In starring roles in such blockbuster action adventures as “XXX” and “The Fast and the Furious,” Vin Diesel has quickly developed a reputation as one of Hollywood’s fiercest—and most globally popular—male action heroes.
Now, with THE PACIFIER, Diesel deftly switches gears, revealing the funnier, more humanly vulnerable side of his larger-than-life personality, while still using his trademark physical skills to pull off the film’s fun-filled action and suburbia-shocking stunts.
From the first time he read the screenplay for THE PACIFIER, Diesel was drawn to the role of Shane Wolfe, knowing it would give him a unique opportunity to reveal himself to audiences as he never has before. He was especially intrigued by the idea of playing a man who turns the prototypical notion of a muscle-bound action hero on its head, and in so doing, playfully unraveling his own tough-guy persona.
Though Shane Wolfe starts out as a steely soldier who seems to be an unmovable rock, both inside and out, he soon comes face-to-face with his own comic foibles—and yearning to be part of a family—as he is forced to babysit a group of kids who turn out to need him in ways that have nothing to do with his guts, brawn or ability to knock out one-armed push-ups.
“To me THE PACIFIER felt like a true classic Disney family comedy,” says Diesel. “It’s about a man who’s never really known a family, a guy who, as a Navy S.E.A.L., has always avoided getting close to anybody. Only now, without any training for it, he’s forced into having to try to be a caring father figure to these five unruly kids. Shane is a great character because he’s completely amazing at just about every military and fighting maneuver known to man— but the most everyday chores, like changing a diaper, just bring him to his knees. So he’s about to go through some very big changes. And he is about to be surprised by just how ridiculously tough, and yet how deeply rewarding, the family life he thought he would never have can be.”
Diesel continues: “I was immediately attracted to this story because I thought it would be a whole lot of fun, not to mention very liberating, for me to explore comedy and a character who undergoes a real transformation. I liked that even though there’s some great action in the film, the focus is just as much on humor, emotion and the relationships Shane forms with the Plummer family. I have to say after doing the movie that it was probably the most enjoyable film experience I’ve ever had.”
THE PACIFIER came to Diesel through Spyglass Entertainment, who hoped the screen hero would consider trying something new and different in the form of this kid-centered family adventure.
Says producer Gary Barber: “We thought THE PACIFIER was a great family comedy and we also thought Vin Diesel was the one action star with the acting range to really be able to carry off the role. It’s not that dissimilar to when Arnold Schwarzenegger came out of his ‘Terminator’movies to do ‘Kindergarten Cop’and ‘Twins.’Vin has such an extremely likeable personality, and we felt this transition would really work well for him. Once on the set, he proved to have incredible comic timing.”
Adds producer Roger Birnbaum: “There are not too many actors who could play Shane Wolfe. You need someone physically imposing with tremendous action skills, of course, but also someone willing and able to break out of that genre and suddenly transform into a softer, kinder, funnier version of that. We were thrilled to have a chance with THE PACIFIER to let people see Vin Diesel’s talent in a whole new way.”
Sums up producer Jonathan Glickman: “There’s just something phenomenally funny about seeing the world’s toughest action star trying to take control of things with a baby on his back and another baby strapped to his front! Along with the magical relationship that developed between Vin and the kids, we knew we had something special.”
With Diesel set in the role of Shane Wolfe, the producers next approached Adam Shankman, who has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after comedy directors on the heels of such hits as “The Wedding Planner” and the recent “Bringing Down the House,” which set off comic sparks between the odd-couple pairing of Steve Martin and Queen Latifah.
“Adam is a very funny, very bright populist filmmaker who we thought was the perfect choice,” explains Birnbaum. “He did a tremendous job of managing a motion picture that combines an enormous number of elements—action, comedy, emotion, big stars, little kids, and even a duck. I also think that Vin really came to trust Adam’s instincts—which was a great help as he made the transition to the kind of actor that he proves himself to be in THE PACIFIER.”
Shankman was immediately enthusiastic about the project. He got a kick out of the way THE PACIFIER transforms a bandolier-sporting Navy S.E.A.L. into a bottle-wielding babysitter, and saw the potential to create a unique mix out of the story’s spirited comedy, kidoriented action and poignant tale of a family rediscovering the power of their love for one another. “Vin Diesel’s Shane Wolfe is a stranger set loose in a strange land,” Shankman comments.
“The world he finds himself in at the Plummer’s suburban household seems to be a world that has absolutely nothing to do with the military training that has so far been his entire life. Yet, somehow, when he applies everything he’s got—his physical prowess, his strategic mind and finally his heart—to these five out-of-control kids, amazing things happen. I really enjoyed the humor of the film’s premise. I mean, where else are you ever going to see Vin Diesel changing a diaper? And I especially enjoyed the way it’s combined with a story about rediscovering the importance of family.”