Back in 2000, prop house CEO Gregg Bilson Jr. of Independent Studio Services received his largest order to date: a reported $1 trillion. The phony dough was used in a scene in Rush Hour 2, in which an explosion at a casino sends cash flying all over the place. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker’s characters narrowly escape death and are seen lying on the ground afterward as the fake bills rain down on them from above.
You can check out the scene in question right here:
Interestingly, what you just watched led to the Secret Service becoming involved in the film’s production. As it turns out, a few people scooped up the money that landed on the ground and were actually using it to buy things.
According to assistant special agent Chuck Ortman, 19 bills were successfully passed in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles areas. One attempt was even reported as far away as Minneapolis.
Why the Secret Service Had to Get Involved With ‘Rush Hour 2’
The money was deemed illegal due to the fact that reproductions are required by law to be either 75% or smaller, or 50% or larger than the size of authentic bills. Bilson’s, Ortman said, were a little too close to the genuine article. In March 2001, the Secret Service sent Bilson’s company a cease-and-desist, preventing them from producing any additional prop money. They were also required to send recall letters to every other production company they’d sold their bills to.
Overall, agents seized $22 million worth of fake cash from Independent Studio Services and more than $180 million in circulation in Las Vegas. The confiscations were said to have cost Bilson and another prop company tens of thousands of dollars. Since then, very few people in the business offer prop money for movie productions to avoid dealing with the Secret Service.
Instead, they opt to lend out real money—in part, because it looks better on film.
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