Vinny, but despite an impressive audition, filmmakers felt that his involvement would have fundamentally altered the celebrated courtroom comedy. My Cousin Vinny hinges on the arrest of Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein. If moviegoers do not feel emotionally invested in Bill and Stan within the first fifteen minutes, the movie’s emotional core is hollow. The team behind My Cousin Vinny wanted Ralph Macchio for Bill, but they cast a wide net for Bill’s friend Stan – hence why Smith was so carefully considered.
My Cousin Vinny is about two New Yorkers getting arrested in Alabama for a murder they did not commit, due to unfortunate timing and two nearly identical cars. The movie finds humor in cultural differences and maintains its lightness by avoiding stereotypes and steering clear of more sensitive themes. Because of My Cousin Vinny's setting, Will Smith’s casting would have drastically changed the movie's tone. However, this Sliding Doors moment is even more profound, since his involvement would have had profound implications on Smith’s future box-office-breaking career and some of Smith’s best movies might never have been made.
Will Smith's Casting As Stan Rothenstein Would Have Changed The Tone Of My Cousin Vinny
Smith’s Race Would Have Indelibly Impacted The Implication Of Stan’s Arrest
My Cousin Vinny finds humor in the fish-out-of-water experiences of its characters and explores cultural differences between New York and Alabama without passing judgment on which is better or worse. The creative team loved Smith’s audition, but felt that casting him would be “too intrusive to the central thesis of the movie.” Having a Black man unjustly arrested for murder in a state with such a complex racial history would have instantly shifted My Cousin Vinny into more serious territory, creating an inherently different film. In an interview with Rolling Stone, casting director David Rubin said:
"We auditioned Will Smith for Rothenstein. His talent was evident… It really became an honest conversation about how having an unjustly arrested young Black man in the deep South would change the dynamic of the narrative. As talented as Will was, we made a determination that it was too intrusive to the central thesis of the movie."
My Cousin Vinny is a feel-good comedy that affectionately highlights regional differences. To preserve the tone of the script, the role of Stan Rothenstein went to Mitchell Whitfield, best known today for playing Dr. Barry Farber, the man Rachel Green leaves at the altar in the pilot of Friends. Bill Gambini, Vinny’s cousin who is arrested alongside Stan, was played by Ralph Macchio, cast because he had “presence and notoriety from The Karate Kid.”
How Will Smith's Career Might Have Changed If He Appeared In My Cousin Vinny
Playing Stan Might Have Delayed His Summer Blockbuster Action Film Career
If Will Smith had been cast as Stan, it would not only have changed My Cousin Vinny but also impacted Smith’s career. Smith was gaining recognition on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sitcom, making him a beloved household name. Just three years later, he would begin a streak of blockbuster hits that redefined the summer movie season, including Bad Boys (1995), Independence Day (1996), and Men in Black (1997).
After Independence Day, Will Smith originally said no to starring in Men In Black. How would Hollywood be different if he hadn't changed his mind?
My Cousin Vinny was released in 1992 to acclaim from both audiences and critics. If Smith had booked Stan and his race became central to his role in an Oscar-nominated film, it might have delayed his journey to blockbuster action superstardom. Smith might have been seen as a more nuanced and versatile actor, someone destined for smaller award-contender movies or an auteur's muse, not a sitcom star who had the four-quadrant appeal to lead major summer blockbusters.
Smith has so much charisma and presence that his version of Stan might have competed with Joe Pesci’s standout performance as Vinny Gambini rather than complementing it to the detriment of the movie. Overall, it is interesting to consider what could have been if Smith had been Stan, but both My Cousin Vinny and Will Smith’s career are better off not having explored that route.
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