How Kurt Russell defeated Mickey Rourke and Ving Rhames

In a 2007 interview with The Quentin Tarantino Archives, Russell admitted he had serious competition for the role of Stuntman Mike in Death Proof (which was first introduced to moviegoers as the second half of Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s three-hour double-bill Grindhouse). Fortunately, Russell beat out acting heavyweights like Mickey Rourke and Ving Rhames, but used them as peripheral influences for his portrayal of the murderous stunt driver.

Russell (and Tarantino) also thought of the legendary tough guy William Smith. Smith not only played tough guys, he Was one. Although he began his career as a child actor, he left the business for a while to serve in the Air Force, where he turned to bodybuilding and boxing (he achieved a record of 31-1 as an amateur boxer). After serving in the Korean War, Smith returned to Hollywood and began a career as a character actor that lasted from the early 1960s until his retirement in 2014.

Russell actually worked with Smith, so he knew exactly what Tarantino was thinking, even though Smith as a real person was anything but Stuntman Mike. As Russell told QTA:

“We both agreed that William Smith would have been an interesting, what do you call it, model for Stuntman Mike. If the actor were to play or be Stuntman Mike at some point in his life, we all agreed that he might be our best choice.”

So how did Russell incorporate Smith, Rourke and Rhames into his portrayal of Mike?