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Poker Player Promised 'Lone Survivor' Bit Part Sues Producers When His Role Is Left On Cutting Room Floor
How much is it worth to you to get at least eight minutes of screen time in a major motion picture? For pro poker player Dan Blizerian, the price was $1 million, in the form of a loan to producers to make Peter Berg's "Lone Survivor." Now Bilzerian is suing the producers, claiming his bit part was reduced to a speck.Bilzerian was signed on to take the small role of Sr. Chief Healy in the movie about Navy SEALs, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Court documents for the suit filed this week against producers Randall Emmett and George Furla indicate Bilzerian was told her would "appear recognizably" in the movie, and that he would be on screen for at least eight minutes and speak at least 80 words of dialogue.
After the final cut, Bilzerian's part was reduced to one line and less than one minute.
Instead of taking his Kevin Costner in the "Big Chill" casket moment lying down, Bilzerian has opted to take Emmett and Furla to court, and is seeking "damages to be determined at trial," which Bilzerian estimates "will be in excess of $1.2 million (the original loan amount plus a 20 percent penalty)."
Money is serious business in the Bilzerian family; a 1987 NY Times profile of Dan's father Paul looks at the life of the "takeover artist" who gained great wealth—leaving some to scoff later that poker pro and sometimes stunt performer Dan was a "trust fund baby" who "has no idea what the value of money is or even how hard it is to get."
Here is a thought on wealth recently shared by Bilzerian:
Rich people who are tight with money are more disgusting than poor people trying to flaunt it
— Dan Bilzerian (@DanBilzerian) August 20, 2013
Emmett and Furla have not commented on the lawsuit. "Lone Survivor" is due out at the end of December.
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