How The Original Whiplash Star Felt About Being Replaced By Miles Teller

Many years later, 2014's "Whiplash" stands out as one of the defining motion pictures of the 2010s. Damien Chazelle's masterclass (or rather, master-clash) of a psychological character drama telling the story of a young, ambitious jazz drummer, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), butting heads with his abusive instructor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), was not the biggest box office success story on its initial release. Still, its legacy has endured thanks to an ever-growing audience that discovered it via DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming. The film was also nominated for five Academy Awards and won three, with Simmons, in particular, taking home the gold for his supporting turn as one of the greatest villains in cinematic history.

What many may not realize, however, is that Chazelle's movie is itself based on "Whiplash," the short film of the same name that the filmmaker had made just a year prior. The 18-minute short was the first iteration of the feature-length film's iconic sequence involving Andrew's first class under Fletcher's tutelage. But while Chazelle's original "Whiplash" also featured Simmons as the terrifying Fletcher, it was Johnny Simmons (no relation to J.K. Simmons) who wielded the drumsticks as Andrew Neiman.

Although Johnny Simmons' name may not be immediately recognizable to some viewers, others will know him for his supporting roles in coming-of-age comedies such as "Jennifer's Body," "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," "21 Jump Street," and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." In other words, if you came of age during the late 2000s and well into the early 2010s, you will at least recognize him from a few of these films. (More recently, he appeared in "Sing Sing," aka the best film of 2024 that was not nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.) Given how much of his early work highlighted his comedic chops, Simmons' role as Andrew Neiman in Damien Chazelle's "Whiplash" short film was an opportunity for him to step outside of his comfort zone.

The "Whiplash" short film serves as a compelling and necessary proof-of-concept for what would eventually become one of the greatest films of the 21st century, as well as an undeniable calling card for Chazelle. What stands out the most when watching the original short film, especially in comparison to the feature-length version, is how immediately captivating and visually striking J.K. Simmons is as Terence Fletcher, which makes his reprisal in the full-length film perhaps the most crucial aspect to carry over from the short. Quite simply, no other actor could better portray the true scum of the earth that Fletcher is — a man with a palpable sense of hatred, a knack for the most profane insults that cut into the deepest wounds of people's insecurities, and, surprisingly, the tiniest sliver of humanity that somehow still exists within such a monster.

Following its premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the "Whiplash" short film won the Short Film Jury Prize, attracting investors to produce the full-length version of the script. By the time the film was given the green light, J.K. Simmons had already signed on to reprise his role, only for Miles Teller to sign on as Andrew Neiman, replacing Johnny Simmons. Given the awards season darling that "Whiplash" became, as well as the doors it helped open for an at-the-time rising star like Teller, Johnny Simmons felt hurt about being replaced. In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, the actor reflected on Chazelle's new casting decision:

"I don't know how everything shakes out, but I know that when a movie's made like that, there's an option to have a name. Miles Teller, at that point, was a box office draw. I've done a lot of movies, but none of them that have blown up the way that 'Divergent' did. [...] The same thing just happened to Miles Teller on 'La La Land.'"

Johnny Simmons was referring to Damien Chazelle's initial casting plans for "La La Land," which originally had Teller and Emma Watson in talks to portray Sebastian and Mia, respectively. Of course, those two roles would eventually be filled by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone instead, garnering the duo Academy Award nods for their performances (with Stone winning for Best Actress).

According to Johnny Simmons, Teller replaced him in "Whiplash" in part due to him having more name recognition overall. Although that may have played a factor, when one compares the two different performances of Andrew Neiman, it is clear why casting Teller was the right call. In the full-length script for "Whiplash," Andrew may seem like a typical ambitious protagonist along the lines of Rocky Balboa. (Just swap out the boxing gloves for drumsticks.) However, upon closer inspection, Andrew is significantly more disturbed than most characters of his ilk. His eventual embrace of Fletcher's abusive methodology in discovering the next Charlie Parker or Buddy Rich, in some ways, reflects a colder heart that bears a resemblance to that of his cruel instructor's rather than what viewers were led to initially believe.

For all the universal acclaim that J.K. Simmons justifiably receives for his unforgettable, Oscar-winning performance, Teller's lead turn deserves just as much praise. Given the complex nature of Andrew Neiman's character arc and psychology, he expertly portrayed a daring 19-year-old musician who may be very hard to read for most people. Teller's performance exhibits a significant amount of pathos through the nuances of his facial expressions without even uttering a word in some scenes. In the "Whiplash" short film, Johnny Simmons' line delivery and physicality following his first clash with Fletcher feels more over-the-top and, to be honest, a tad bit campy. In contrast, Teller's take on the same scene is more subdued and effective, fitting better with Chazelle's cinematic vision.

Although Johnny Simmons felt hurt being replaced by Teller in "Whiplash," he also understood that it was all part of the process as a professional actor. He said as much to Vanity Fair, admitting:

"If you want to be real about it, the fact that any actor books a job is a one-in-a-million shot. I've been so fortunate to have worked on even a few films, so, no, I don't wake up feeling bad."

"Whiplash" is available to own on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD.