Although Johnny Simmons’ name may not be immediately recognizable to some viewers, others will know him for his supporting roles in coming-of-age comedies such as “Jennifer’s Body,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “21 Jump Street,” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” In other words, if you came of age during the late 2000s and well into the early 2010s, you will at least recognize him from a few of these films. (More recently, he appeared in “Sing Sing,” aka the best film of 2024 that was not nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.) Given how much of his early work highlighted his comedic chops, Simmons’ role as Andrew Neiman in Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash” short film was an opportunity for him to step outside of his comfort zone.
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The “Whiplash” short film serves as a compelling and necessary proof-of-concept for what would eventually become one of the greatest films of the 21st century, as well as an undeniable calling card for Chazelle. What stands out the most when watching the original short film, especially in comparison to the feature-length version, is how immediately captivating and visually striking J.K. Simmons is as Terence Fletcher, which makes his reprisal in the full-length film perhaps the most crucial aspect to carry over from the short. Quite simply, no other actor could better portray the true scum of the earth that Fletcher is — a man with a palpable sense of hatred, a knack for the most profane insults that cut into the deepest wounds of people’s insecurities, and, surprisingly, the tiniest sliver of humanity that somehow still exists within such a monster.
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Following its premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the “Whiplash” short film won the Short Film Jury Prize, attracting investors to produce the full-length version of the script. By the time the film was given the green light, J.K. Simmons had already signed on to reprise his role, only for Miles Teller to sign on as Andrew Neiman, replacing Johnny Simmons. Given the awards season darling that “Whiplash” became, as well as the doors it helped open for an at-the-time rising star like Teller, Johnny Simmons felt hurt about being replaced. In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, the actor reflected on Chazelle’s new casting decision:
“I don’t know how everything shakes out, but I know that when a movie’s made like that, there’s an option to have a name. Miles Teller, at that point, was a box office draw. I’ve done a lot of movies, but none of them that have blown up the way that ‘Divergent’ did. […] The same thing just happened to Miles Teller on ‘La La Land.'”
Johnny Simmons was referring to Damien Chazelle’s initial casting plans for “La La Land,” which originally had Teller and Emma Watson in talks to portray Sebastian and Mia, respectively. Of course, those two roles would eventually be filled by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone instead, garnering the duo Academy Award nods for their performances (with Stone winning for Best Actress).
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