Just the first few base notes of “Little Green Bag” by George Baker Selection, and fans will be able to picture the cast of Reservoir Dogs strolling in slow motion towards their unstable fate. It’s an iconic image that might have been a bit different if Steve Buscemi hadn’t pulled off his audition to play Mr. Pink. Quentin Tarantino hit the ground running with his writer-director debut. Three years later, his epic crime thriller Pulp Fiction earned Tarantino his first Academy Award for Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen. By building his catalog of work, Tarantino established the kind of films that interest him, with a few commonalities between each, meaning that viewers could identify any work that belonged to him.

Music and dialogue have continued to be important ingredients in Tarantino’s unique work, alongside nailing down an unbeatable cast. A few faces have repeatedly shown up in the director’s work, consistently displaying the solid vision he has, which he is rarely willing to detach from. X-Files star David Duchovny learned of Tarantino’s specificity when he was rejected for the role of Mr. Orange with the words, “I really like what you do. I just don’t know if I want you to do it in my movie.” Whilst it might be a jarring trait for those on the receiving end of his rejection, it has to be said that Tarantino never fails to secure the right actors for his roles. One of those is Steve Buscemi. To play Mr. Pink, Buscemi had a tough hoop to jump through when he had to convince Tarantino he could play the part better than him.

Tarantino Originally Cast Himself as Mr. Pink

Mr. Pink was one of the most complex characters to play, not withstanding the bluff that Tim Roth had to pull off as Mr. Orange. Whilst Mr. Blonde was an out-and-out sadistic villain, or Mr. White had the demeanor of a well-experienced criminal, Mr. Pink’s personality had a little more range. He was the funniest of the group, with a deadpan humor that got a lot of laughs among an intense narrative. Tarantino thought he himself would be the man for the job. Reported in Far Out Magazine, he was so set on playing the part, he told Buscemi that he really needed to perfect the audition to secure the role. Needless to say, that’s exactly what Buscemi did. The role was his after Tarantino saw what he could do with the character. The recasting didn’t leave Tarantino with no on-screen part, as he played Mr. Brown. The character has significantly less screen time but doesn’t get lost in the movie.

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Creating the film went through a few stages. Written in Bomb Magazine, those involved with Reservoir Dogs took part in a workshop at the Sundance Institute prior to beginning filming. Reflecting on the experience, Tarantino asked Buscemi what he was like to work with at the workshop, and how it differed to his on-set work ethic. Tarantino’s approach was initially a little intimidating to the crew, as Buscemi stated, “At Sundance you were bursting with energy, so much so, that it freaked out the crew. You wanted to do a whole bunch of shots, tracking shots and other stuff, and they had something simpler in mind. When we were really shooting the movie, you still had all that energy, but you were much more focused.” Tarantino is renowned for having a clear-cut vision for each of his projects. His enthusiasm comes across in every interview, so it’s perhaps no surprise that his passion leaped out in the early stages of Reservoir Dogs, particularly as this was his first project that could lay the foundations for the rest of his career.

Buscemi Thinks Mr. Pink’s Fate Was Revealed in Pulp Fiction

The shared universe of Tarantino movies has given some of his movies a few unspoken connections. It’s said that Mr. Blonde, whose real name is Victor Vega, is the brother of Vincent Vega from the gangster film Pulp Fiction. The familial relationship certainly fits, with a similar life of crime for both siblings. Well, Buscemi has his own theory about Mr. Pink that links him to Pulp Fiction. After Reservoir Dogs, Buscemi played a waiter dressed as Buddy Holly in Tarantino’s second movie. On The Late Late Show With James Corden, Buscemi explained that he was happy to be in one scene, having read the script early on.

He then divulged his theory that “…because my character of Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs was such a cheapskate, and he didn’t like to tip, I thought it was poetic justice that my next film with Quentin, I play a waiter. I even like to think that maybe Mr. Pink got away somehow in Reservoir Dogs, and he’s hiding out as the Buddy Holly waiter. And he probably gets tipped terribly. That’s his fate.” It’s feasible and very Tarantinoesque to add a quirky but subtle continuation to his film. When Mr. Pink leaves the hideout, a distant noise makes it sound as if the cops caught him. But maybe he was crafty enough to escape them once more.

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Buscemi went on to confess that one of the background actors on Pulp Fiction wasn’t so impressed with his portrayal of Buddy Holly. She said to him, “Why Buddy Holly? You’re not very good at it.” Honesty is the best policy and may be applicable to some circumstances, but in this case, Buscemi didn’t need to concern himself with what anyone else thought of his performance. As always, Tarantino knew what he was looking for. Buscemi’s cameo is in complete contrast to Mr. Pink. The small character is understated, but Buscemi still draws out some humor. Despite it not being the biggest addition to his filmography, fans don’t forget that he showed up in the Tarantino classic.

Buscemi Was the Right Choice For the Role

Tarantino may have been capable of playing Mr. Pink. However, Buscemi well and truly made the role his own. As previously mentioned, he managed to achieve a suitable level of comedy without overshadowing the seriousness of Reservoir Dog‘s premise. One of the best examples comes when Joe Cabot assigns names to each man, all of which are colors, in a bid to preserve their anonymity from one another. Mr. Pink isn’t best pleased with his. He argues his case straight away. The comedic element stems from the fact that these characters are gathered together to take on a life-risking heist that requires them to have aliases, and Mr. Pink is more concerned with the color he’s been given. Tarantino’s character, Mr. Brown, chimes in to claim that his also sounds unpleasant.

The whole debacle infuriates Joe, yet his fury hardly fazes Mr. Pink at all. Before this scene, viewers are given an insight into Mr.Pink’s persona during the diner scene, where he’s adamant that waitresses shouldn’t be tipped. Buscemi captures his character in moments that don’t spoon-feed viewers. Instead, he gives nuanced indications of the type of person he’s playing, allowing the audience to distinguish Mr. Pink from the rest.

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Considering Tarantino knows precisely what he wants in his movies, whether that’s with an accent or set design, for Buscemi to prove that he could essentially perform Mr. Pink as good as Tarantino, if not better, isn’t something to be ignored. Buscemi is, without question, a sublime actor. So much so that Tarantino was willing to give himself a smaller role, making way for Buscemi’s involvement. A lot was riding on the outcome of Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino was trying to pave his way as an independent filmmaker, and he needed to demonstrate that his creativity was worth hitting the big screens.

Stepping aside for Buscemi was the right choice. Tarantino still got his chance to act in a cameo as Mr. Brown, whilst Mr. Pink was performed with clarity. Buscemi’s career has gone through a variety of genres. Boardwalk Empire, Grown Ups and Monsters, Inc. are just a select few that exemplify his skills. He’s been recognized with accolades that include a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama for Boardwalk Empire, receiving a nomination for the same category the following two years. Buscemi’s work life may have begun as a firefighter, but the arts industry gained a true asset when he made the decision to change paths, as Tarantino found out.