Denzel Washington’s corrupt-cop thriller Training Day turns 25 this week, and the details around its making are as unpredictable as Alonzo Harris’s Monte Carlo ride. From a casting list that included Eminem to real gang members on set, here is what you may have missed.
Eminem said no to Jake Hoyt
Eminem was offered the role of Jake Hoyt but turned it down to focus on preparing for 8 Mile (2002). Tobey Maguire, Paul Walker, Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillippe, and Scott Speedman all auditioned for the part.
The original Training Day looked very different
Davis Guggenheim was originally attached to direct, with Matt Damon as Jake Hoyt and Samuel L. Jackson as Alonzo Harris. Once Denzel Washington became attached, he requested that Guggenheim be replaced with Antoine Fuqua.
Washington copied a scandal-stained cop
Denzel Washington grew a beard to emulate the appearance of Rafael Pérez, an LAPD narcotics officer involved in multiple scandals. Fuqua has said the Rampart Scandal of the late 1990s catalyzed the completion of the film.
A first in the Imperial Courts
Fuqua wanted Training Day to look authentic and shot in some of the most infamous neighborhoods of Los Angeles. He obtained permission to shoot in the Imperial Courts housing project, the first time L.A. street gangs had allowed a film crew into that neighborhood. The crew also filmed in Hoover Block and Baldwin Village.
Real gang members joined the cast
Cle Shaheed Sloan, the film’s gang technical advisor, got real-life members from Rollin’ 60 Crips, PJ Watts Crips, and Black P. Stones on screen. Parts of the film were shot on Palmwood Drive, where Black P. Stones gang members were seen on the rooftops.
Studio wanted to cut the Three Wise Men scene
Fuqua fought with studio executives who wanted to cut the Three Wise Men scene, thinking it slowed the film. He insisted it was pivotal, establishing that at least some of Alonzo’s illegal actions were sanctioned by superiors who saw unethical behavior as a necessary evil.
The score refused to be hip-hop
Composer Mark Mancina did an ambient score against a gritty picture, rather than the predictable hip-hop-oriented choice. He sought a multicultural sound to reflect Los Angeles and incorporated Asian-influenced instrumentation. Fuqua was initially uncertain but came to appreciate its contribution.
9/11 delayed the release
Training Day was originally scheduled for September 21, 2001, but after the September 11 attacks it moved to October 5, 2001, replacing Collateral Damage’s original date. It then opened at number one with $22.5 million, repeated in the top spot in its second weekend, and went on to gross $104.9 million worldwide against a $45 million budget.
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Facts from Wikipedia: Training Day, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
