Editing Sid and Nancy (section)

===Casting===
According to director Cox, he had originally considered [[Daniel Day-Lewis]] for the part of Sid Vicious;<ref name=vt>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/mar/06/sid-nancy-reel-history-alex-cox|work=The Guardian|title=Sid and Nancy: an intriguing glimpse into a dysfunctional relationship|author=Von Tunzelmann, Alex|date=6 March 2013|access-date=16 May 2017}}</ref> however, Cox offered Oldman the part of Vicious after seeing him play the lead role of Scopey in a 1984 production of [[Edward Bond]]'s ''The Pope's Wedding''. Oldman twice turned down the role before accepting it, because, in his own words: "I wasn't really that interested in Sid Vicious and the punk movement. I'd never followed it. It wasn't something that interested me. The script I felt was banal and 'who cares' and 'why bother' and all of that. And I was a little bit sort-of with my nose in the air and sort-of thinking 'well the theatre – so much more superior' and all of that." He reconsidered based on the salary and the urging of his agent.<ref>Gary Oldman interview by [[Terry Gross]]. ''[[Fresh Air]]''. [[NPR|National Public Radio]]. 12 February 1998.</ref> - "My agent at the time put a lot of pressure and bullied me into it", according to an Oldman interview, included in an early DVD version of the film.<ref name=":0" /> He lost weight to play the emaciated Vicious by eating nothing but "steamed fish and lots of melon", and was briefly hospitalised when he lost too much. Alex Cox stated, “Gary came from the same neighborhood as Sid, [[Bermondsey]], and he had the same understanding and desire to escape, to create a new persona and life for himself. He was good to work with. It was one of his first films and he worked very hard.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.money-into-light.com/2012/08/alex-cox-talks-to-paul-rowlands-about.html |title=Alex Cox talks to Paul Rowlands about ‘Sid and Nancy’ |work=Money into Light|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref> Oldman later dismissed his performance, saying: "I don't think I played Sid Vicious very well".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/gary-oldman-playboy-interview|title=Playboy Interview: Gary Oldman|last=Hochman|first=David|date=25 June 2014|website=[[Playboy]]|access-date=25 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123231957/http://www.playboy.com/articles/gary-oldman-playboy-interview|archive-date=23 January 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[Courtney Love]] rang co-writer Abbe Wool<ref name=":0" /> and recorded a video audition for the role of Spungen.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|title=Strange Love|author=Hirschberg, Lynn|date=September 1992|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/03/love-story-of-kurt-cobain-courtney-love|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161215104313/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/03/love-story-of-kurt-cobain-courtney-love|archive-date=15 December 2016|url-status=live|access-date=20 September 2020}}</ref> Cox was impressed by Love's audition, but has said the film's investors insisted on an experienced actress for the co-leading role. Therefore, instead, Cox wrote the minor role of Gretchen, one of Sid and Nancy's New York junkie friends, specifically for her benefit.<ref>{{cite episode|network=[[VH1]]|air-date=June 21, 2010|title=Courtney Love|series=[[Behind the Music]]|publisher=Viacom Media Networks}}</ref> Cox would later cast Love as one of the leads in ''[[Straight to Hell (film)|Straight to Hell]]'' (1987). [[Chloe Webb]], who had appeared in several small television roles at the time, was instead cast in the role of Spungen.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/08/05/love-among-the-dumpsters-alex-cox-and-roger-deakins-on-the-makin/|date=5 August 2016|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200920053318/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/08/05/love-among-the-dumpsters-alex-cox-and-roger-deakins-on-the-makin/|title=Love among the dumpsters: Alex Cox and Roger Deakins on the making of Sid & Nancy|last=Robey|first=Tim}}</ref>

In his 2007 autobiography, [[Guns N' Roses]] guitarist [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] revealed that the casting director hired all five members of Guns N' Roses as extras for a club scene, having coincidentally scouted them in different locations without their knowledge. He said "all of us showed up to the first day of casting, like 'Hey...what are you doing here?'" However, Slash was the only one in the group to stay for the entire shoot.

Webb and Oldman improvised the dialogue heard in the scene leading up to Spungen's death but based it on interviews and other materials available to them. The stabbing scene is fictionalized and based only on conjecture. Cox told the ''[[NME]]'': "We wanted to make the film not just about Sid Vicious and [[punk rock]], but as an anti-drugs statement, [https://www.cinemather.com/titles/dG1kYnxtb3ZpZXwxNDkyNA==/sid-and-nancy the turbulent couple definitely falls into the depths of drug addiction.]"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cinemather |url=https://www.cinemather.com/titles/dG1kYnxtb3ZpZXwxNDkyNA==/sid-and-nancy |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=www.cinemather.com}}</ref>

The original music is by [[Pray for Rain (band)|Pray for Rain]], [[Joe Strummer]], and [[The Pogues]]. A track by [[Tears for Fears]] ("Swords and Knives") was also recorded for the film but was rejected by the filmmakers for not being "punk" enough. The track later appeared on the band's ''[[The Seeds of Love|Seeds of Love]]'' album in 1989.<ref>{{cite book |last= Thrills|first=Adrian |title=Tears For Fears – The Seeds of Love |year=1990 |publisher=Virgin Books |location=London |isbn=0-86369-329-6 |page=44}}</ref>

Prominent musicians made appearances in the film including [[Circle Jerks]], [[Courtney Love|Love]], [[Iggy Pop]], [[Nico]] and [[Edward Tudor-Pole]] of [[Tenpole Tudor]].