"Gary is a great shooter, he has an amazing eye, and he really knows his craft," enthuses producer Tucker Tooley. "He’s committed and passionate, and he brought that with him to the set every day, ultimately making the film grander in scale." Diesel adds, "There’s an ardent truth that only Gary could bring."
To play Vetter’s partner, Demetrius Hicks, the filmmakers chose promising young actor Larenz Tate, who previously delivered acclaimed performances in such diverse films as Menace II Society and Why Do Fools Fall In Love. "We wanted to counter-balance Vin’s presence and size with another kind of presence, someone who could play off of him, because it’s their chemistry and relationship that hold the story together," notes Tooley.
Tate, who knew both Diesel and Gray, fit the bill. "In a way, A Man Apart is a buddy cop film but with something different to say, and different themes to explore," the actor says. "In a way, the part felt tailor-made for me."
Director Gray notes that the character of Demetrius had to have a realistic, urban core. "I had to have a person who was credible to the whole urban street element who could give a wide range of emotions, and empathize with Sean Vetter as they take the journey together. Larenz brought more depth and character to the role than I could ever have imagined, and he’s a good friend," adds Gray.
"Vin had also been a fan of Larenz’s work for some time," notes co-producer Zakk. "He’s a very powerful actor – like a young Denzel Washington," adds Diesel. "And I trust him as a person, which gave another layer of truth to their relationship."
A central figure in the pursuit of Diablo is the charismatic character Hollywood Jack Slayton, a Beverly Hills spa owner who is suspected of being a drug trafficker, or perhaps Diablo himself. The role of Slayton is played by rising young star Timothy Olyphant, best known for his memorable performance as a drug dealer in Doug Liman’s Go.
For Olyphant, the character of Hollywood Jack Slayton was a bit of a mystery at first. "I just kind of glanced at the script and saw a menacing, bad, drug dealer guy," he recalls. "But then I found out that F. Gary Gray wanted the role to be funny, which was not my mindset when I read it initially. I ended up reading the script again with that in mind, and that’s when I thought the role was very attractive. Gary gave me a lot of room to play."
Olyphant was especially delighted with the character’s look. "It was a really fun departure," he notes. While expecting the usual "bad ass black clothing," when he showed up to work, "They had me wearing powder blue Gucci loafers, powder blue Armani pants, a powder blue shirt, wearing Ray Bans and driving a Porsche Carrera. It was literally like playing Batman; you just let the costume and accessories do a lot of the work. You can’t wear something like that, drive that car and act boring, you know what I mean? It was very liberating to have that kind of extreme look. It’s also very comical."
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