Perhaps Macaulay Culkin will eventually shed some light on why he turned down the role of Stan, but it was Devon Sawa’s gain — even if there were some growing pains in getting the performance just right. Sawa recalled how Dr. Dre, who directed the music video, had to give him one particular note: “I remember, after the first take I did, Dre running in and being like, ‘It was good, but can you try it with some rhythm this time?'” Since the video came out, it’s been a centerpiece of Sawa’s acting resume, and he’s just fine with that.
Sawa also admitted to Entertainment Tonight that he tried to base his look on “Chucky” on his “Stan” character: “I pitched [bleaching my hair] on ‘Chucky’ and [show creator] Don Mancini shut it down.” Sawa and “Chucky” creator Don Mancini spoke exclusively with Looper about some of the show’s more referential aspects, including having an episode titled “Final Destination,” but apparently, that one was a step too far. Even years after filming “Stan,” Sawa remains a huge fan (sorry … stan) of Eminem. In a 2018 interview with Vice, the actor was asked about his favorite albums of the past year, and he said, “Eminem’s new record [‘Kamikaze’] coincidentally was phenomenal … I think Eminem’s is the greatest that came out this year. I might be biased, but I loved it.”
The “Stan” music video remains a cultural touchstone from 2000, with iconic imagery to bring life to arguably Eminem’s greatest song. And Sawa understands its significance: “It’s also one of the proudest things I’ve been a part of.”