Lewis Kasman says late mobster is turning in his grave that Travolta is playing him

Sep 28, 2011 07:49 GMT  ·  By
John Travolta is a very bad choice for lead in John Gotti biopic, former associate says
   John Travolta is a very bad choice for lead in John Gotti biopic, former associate says

While fans may be happy that John Travolta was cast as the lead in the hyped John Gotti biopic, a former associate of the mobster, now in a witness protection program, believes a worse choice could not have been made.

Lewis Kasman spoke to the media on the phone about Travolta’s involvement in the biopic, saying that Gotti is probably turning in his grave right now, Fox News informs.

It’s not that Travolta is not a good actor – but he did star in music-themed movies and Gotti would probably resent the association, Kasman says.

“I think if he was asked, he would not be pleased at Travolta playing him,” Kasman said, adding that, while Travolta is a “great actor,” a “tougher guy” would have been a much better choice.

“For John Gotti Sr., you need a man’s man to play that role. John Gotti Sr. never danced a dance in his life,” he added, referring to Travolta’s part in “Saturday Night Fever.”

According to the former associate, of whom Gotti often said he was like an adopted son to him, Al Pacino or Robert de Niro would have been more convincing in the part that Travolta eventually landed.

Kasman also disagrees with having Ben Foster of “X-Men” play the part of John “Junior” Gotti, saying Mark Wahlberg would have probably been the wiser option because he can play tough guys naturally.

“He’s a thug, so you need someone who’s a thug... a guy who grew up in that life,” the former mobster explained.

In a statement to the same media outlet, Fiore Films noted that the film would move forward as planned, regardless of what Kasman may make of the members of the cast.

“I think we’ll stick with the decisions made by our Academy Award-winning team of filmmakers, instead of taking casting advice from someone who has never made a movie,” the movie studio says in the statement.