Bloody f*ckin facts about ‘The Boondock Saints’ you never knew (18 Photos)

1

Sir Billy Connolly was so stoked to be playing against type in the role of Il Duce, and having so much fun playing a psycho with guns strapped all over him that they had to add the large cigar the character incessantly smokes because unless they stuck something in his mouth, he simply couldn’t stop smiling.

2

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The word “fuck” and its derivatives are used a total of 246 times.

3

Writer and Director Troy Duffy dismissed several casting choices for the movie. He refused to meet with Brad Pitt because he’d already played an Irishman in The Devil’s Own (where Duffy found his Irish accent unconvincing) and rejected Keanu Reeves and Ethan Hawke, calling the former “a fucking punk” and the latter “a talentless fool”.

4

Troy Duffy’s screenplay was inspired by his disgust at seeing a drug dealer taking money from a corpse across the hall from his apartment. Duffy, who was working as a bartender and bouncer, had never written a screenplay before.

5

For the role of Paul Smecker, Miramax Films preferred Sylvester Stallone (with whom the studio had an existing relationship), Bill Murray, or Mike Myers.

6

The church where Connor and Murphy attend Mass is not a Catholic church, but a Lutheran one. No Catholic churches in the area would allow filming in their sanctuaries due to their objections to the plot of the movie.

7

During the famous “There was a firefight” scene, you can see the earplugs Willem Dafoe’s character is wearing to protect himself from explosions and gunfire sound.

8

The prisoner number shown for Il Duce (Sir Billy Connolly) was Writer and Director Troy Duffy’s old cell phone number.

9

Annabelle McManus (the twins’ mother) was originally in the script. All of her scenes were deleted. She was originally intended to narrate certain parts of this movie, but this was changed.

10

Mark Wahlberg turned down one of the lead roles in order to star in ‘Boogie Nights.’

11

In order to appear taller on-screen, Willem Dafoe wore platform shoes during filming. It’s most noticeable in his first appearance, when he crouches down near the alleyway body.

12

The character “David Della Rocco” is named after the actor who plays him, because the character was based on and written for him.

13

This movie was given a limited release in the US due to the Columbine massacre. It was only shown in five theaters for one week. However, it later developed a large cult success from word of mouth following the success of DVD sales, and followed up with ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’ (2009).

14

The tattoo that Connor has on his left hand/index finger says, “VERITAS”, which is Latin for “Truth”. Murphy’s tattoo in the same place on his right-hand says, “AEQUITAS”, which is Latin for “Justice/Equality”.

15

The maximum-security prison in which Il Duce (Sir Billy Connolly) is being held is actually the old Suffolk County Jail in Boston, which is now a four-star hotel.

16

The movie was shot in just thirty-two days.

17

Body count: thirty-three, and one cat.