July 06, 2025: Actor Sam Rockwell recently shared a hilarious story about his early career, revealing he continues to receive residual checks for the 1989 film Lean on Me — even though he never appeared in it, reported People. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Rockwell recalled being cast for a one-line role after auditioning with friends Michael Imperioli and Kevin Corrigan. However, his scene was cut before filming, and producers decided not to keep him on payroll for the week.
Despite never making it onscreen, Rockwell said, “I still get residual checks for that even though I’m not in it.”
The actor also recounted a near-miss with Imperioli later in his career, when both were considered for a small role in Woody Allen’s Celebrity. Rockwell initially refused to dye his hair bleach blond for just a few lines but relented upon learning Imperioli had dropped out to work on a new project — which turned out to be The Sopranos.
Rockwell recently earned acclaim for his performance in The White Lotus Season 3 alongside partner Leslie Bibb and is set to return as “Mr. Wolf” in The Bad Guys 2, premiering August 1.