Executive Meddling: Charrière became an Unreliable Narrator because of this. The first version of the book sent to the publisher was a compilation of evasion tales by other inmates of the French Guiana penal colony. The publisher convinced Charrière that the book would be more successful if it was rewritten as an autobiography, and the rest is history.
The Film
Creator Couple: Dustin Hoffman's then-wife, former dancer Anne Byrne Hoffman, makes a brief appearance at the beginning as Dega's well-heeled wife.
Dawson Casting: The real-life Papillon, Henri Charrière, was 25 when he was sent to French Guyana. Steve McQueen (actor) was in his early forties.
Dyeing for Your Art: Dustin Hoffman lost eighteen pounds in preparation for his role as Louis Dega, having gone on a crash diet with a staple food of coconuts.
When Hoffman began one speech at breakneck speed, McQueen stopped him and said, "Less, man, less. Toss that shit out, you don't need it. Keep it simple." Another time, Hoffman invited a few close friends to watch a day's filming. McQueen had them thrown off the set. Nevertheless, Hoffman called their relationship "friendly rivalry" and later said his co-star "was a wonderful guy. Off screen, he was the nicest, classiest man. On the set itself he became very intense." Another time, however, he referred to McQueen as "that son of a bitch."
Hoffman became angry and uncooperative for a period of time after he discovered that although he and McQueen would receive equal billing, he was actually making $750,000 less than his co-star. Although they didn't really speak to each other between takes or after principal photography was completed, they behaved professionally on the set for the most part.
No Stunt Double: Steve McQueen (actor) insisted on performing the stunt where he jumps off a cliff himself. He once said of this that it was "one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life".
