The Cable Guy won by Columbia Pictures at a price of $1 million. The role of the Cable Guy was originally written for Chris Farley, who turned it down due to scheduling difficulties. Jim Carrey joined the production, receiving a then record $20 million to star. Following Carrey's signing, Columbia hired Judd Apatow to produce. The studio rebuffed Apatow's interest in directing, but accepted his suggestion to invite Ben Stiller, star of his eponymous show on which Apatow had worked. The original screenplay by Lou Holtz, Jr. was a lighter comedy, described by Apatow as "a "What About Bob?" annoying friend movie" where
Jasmine Guy Guy's first appearance on the big screen came in 1988 in Spike Lee's musical-drama film "School Daze." Guy played the role of Dina, a member of the light-skinned, straight-haired African American women of Gamma Ray (a women's auxiliary to the Gamma Phi Gamma fraternity). Filming on "School Daze" was completed just prior to her joining the cast of "A Different World." The following year, Guy appeared as Dominique La Rue in "Harlem Nights" starring Eddie Murphy (who also directed) alongside Richard Pryor with Redd Foxx. In the 1989 film, Pryor portrays Harlem "Sugar" Ray, the owner of an illegal casino