Recently, Devon Sawa recalled his experience filming Eminem’s “Stan” and how the word took on a life of its own.
The actor came to the Click And Tell YouTube show to promote his new movie “Heart Eyes”, and the hosts could not resist bringing up an iconic piece of hip hop history — a behind-the-scenes shot of him with Eminem on the Stan set.
Sawa, who played the infamous obsessive fan in the 2000 music video, was all smiles as he reminisced about the shoot. He called it a “wild three days” and admitted he never could have predicted how the word “Stan” would evolve over time.
A lot of the people that use the term don’t know where it came from, and they use it in a positive way. And really, it’s about a dude that threw his girlfriend in a trunk and drove off a bridge. It’s crazy how it’s evolved to this positive ting. Man, to be just a little part of that world was cool.
These days, calling yourself a “Stan” is more about showing love for your favourite artist than anything sinister. Still, Sawa’s right — the original meaning was a lot darker. But regardless of this cultural shift, and maybe even partly because of it: Stan remains one of Eminem’s most legendary tracks, and Sawa will always be a part of its legacy.
