| Get Shorty/Be Cool character | |
|---|---|
| Chili Palmer | |
| Occupation: | Record and Film producer |
| Race & Ethnicity: | Caucasian Italian, German |
| Residence | Hollywood, California |
| Creator: | Elmore Leonard |
| Portrayed by: | John Travolta |
Chili Palmer is a character from Elmore Leonard's novels Get Shorty, the movie adaptation of the same name, the sequel, Be Cool and the movie adaptation of the same name. Chili is played in the films by John Travolta. His character and name are a tribute to Elmore Leonard's good friend Ernest 'Chili' Palmer from Brooklyn, New York, who had a cameo at the beginning of Get Shorty.
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Chili is introduced as a shylock from Miami. He is sent to Las Vegas to collect a bad debt. While on this journey, he runs into Harry Zimm (in the film, played by Gene Hackman), a Hollywood producer of low-budget horror films; his girlfriend Karen Flores (Rene Russo), a film actress who often appears in Harry's films; Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo), Harry's drug-dealing financier; and Martin "Shorty" Weir (Danny DeVito), a well-meaning but self-centered movie star. While trying to get the $300,000 debt (the actual debt was only $15,000, the $300,000 was scammed from an airline), Chili also uses his experience in the mob to coach Martin Weir for a role as a mafia enforcer, and also to help Harry finance his latest movie, Mr. Lovejoy.
Ten years after becoming a film producer, Chili gets tired of being a filmmaker and is thinking that he might go back to being a shylock because they're "honest about being dishonest." His friend, Tommy Athens (James Woods), a music producer, wants his own life as owner of NTL Records to be made into a film. Tommy tells Chili about an aspiring singer named Linda Moon (Christine Milian). However, shortly after, he gets killed by a Russian mafia boss named Roman Bulkin (Alex Kubik), leaving Tommy's business partner and widow Edie (Uma Thurman) in a sea of debt. That night, Chili meets Linda and decides that she has the potential to become a big star. However, Linda's current manager, Raji (Vince Vaughn), and his gay bodyguard, Elliot (Dwayne Johnson), an aspiring actor, won't let her go. Chili and Edie grow closer -- first as friends and then as lovers -- as they try to figure out how to make Linda a star despite NTL's financial woes. This is complicated by entanglements with debtors such as the Russian mob and hip-hop mogul Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer) and music rivals such as Raji and his business partner, Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel).
The Chili Palmer in the novel version of Get Shorty is based on an actual person of the same name, who had a cameo in the film as one of Ray Barbone's henchmen in the beginning of the film. He is the one on the right of the screen next to Ray Barbone.
John Travolta, who portrays Palmer in both films won Golden Globe Award and American Comedy Award for his acting performance in the film Get Shorty. He was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for acting ensemble.