Similarly Named Works: In addition to the American film and series, The Player is the title of a 2021 Chinese series and a 2021 Thai series. There's also the similarly-titled South Korean series Player.
The 1988 Book/1992 Film
Career Resurrection: This film marked Robert Altman's great comeback as a successful director, after directing a whole decade of minor films (though later on, some of them became cult classics).
Defictionalization: Attempted; according to Michael Tolkin, a production company tried to have him option a real life version of Habeas Corpus.
Doing It for the Art: Julia Roberts, among others, did her cameo for nothing. Also, Cher wore a red dress for her cameo appearance, even though she never wore red in real life, just because Altman asked her to.
Playing Against Type: Brion James, who, as one website put it, usually played "a deliciously rough-edged thug or unrefined clod," as dapper studio chief Joel Levison.
Self-Adaptation: Michael Tolkin wrote the screenplay based on his novel.
Technology Marches On: Made in an era when a brick-sized mobile phone was a status symbol, only a select few had phones in their cars (and holding a phone up to your ear to talk as you drive was perfectly legal), and the really high-powered executives had in-car fax machines.
In the scene where Tim Robbins (as Griffin) stops to say hello to Burt Reynolds in the restaurant, Reynolds improvised the scene, not knowing anything about Griffin, but manages to know he's an "asshole" (which, since he's a Hollywood studio exec, is a fair assumption to make).
Malcolm McDowell verbally attacks Griffin, which Tim Robbins stated he was not prepared for. It shows in Griffin's reaction.
The scene where Griffin gets questioned at the Pasadena police station wasn't in the script and was largely brainstormed by the actors before filming, with Whoopi Goldberg taking the initiative in coming up with individual ideas.
Chevy Chase was interested in starring in the film but Warner Bros. passed on him. Chase's father, Ned, published the novel on which the film is based.
Joan Cusack was Altman's first choice for the lead Pasadena detective but wasn't available. Whoopi Goldberg then successfully lobbied for the role.
Sydney Pollack played Griffin's lawyer Dick Mellen, but Altman originally tried to get Blake Edwards (who directed another famous Hollywood satire, S.O.B.) to take the part.
Sidney Lumet (who'd helmed the thematically-similar Network) was interested in directing.
The 2015 Series
Billing Displacement: Philip Winchester has top billing in the show's credits while promotional material alternates between giving Winchester and Wesley Snipes top billing.
Fake Nationality: Korean Will Yun Lee plays a Chinese national in the fifth episode.
The Other Marty: Cara Buono played Ginny in the original pilot. Daisy Betts took on the role and reshot Ginny's scenes in the broadcast pilot after it was decided to expand the role.
Screwed by the Network: Minimal advertising compared to other fall season shows from NBC, and then had its episode order cut to 9 instead of the initial 13. Not officially canceled yet, but definitely screwed by the network.
Officially canceled. Right after airing the final produced episode. Which ends on a cliffhanger.