- Chris Rock, Friday, 1994. Poo, an ill-named rap star, who co-wrote the film with its star, rapper Ice Cube, was always due to be Smokey – the guy with the FCK IT license plate. He’s smoked all the weed he’s supposed to sell and had better get the money by night time…Well, he was after the DC stand-up Tommy Davidson. New Line, howeverr, wanted a known human being… and forged a deal with Chris Tucker. DJ Poo became Red, instead in the ghetto comedy greatly, er, inspired Kevin Smth’s 1993 Clerks, and kicking off Ice Cube’s Friday quartet.
- Don Cheadle, The Rat Pack, TV, 1997. Ray Liotta was Frank Sinatra, Joe Mantegna played Dean Martin, Angus Macfayden was Peter Lawford and Wlliam Petersen was JFK. But Tommy, the Washington stand-up,. better known for his Sugar Ray Leonard impression,lost his audition as Sammy Davis Jr. The ever-excellent Cheadle won the gig – with a matter of weeks to learn how to look good while trying to measure up to the matchless Sam The Wham on drums, trumpet, dancing, singing and, of course, twirling six-guns like the fastest draw in Hollywood. Which he was. Cheadle next played the old Sammy role in George Clooney’s 2001 Ocean’s Eleven re-make. Davidson came close when adding added to his 40-plus screen roles in a 2018 called… Frat Pack.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 2