How Prince almost landed an iconic role in Luc Besson’s ‘Fifth Element’
Following the release of Star Wars in 1977, 20th-century science fiction was forever changed, with studios desperately trying to replicate George Lucas’ success with similar intergalactic adventures. Whilst the likes of Robocop, The Terminator and Jurassic Park copied the franchise’s merchandise model, it wouldn’t be until 1997 that cinema was handed a film which replicated the space opera’s spirit and feel, a time when Luc Besson released The Fifth Element.
Released alongside Starship Troopers, Men in Black and Gattica in a diverse year for the genre, Besson’s film is a simple, melodramatic adventure across the stars utilising the very best of earth’s most eclectic minds. Including the innovative mind of Jean Paul Gaultier in the costume department and Jean-Claude Mezieres’s concept design, Fifth Element also sees a winning cast of starring personalities, with Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich and Chris Tucker, among others.
Tucker, who impressed as the eccentric Ruby Rhod, an obnoxiously loud television host sizzling with style and verbal audacity, was a high-point of the classic sci-fi, but he almost didn’t get the part, with an icon of music and 20th-century culture almost taking his place.
Whilst actors Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts were originally touted for the starring roles, Tucker’s position was originally due to be played by Prince. Tragically, due to the musician’s schedule at the time, he was unable to play a part in Besson’s film, with Prince being the perfect personality to take on Ruby Rhod’s wild eccentricity.
Taking to Twitter in 2016, Besson posted some concept art by Jean Paul Gaultier showing how Prince might have looked if he had appeared in the 1997 movie. Alongside the image, he wrote, “He was supposed to play Ruby in the 5th Element…but couldn’t find dates during his tour,” with further sketches of Prince’s planned costume being previously put on display in 2013 at the Brooklyn Museum’s Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit.
Prince appeared in a number of movies throughout his career, making his debut in 1984s Purple Rain, a film that shared its name with the artist’s sixth studio album. Taking a starring role in the Albert Magnoli movie, Prince even won an Oscar for Best Original Score at the 1985 Academy Awards, before later directing and featuring in 1986s Under the Cherry Moon and 1990s Graffiti Bridge.
Embracing an international identity yet a rich European sensibility, Luc Besson’s Fifth Element is more akin to the bombastic charm of Doctor Who than Star Wars, more interested in creating a world rich with colour and eclectic life than one dazzled with commercial opportunity. It’s for this reason that the sight of Prince as Rhod would’ve been so welcome, with the enigmatic personality perfect for the bizarre feature film.
Seeing him slotted alongside Oldman’s cartoon villain Zorg and the various monstrous goons that cause havoc throughout the movie, would’ve been an utter joy. Alas.
