“Do it my way, or I’ll quit!” It’s often an idle threat. But in the case of actor James Caan, he made good on it. Ah, the artiste! The most revered and feared employee on the face of the planet. They’re highly talented, but at the same time, very temperamental about having their work messed with.
That brings us to this story about actor James Caan. Recently, he was cast as the Speaker of the U.S. House (obviously not the current one), in the political comedy “Nailed.” The script calls for Caan’s character to choke to death on a cookie. Director David O. Russel asked Caan to cough as he choked. Caan argued the character couldn’t cough and choke to death at the same time. Russel tried to work a compromise by suggesting they shoot the scene both ways. But Caan was concerned that his version would be left on the cutting room floor. He left the film set, according to wire service reports. The part will be recast.
So, can we decide who was right and who was wrong in this situation? Extensive research by HR Blunders (OK, so we just Googled it) shows people who are choking so severely that it would eventually cause death can’t speak or cough. But here’s another point to consider: “Nailed” is the tale of a woman who gets a nail lodged in her head and travels to Washington to fight for better health care. Given that premise, is it really important whether the choking scene is realistic or not?
