Was Sam Rockwell in "Lean on Me"? Actor says he still receives residual checks from the film

Actor Sam Rockwell has worked in numerous films like The Bad Guys and Argylle. However, what many don’t know is that he was supposed to be a part of the 1989 drama Lean on Me, but the moviemakers didn’t include him.

On June 20, 2025, he appeared on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he discussed his career and recent works. At one point during the conversation, Josh asked him about the contemporary actors he was working against.

Rockwell said it was Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Wright, Mark Ruffalo, and others. However, Sam Rockwell added:

“Michael Imperioli and I and Kevin Corrigan drove in a van to new Jersey to audition for one line in Lean on Me. And I got it and they never got to my scene. So, they had to let me go because they didn’t wanna pay me for a week.”

He went on:

“They just sort of let me go and because they were like, ‘We can’t pay him a week for one line and then they hired Michael. Then, Michael got it. Michael’s in the movie and I still get residual checks for that even though I am not in it.”

Sam Rockwell shared that he was asked to appear in the film Celebrity as part of Leonardo DiCaprio’s on-screen entourage. He had only a few lines but was told that Woody Allen wanted him to bleach his hair blonde for the role. Sam refused, thinking it was too much to ask for such a small part.

When he pushed back, they mentioned that Michael Imperioli had been considered for the role before dropping out. Eventually, Rockwell decided to dye his hair.

Sam Rockwell looks back on getting his role in The White Lotus

When asked if he believed everything happened for a reason in an acting career, Sam Rockwell said the role came to him unexpectedly. Another actor had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, and that’s when he was contacted.

At the time, he was in South Africa and didn’t have much time to prepare before joining White Lotus, but everything fell into place. Sam Rockwell said:

“When we got to White Lotus, I was working in a certain way and my tendency was to do it kind of melancholy and my acting coach cautioned me with that approach. You know, he said, ‘No no, it's really you know the character's enlightened. This is a good thing. This is a very positive thing.’”

Josh Horowitz inquired about the last time he had to audition. Sam Rockwell recalled trying out for Josh Brolin's role in No Country for Old Men. He felt the part went to the right person but remembered being a bit off during his callback, as he had a cold and his relationship had just ended.

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He also mentioned auditioning for John Turturro’s role in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, during a time when Turturro’s contract was still being negotiated. Sam even brought props, like fake teeth from The Green Mile, to help with his performance, but he didn’t land that role either.

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