Devon Sawa Admits Early Reluctance Towards 'Casper' Role
The actor, who gained heartthrob status playing the friendly ghost, initially found the part overshadowed his aspirations as a serious actor.
Actor Devon Sawa, known for his role as the human version of Casper in the 1995 film, has revealed that he once harbored reservations about his association with the beloved character. Sawa, who was 16 when the movie was released, admitted that for a period, he felt the iconic role and its famous line, "Can I keep you?" overshadowed his desire to be seen as a serious actor.
"There was a time in my life I was like, 'I don’t wanna talk about Casper. How dare you? I’m a thespian,' you know?" Sawa told People magazine this week. Despite his earlier hesitations, the 48-year-old actor has since come to embrace his connection to the film.
"But… I gotta embrace it. It’s why I’m here. It’s what got me here," he stated, acknowledging that the role has remained a significant part of his career. He anticipates that references to Casper will continue to be a part of his public interactions.
"Casper," which starred Christina Ricci as Kat Harvey and Bill Pullman as her father, followed a girl who befriends the titular ghost in a haunted mansion. The film, directed by Brad Silberling, was a commercial success, grossing approximately $291 million worldwide. Sawa also appeared in other notable 90s films such as "Little Giants" and "Now and Then."
In 2000, Sawa gained further recognition for his role in Eminem's acclaimed music video for "Stan." In the video, he portrayed a devoted fan whose obsession leads to tragic consequences for himself and his girlfriend, played by Dido. Sawa recounted his experience working with Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, describing him as focused and dedicated on set.
Sawa previously shared that the role of Stan was initially offered to Macaulay Culkin, who declined the part. Dr. Dre then suggested Sawa for the role, influenced by his performance in the 2000 film "Final Destination."
More recently, Sawa participated in a SAG-AFTRA event to promote his upcoming film "The Girl in the River," which stars Tiffany Haddish and Ralph Macchio. He was joined by co-star Sara Murphree and writer/director Brando Benetton for a panel discussion moderated by critic Stacy Yvonne.
Sawa has been married to producer Dawni Sahanovitch since 2013, and they have two children, Hudson and Scarlett.