A photo shwoing Marlon Wayans sporting a white shirt and yellow pant, while leaning against a pink color wall.

Marlon Wayans Didn’t Shower For Days While Filming ‘Requiem For a Dream’

Home / Entertainment / Marlon Wayans Didn’t Shower For Days While Filming ‘Requiem For a Dream’

By Favour Adegoke on October 11, 2021 at 4:30 AM EDT

Marlon Wayans, who is famous for his role in "Requiem For A Dream," has enjoyed a career that has so far spanned over two decades. This career has also seen him work on TV as well as on the big screens.

During an interview with Vulture which recently surfaced, director Darren Aronofsky shared that Wayans didn’t have his bath for three days for the character of Tyrone C. Love. In the film, Tyrone was a drug dealer with a heart of gold who had dreams of scoring it big.

To fully get into the character, Wayans showed a level of dedication to the role that impressed Aronofsky. In fact, it was this dedication that won Wayans the part.

Wayans agreed with Aronofsky’s claims in the same interview. He also went into further detail on his method of acting.

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Marlon Wayans looks incredible in this photo showing him in a brown suit.
Instagram | Marlon Wayans
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“I slept in the same clothes, literally for ten days,” Wayans said. “I barely washed. I would talk like the character. My boys would come over to the house – Omar Epps was concerned, like, ‘Are you okay?’”

Apart from his hygiene, a car accident also allowed the director to connect with Wayans on a personal level. This connection further helped the actor clinch the part.

"We were with the casting director, and at a certain point Wayans leaves, and there’s this explosion, a big pop outside.”

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What Is 'Requiem For A Dream' About?

"Requiem for a Dream" is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky. It starred Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Wayans.

It was based on the 1978 titular novel and was written by Hubert Selby Jr. with whom Aronofsky wrote the screenplay. The film depicted four characters affected by drug addiction and how it altered their physical and emotional states.

The addictions caused them to be imprisoned in a world of delusion and desperation. As the film progressed, each character deteriorated. Their reality was eventually overtaken by delusion and this resulted in catastrophe.

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The film premiered at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and was selected as an out-of-competition entry. It was later followed by the United States theatrical release on October 6, 2000, by Artisan Entertainment. It received a positive critical response from critics despite moderate success at the box office. The film's visual style, direction, editing and music were all praised. One of the female casts, Ellen Burstyn, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

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Aronofsky Wanted To Cast Dave Chappelle In ‘Requiem For A Dream’

Per Vulture, which recently published an oral history on the film, Aronofsky shared that he wanted to cast Chappelle as Tyrone C. Love.

“I wanted to cast Dave Chappelle. I had a bunch of friends that were in the comedy scene, and I’d seen him on stage and thought he was amazing,” the director said. “I begged him, but he wasn’t really interested in acting at the time. So he passed. But I always felt like a comedian for that role would be great.”

The role ended up being portrayed by Wayans, as Aronofsky noted that Wayans provided a “level of commitment” to the character.

This, however, wasn’t the first time Aronofsky revealed that he wanted to cast Chappelle for the film. In 2008, during an interview with Howard Stern, the director shared how the comedian was his first choice for Tyrone. He said, “I always wanted a comedian for that role because when I read it in the book I thought the guy had a lot of humor. I actually went to Chappelle first and I begged Chappelle to do it.”

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Who Is Wayans?

Born on July 23, 1972, Wayans is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer.

He began his career portraying a pedestrian in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka." He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wayans on the sitcom "The Wayans Bros," and in the comedy films "Scary Movie," "Scary Movie 2," "White Chicks," "Little Man," and "Dance Flick."

Wayans had a dramatic role in Aronofsky's critically acclaimed film "Requiem for a Dream." This saw his departure from the usual comedies.

Marlon Wayans looks incredible sitting beside a mirror in a brown suit and pant.
Instagram | Marlon Wayans
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He was born in New York City to Elvira Alethia and Howell Stouten Wayans. Wayans went to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City.

After graduating from high school, he attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., before he dropped out after two years.

Wayans' 'Sextuplets'

In the creation of his new Netflix comedy, "Sextuplets," Wayan created a role of a lifetime. In the movie, all the six twins were played by him. The movie followed a man who set out to find his long-lost siblings. This was after he discovered he was one of the sextuplets his mother had.

In the movie, Wayans met with his brother Russell, and they both traveled together to find their other siblings. They hooked up with Dawn, a stripper, who served time in a women's prison.

They later found Ethan, who dressed and talked like a 70s pimp, and Jasper, who was known for his red hair and lighter complexion.

"Sextuplets" is an American comedy film directed by Michael Tiddes. The screenplay of the movie was done by Mike Glock, Rick Alvarez and Wayans.

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