Prince Passed on The Fifth Element Because He Didn’t Like the Costumes

It’s no secret that Prince was originally cast to play Ruby Rhod in the 1997 sci-fi cult classic The Fifth Element. That role eventually went Chris Tucker, who says Prince’s displeasure over the character’s costumes contributed to the musician’s decision to pass on the film.

Tucker made the revelation during an appearance on The View, where he was promoting his role in the new Nike biopic Air. When The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg brought up The Fifth Element — a personal favorite of hers — Tucker recalled being at a club in Los Angeles one night when Prince’s security approached him, saying the musician wanted to meet the guy who ended up playing Ruby Rhod.

“He said, ‘You played that part in Fifth Element. I was supposed to play that part,’” Tucker told the View cast, flaunting a pretty good Prince impression. “I said, ‘For real?’ He said, ‘Well, I didn’t like the costumes. I didn’t like those.’ And I looked at him and I said, ‘But you got your butt hanging out your pants!’ He said, ‘But this is my design, my design.’”

So Tucker got a career-defining role, and Prince got to choose his own outfits over lousy costumes — seems like a win-win. Watch the full interview below; the quotes above begin around the 6:19 mark.

The Fifth Element costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier shared a similar story in 2016, recalling an awkward meeting with Prince and being told by the musician that the outfits were “too effeminate.” Director Luc Besson has said Prince’s conflicting tour schedule also caused him to pass on the role.

Tucker stars in Air, in theaters now, alongside Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, and more. He is also slated to reappear alongside Jackie Chan for Rush Hour 4, though no release date is set yet.