While she was at the height of her success, actress Lorraine Bracco was offered the role of Mona Lisa Vito. She refused due to personal issues, and the role was then offered to Geena Davis, who also turned it down.
When they passed, they opened the door for newcomer Marisa Tomei to be cast, and eventually win an Oscar for the role.
Knocking Over the Chess Board Was Unintentional
In the scene where Vinny is trying to tell the judge his “real name”, he ends up knocking over the chessboard the judge was so clearly enjoying.
This was an accident and didn’t appear in the script, but director Jonathan Lynn felt the moment was so authentic and funny, he decided to use it in the film.
Production Gave a Shout Out in the Film to the Jasper County Sheriff
When the trial is nearing its end, Sheriff Farley tells the court that, "two boys, who fit the defendants' description, were arrested two days ago by Sheriff Tillman in Jasper County, Georgia."
'Mack' Tillman was the actual Jasper County sheriff at the time, and his name was used in the film to show thanks for all his help during filming.
Andrew Dice Clay Was Supposed to Play Vinny
He tells the story in his 2014 autobiography, ' The Filthy Truth' . According to Clay, the film was developed with him in mind at Fox, but the studio backed out after the failure of his film ' The Adventures of Ford Fairlane' .
Other actors which were considered for the role include Danny DeVito and Jim Belushi.
The Film is a Criticism of the Death Penalty
The film may feel like a comedy, but it also has some serious things to say about the legal system and the death penalty.
Director Jonathan Lynn told Abnormal Use, “For me personally, what the film was about is how wrong capital punishment is and how people can so easily be executed when they’re not guilty if they’re not adequately represented or if there’s a lack of relevant evidence available."