Buzz
On June 18, 2004, two contrasting films hit American theaters: Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal and a quirky, star-studded sports comedy titled DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story. Surprisingly, the latter outperformed at the box office. This unexpected success both celebrated and mocked the sports film genre while offering Chuck Norris a memorable helicopter scene.
1. The creator of Dodgeball drew inspiration from the book Fast Food Nation.
Rawson Marshall Thurber, the writer and director of DodgeBall, crafted the film as a tribute to classics like Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Rocky (1976), and Bull Durham (1988). He also found inspiration in Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation, a bestselling nonfiction work exploring society’s fixation on fast food. Released in 2001, the book sold over 1.4 million copies in five years and significantly influenced Thurber’s screenplay.
"I really drew inspiration from that—our culture has this intense love/fear dynamic," Thurber shared with Film Freak Central in 2014. "We’re obsessed with weight, image, and youth—and intertwined with that is the glorification of fast food and soda as cool, all-American, and sexy. It creates a cultural tug-of-war, which is why I wanted [Ben Stiller’s character] White Goodman to be seen with a doughnut and car battery clips on his nipples … It reflects our surreal relationship with food, sports, and so much of our culture. Satirizing it almost feels redundant."
2. The cast of DodgeBall underwent intense preparation.
To prepare for their roles, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and the rest of the cast participated in indoor dodgeball drills, which they later referred to as a “boot camp.” Stiller described it as “us playing dodgeball in a gym a few times a week.” While it may sound simple, the physical demands were grueling. “It’s a young person’s game,” Stiller remarked. “At 38, it’s exhausting. After just a few minutes, you’re completely drained.” Christine Taylor, Stiller’s wife and co-star, who played Kate Veatch in DodgeBall, also joined in the training.
3. Ben Stiller hit Christine Taylor with a dodgeball—twice.
Hitting your spouse in the face with a rubber ball is generally ill-advised, but Ben Stiller did just that to Christine Taylor—twice. The first incident happened during training, and the second occurred during the climactic Globo Gym vs. Average Joe’s match. The second throw was aimed at Vince Vaughn, who dodged it, leaving Taylor to take the hit. Stiller acknowledged that the incidents strained their relationship temporarily, saying, "It put a damper on things for about a week. It’s hard not to be upset after something like that. It felt like we were back in eighth grade." (Despite announcing a divorce in 2017, the couple has never finalized it and is often seen together, fueling rumors of a possible reconciliation.)
4. Stiller drew heavily on his 1995 role in Heavyweights to shape his character’s personality.
It’s no surprise to fans of both films that Stiller modeled White Goodman’s persona after Tony Perkis, the eccentric fitness camp owner he portrayed in 1995’s Heavyweights. In DodgeBall, Stiller’s Goodman is a flamboyant, self-absorbed fitness tycoon with inherited wealth and deep-seated insecurities—traits that mirror Perkis. Despite its charm, Heavyweights underperformed at the box office, earning just $17.6 million. Stiller assumed few would recognize the similarities when he reused some of Perkis’s quirks in DodgeBall.
"I thought, ‘Nobody really watched Heavyweights, so I can get away with this,’" Stiller admitted. "But it turns out a lot of people did—apparently, it airs frequently on the Disney Channel or something." Stiller has described Perkis as a "first or second cousin" to Goodman in terms of their personalities.
5. Justin Long sustained a mild concussion during filming.
Justin Long, who portrays Justin in the movie, endured some rough moments on set. In one scene, Rip Torn, playing Patches O’Houlihan, hurled a hard rubber prop wrench at his face, leaving a noticeable gash on his eyebrow. Later, while shooting a training montage for DodgeBall, Long was hit repeatedly by high-velocity dodgeballs, resulting in a "slight concussion."
"They advised me not to drive home after filming because I wasn’t feeling quite right," Long shared with Today in 2017. "So, when you laugh at that scene, remember you’re laughing at my expense." Despite the mishap, there was a silver lining. As reported by New York Magazine, Long is often seen on a scooter gifted by Stiller, featuring the words “Average Joe’s."
6. Hank Azaria and Rip Torn made no effort to match their Patches O'Houlihan voices.
In the film’s opening, Hank Azaria plays a young Patches O’Houlihan in an instructional dodgeball video. Later, Rip Torn takes over the role for the rest of the movie. The two actors used distinctly different accents: Azaria described his take as "a poor imitation of Clark Gable." Since Torn’s scenes hadn’t been filmed yet, someone suggested Torn mimic Azaria’s voice. Azaria joked, "Good luck telling Rip Torn to change his voice. Let me know how that goes."
7. The Average Joe's team colors pay tribute to Hoosiers.
Thurber, an admirer of David Anspaugh’s Oscar-nominated Hoosiers (1986), honored the Hickory Huskers’ iconic red and yellow uniforms by dressing Vince Vaughn’s Average Joe’s team in nearly identical colors.
8. Chuck Norris initially hesitated to appear in a cameo.
Norris’s sole scene was filmed in Long Beach, California, which posed a logistical challenge for him. "I was in L.A. when they asked me to do the cameo," Norris told Empire Magazine. "I initially declined because it was a three-hour drive to Long Beach." Stiller personally called Norris to plead with him to reconsider. "He said, ‘Chuck, please, you’ve got to do this for me!’" Norris recalled. "My wife suggested they send a helicopter, and that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t read the script—just did my part where I give a thumbs-up."
After DodgeBall was completed, Norris finally watched the film and enjoyed most of it. However, one moment in the closing credits surprised him. "At the end, when Ben’s character is overweight and watching TV, the final line is, 'F***ing Chuck Norris!' I was stunned. I thought, 'Holy mackerel!' Ben never mentioned that to me!"
9. One antagonist was initially planned to be a robot.
The Purple Cobras’ most enigmatic member is Fran Stalinovskovichdavidovitchsky, an Eastern European dodgeball prodigy described by Goodman as "the deadliest woman on earth with a dodgeball." In an early draft of the script, Fran was revealed to be a robot in disguise. Thurber eventually scrapped this idea, deeming it too absurd even for DodgeBall. However, when Missi Pyle was cast as Fran, the twist was still part of the story.
"In the first script I read, Fran was a robot, specifically a sexy-bodied robot," Pyle explained. The original idea involved a slow camera pan revealing Robo-Fran’s metallic face and artificial breasts during the film’s climax.
10. Alan Tudyk responded to a fan theory about Steve the Pirate.
In 2012, a Redditor named Maized proposed that Steve the Pirate, Alan Tudyk’s eccentric character, might be a former Navy sailor dealing with PTSD. Maized pointed to Steve’s tattoos, which closely resemble those commonly seen on U.S. Navy personnel, as evidence. The theory suggests Steve adopts his pirate persona as a way to manage his trauma.
In a 2016 interview with Screen Crush, Tudyk was asked about the theory. He laughed and said it "doesn’t seem impossible." While careful not to "disrespect Navy sailors with PTSD," Tudyk added that he’d consider incorporating the Redditor’s idea if a DodgeBall sequel were ever made.
