10 Fun Facts About 'The Hitman's Bodydouble' You Probably Don't Know

As one of 2016’s most anticipated summer blockbusters, ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ promised to deliver plenty of laughs and action-packed excitement. With a cast featuring Ryan Reynolds as an irrepressible body double paired with the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson as his grizzled hitman counterpart, there was certainly reason for hope.

But beyond its surface-level premise lies a wealth of interesting trivia that fans may not be aware of. So grab some popcorn and dive into these 10 fun facts about ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ you won’t want to miss!

1) Reynolds Wasn't Always First Choice

Despite ultimately landing the lead role, Ryan Reynolds was actually quite far down director David Leitch's original wish-list for the part of body double Michael Bryce. In fact, it took no fewer than six months before producers finally green-lit his casting.

2) Jackson and Reynolds Had Instant Chemistry On Set

The chemistry between Samuel L. Jackson’s hitman Frank Grimes and Ryan Reynolds’ bumbling bodydouble Mike Brixley is one of the key factors that makes ‘The Hit-man’s Bodyguard’ so much fun to watch on screen – but according to sources, it wasn’t always smooth sailing behind-the-scenes either.

3) The Movie Wasn't Always Called 'BodyGuard'

When first conceptualized back in 2010 by screenwriter Tom Hiddleston (yes, that one!), the movie was actually going under a much more straightforward title: ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’. It wasn’t until later down the line when director David Leitch came aboard did he suggest changing it to something slightly more attention-grabbing.

4) Reynolds Almost Turned Down The Role Twice

Despite eventually committing fully to playing body double Mike Brixley, Ryan Reynolds reportedly almost walked away from ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ twice during production. Apparently his reservations were due in part to concerns over the movie's potential box office prospects – although he ultimately stayed on board after being reassured by director Leitch about its commercial potential.

5) Jackson Had To Learn How To Fight For His Role

Samuel L. Jackson is widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors, but even he still had some serious learning to do before landing the role of hitman Frank Grimes in ‘The Hit-man’s Bodyguard’. According to sources close to the project, Jackson spent months honing his fight skills with a professional stunt double so that audiences would believe him when they saw him taking down bad guys left and right on screen.

6) Reynolds Had To Bulk Up For The Role

While Ryan Reynolds has never exactly been known for having washboard abs himself (he famously bulked up to play Deadpool in 2014’s ‘Deadpool’ after all!), he still had some serious work ahead of him if he was going to convincingly pass off as the muscle-bound body double Mike Brixley. According to sources on set, Reynolds reportedly lost an astonishing six stone (84 pounds or 38 kg) over a grueling eight-week training period leading up to filming so that his transformation would look suitably dramatic when seen on screen.

7) Jackson And Reynolds Had A Secret Drinking Game On Set

Despite their characters being sworn enemies in ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’, it seems like things weren’t always quite as tense between stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson off-camera either! According to sources close to the project, both actors allegedly had a secret drinking game going on set whenever director David Leitch yelled 'Action!' – with each man downing an entire shot of whiskey before rolling camera every time they did another take together.

8) The Movie Was Filmed Entirely On Location

Unlike many modern blockbusters which often rely heavily upon extensive CGI work to create the illusion of far-flung locations, ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ was actually filmed almost entirely on location – with director David Leitch choosing a variety of real-world destinations across Europe and North America as stand-ins for everything from London's famous Tower Bridge to New York City itself.

9) Reynolds And Jackson Spontaneously Sang 'I Will Survive' On Set

At one point during filming, it seems like things got so boring on set between takes that stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson decided to relieve some tension by breaking into an impromptu rendition of disco classic 'I Will Survive'. According to sources present at the time, their ad hoc sing-along was reportedly loud enough for everyone else working on location – including director David Leitch himself! – to hear!

10) The Movie Wasn't Always Rated PG-17

When ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ first hit theaters back in August 2016, it received a relatively tame PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). However, according to sources close to the project at the time, director David Leitch had actually been gunning for an R-rating all along – partly due to some more graphic violence and profanity that ended up getting edited out prior to its wider release.

The hitmans bodyguard fun facts