Sam Rockwell is still receiving checks for the 1989 film Lean on Me, despite not actually appearing in the movie.
During a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with host Josh Horowitz, Rockwell, now 56, revealed the surprising story behind how he ended up getting residuals from the film, even though he never made it into the final cut.
The Lean on Me Audition Story
Rockwell explained that, back when he was a young, struggling actor, he and fellow up-and-coming actors Michael Imperioli and Kevin Corrigan drove to New Jersey to audition for a single line in Lean on Me. Rockwell recalled, “I got it, and then they never got to my scene [during the shoot day], so they had to let me go because they didn’t want to pay me for a week.”
The issue arose because the film’s producers would either have to pay Rockwell as a day player (for a single day) or as a full week-long contract. Since his role was just a one-liner, they didn’t want to pay him for a week of work, so they ultimately had to cut him from the film and gave the role to Michael Imperioli.
The Unexpected Residuals
Despite being cut from the film, Rockwell shared that he still receives residuals from Lean on Me to this day. He humorously remarked, “I still get residual checks for that even though I’m not in it.” The story of how he gets paid for work he never actually completed left fans and fellow actors in disbelief.
Lean on Me starred Morgan Freeman as Joe Clark, a tough high school principal working to turn around a school plagued by violence and drugs. The film also marked the first film role for Michael Imperioli, who would later go on to fame as Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos.
Rockwell and Imperioli’s Early Career Crossroads
Later in the podcast, Rockwell shared another interesting tidbit about his career and how he and Michael Imperioli crossed paths again. Rockwell explained that he was once asked to be part of Woody Allen’s 1998 film Celebrity, where he was set to play a part in Leonardo DiCaprio’s entourage.
However, the production demanded Rockwell dye his hair bleach blonde, something he wasn’t willing to do for just a few lines.
The story took an unexpected twist when Rockwell learned that Imperioli had initially been cast but dropped out to star in a little-known pilot called The Sopranos, which, as Rockwell jokingly added, “didn’t go anywhere.”
Rockwell ultimately agreed to dye his hair blonde and took the role, further cementing his connection with Imperioli and their intertwined early career paths.
Recent Projects and Personal Life
Most recently, Rockwell has been earning fresh critical acclaim for his role in HBO’s White Lotus season 3, where he starred alongside his longtime partner, Leslie Bibb. Rockwell and Bibb, who have been together for 18 years, met in the lobby of Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. The couple also appeared together in 2010’s Iron Man 2.
Rockwell will also reprise his role as Mr. Wolf in DreamWorks’ The Bad Guys 2, which will be hitting theaters nationwide on August 1.
