Devon Sawa, the actor who starred in Eminem's iconic 2000 music video 'Stan', has revealed that the rapper originally wanted Macaulay Culkin for the role. Sawa, known for films such as 'Final Destination' and 'Idle Hands', played an obsessed fan who becomes violent towards his girlfriend in the video.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sawa said: "They went out to Macaulay Culkin first. I think that they wanted him, and he wasn't available, or didn't want to do it or whatever." He explained that Dr. Dre, the video's director, recommended him after a crew member saw him in 'Final Destination'. Sawa described the opportunity as "one of the proudest things I've been a part of."
The filming of 'Stan' came six years into Culkin's retirement from acting, following his role in 'Richie Rich' (1994). He did not return to the screen until a guest spot on 'Will & Grace' in 2003.
Sawa also recalled Dr. Dre's perfectionist approach on set. "I'll never forget, they told me on the day that I was going to lip-sync it. I remember, after the first take I did, Dre running in and being like, 'It was good, but can you try it with some rhythm this time?'"
The cultural impact of 'Stan' endures; in 2017, the word 'Stan' was added to the Oxford English Dictionary as a term for an overzealous fan. Eminem is also co-producing a new documentary titled 'Stans', exploring superfandom through his own fanbase.
