Oscar‑winner Sam Rockwell has recently admitted that he still receives residual checks for the 1989 film ‘Lean on Me,’ despite the fact he was removed from the movie before filming his scenes.
While speaking on the episode of the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, he disclosed a funny story with the host, Josh Horowitz. He said that years ago, he auditioned for the movie ‘Lean on Me’ along with two actors (Kevin Corrigan and Michael Imperioli).
Sam Rockwell said that because he got the role of only one line, the production team fired him by paying for that entire day. They made a decision because it was worth paying him for a single day rather than for a complete week of filming.
Rockwell confessed, “I still get residual checks for that even though I’m not in it.”
Lean on Me was the first film of Imperioli. In this movie, Imperioli had only one line to say: “Hey, I’m gonna be a star.” When asked about Imperioli’s experience in the movie, he said that director John. Avildsen admonished him, “You’d better give me something or you’re out of here!” Imperioli said that he thought “I think, I’m horrible, I suck.”
Of course, Imperioli later proved himself and that director John. Avildsen wrong by working as a star in hits like The White Lotus and Goodfellas.
