Prince, Jean-Paul Gaultier och Femte elementet

Idag har det gått ett år sen Prince steg ut i skuggorna. Det tänkte jag uppmärksamma genom att lägga upp detta fina som jag sprang på häromsistens:

Det kanske inte kommer som en chock att den första att castas som den ikoniske intergalaktiske radioprataren Ruby Rhod i Luc Bessons Femte elementet (1997) var Prince. Man skulle kanske till och med kunna dra det så långt som att konstatera att stora delar av Rubys look och persona verkar vara baserad på Prince. Han var dock tvungen att dra sig ur projektet p.g.a. turnédatum som krockade med filminspelningen, och han ersattes av Chris Tucker, som gör en riktigt stark rollprestation helt på egna meriter.

Vet ni vilka andra som castades från början? Mel Gibson som Korben Dallas och Julia Roberts som Lee-Loo!!!!!!! Sjukt! Det går inte att föreställa sig vad det hade blivit för film. Hursomhelst, Jean-Paul Gaultier designade över 1000 kostymer till filmen och har en fullkomligt fantastisk historia att dela med sig av, om när han visade skisserna på Ruby Rhods ensemble för Prince. Detta framkom i en utställning på Brooklyn Museum som fokuserade på Gaultiers kostymdesign:

“One of the thousand costumes in The Fifth Element, I took my inspiration for many of them from my own collections. Filming was originally planned for 1992, with Julia Roberts, Mel Gibson and Prince in the leading roles but due to a lack of financing the project was put on hold. At that time, the role of Ruby Rhod, the outrageous media personality finally played by Chris Tucker, had been given to Prince.

When the singer was giving a series of concerts in Paris, Luc Besson wanted us both to meet with him to show him my sketches. Prince had already attended my runway shows, but he came and went very quickly every time, so we had never been formally introduced. While I was waiting for Luc in his office, I saw this huge bodyguard appear, with Prince trailing behind him. As Luc hasn’t yet arrived, I thought he must have wanted me to meet with Prince alone, so we could get to know each other a little bit. In broken English, and with my strong French accent, I tried my best to make conversation, something like ‘Hell-O Prin-ze, welcome to Par-isse! So for ze role I sink…’

I showed him my drawings, but he didn’t say a word. I had had an idea for a really funny costume with netting which quite long body hair would pass through, and I had done front and back versions of it. So then I explained to Prince: ‘Eet eel fake ‘air, you know, and eet eel beaucoup, beaucoup, airy, vraiment fun, and ze back is made of sat, and on ze back were eez ze faux cul, you know, a very big faux cul.’ and I slapped my buttocks to show him how the back of the costume would be designed.

Still not saying anything, Prince gave me this Charlie Chaplin kind of look. I could see that something had just happened, but I didn’t know what, only that he had indicated to his body guard that he wanted to leave right then and there. I thought he was going to go and see Luc. Later, Luc told me that Prince had been very surprised and amused — by my presentation, but that he found the costumes a bit too effeminate. And, most importantly, he had thought he heard ‘Fuck you, fuck you!’ when I was saying in my terrible English accent ‘faux cul, faux cul’ [fake ass]”