Trivia / To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

• The Cast Showoff: Not only is John Leguizamo a comedian, but he regularly incorporates drag into his act, making his performance far more natural than action star Wesley Snipes and romantic leading man Patrick Swayze.
• Cast the Expert:
  • The drag queens in the two pageant scenes are actual drag performers. Besides obviously RuPaul, other well-known queens featured were Lady Bunny, Candis Cayne, Coco Peru, Hedda Lettuce, Joey Arias, and Lady Catiria.
  • In addition to John Leguizamo's aforementioned drag experience, Patrick Swayze was a trained dancer and choreographer, and he regularly practiced dancing in high heels to better understand female dancers while working with them. He applied this experience to his role as Vida.
• Creator Backlash: According to Patrick Swayze's memoir, Wesley Snipes hated his role so much, he burned Noxeema's costume as soon as shooting ended.
• Enforced Method Acting: Before filming the scene in which Sheriff Dollard pulls the car over at the roadside, Patrick Swayze secretly placed a corn cob down the front of his underwear. Chris Penn's expression of shock upon putting his hand up Swayze's dress is not faked.
• Genius Bonus:
  • While the name "Wong Foo" remains a mystery within the movie, the person is real: he was the head bartender at the China Bowl restaurant on East Broadway for many years—long enough to make him a NYC icon during the Bowl's heyday.
  • Most of Noxie's Old Hollywood references, which were obscure even by the 90's. When Vida says she feels like Jayne Mansfield in the convertible, Noxie says "Not the best auto reference," referring to the grisly car accident that killed her. When the queens are in Bala Cynwyd driving past the mansions, Noxie says "There's gonna be a barbecue at Twelve Oaks tonight." And Noxie bonds with Clara over a shared love of classic black actresses, namely Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne.
• Hostility on the Set: Patrick Swayze grew weary of John Leguizamo endlessly joking between scenes and barked at him to shut up, triggering an epic stare-down between the two men... while still in full costume. Swayze laughed it off afterward.
  John Leguizamo: We got a little method on the set. I think we started PMSing.
• Playing Against Type: Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes as comedic Drag Queens.
• Referenced by...: Honest Trailers twice used the title regarding Doctor Strange's friend Wong, "To Wong: Thanks for Nothing! Signed the Avengers" in Avengers: Infinity War, and "To Wong, Thanks for Everything, Jen Walters" in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
• Technology Marches On: It's a major plot point when Vida throws out the trio's road map early in the trip after getting blown off by her mother, and Chi-Chi wonders how they'll get to LA without it. And when the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they have no idea where they are and Chi Chi has to show some leg to hitch them a ride. Had the movie come out more recently, all three would have had smartphones with Google Maps or some other GPS, and could have also called for roadside assistance.
• Throw It In!: The real Julie Newmar showed up on set one day to watch filming, which led to her cameo appearance.
• Uncredited Role: Robin Williams as John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Gary Oldman claims he was originally offered one of the lead drag roles but decided he didn't want to do another part that required extensive make-up after his experiences on Bram Stoker's Dracula.
  • Viggo Mortensen auditioned for Vida Boheme, while Mel Gibson briefly flirted with the idea of playing the part. Rob Lowe and James Spader were also considered.
  • William Baldwin, John Cusack, Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr. were considered for Chi-Chi.

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