It is hard to imagine the groundbreaking film Fruitvale Station without Michael B. Jordan in the leading role. However, legendary casting director Twinkie Byrd recently revealed that director Ryan Coogler initially had another actor in mind for the part.
While sitting down for an interview with content creator Lady L, Byrd shared an exclusive behind-the-scenes detail about the film’s early development.
Before Fruitvale Station became a massive success, getting the industry on board was a struggle. According to Byrd, Hollywood simply did not care about Coogler at the time. “Ryan Coogler, nobody knew his name,” Byrd explained. “Nobody cared. Hollywood didn’t care at that time.” She shared that she and filmmaker John Singleton were the “only two people that cared about Ryan Coogler” and truly saw his potential.
When it came time to cast the lead role, Coogler had another actor in mind: Columbus Short. At the time, Short was riding a major wave of popularity. “He had already done Stomp the Yard and he was on Scandal at the time,” Byrd said.
Trusting her seasoned casting instincts, Byrd reached out directly to Jordan. “When I called him, I said, ‘You got two hours to read this script. You want to be down?'” Byrd recalled. She told him, “I honestly think it’s perfect for you,” and asked him to read it and call her back.
Jordan did not even need the full two hours. “He called me back in 90 minutes,” she said. Eager to jump on board, Jordan immediately asked, “What do I gotta do?”
Byrd promptly told him to meet with the director. When Jordan asked if she would be there, she replied, “No, y’all are grown-ups. You can do it.” After the two met for coffee the next day, Coogler called Byrd back and excitedly confirmed, “He’s perfect. He’s perfect.” Byrd then responded, “Great. Let’s close that deal up”.
Check out the full conversation.
