Actor Says He Was Happy to See the Tropicana Go Down

Las Vegas just said its last goodbye to the Tropicana casino hotel, which was brought down in a spectacular implosion. As one of the oldest properties on the Las Vegas Strip, it was beloved by many for its historic significance. Some people, however, were pleased to see it go down.

“It Was an Unbelievable Environment”

Ethan Embry, an actor who once shot a movie at the Tropicana, was among those who were happy that the casino hotel had come to an end. The actor commented on the matter on X, where he slammed the property for its subpar conditions.

In his post, Embry pointed out that he had the misfortune of living in the Tropicana for several months. As one of the starring actors in Vegas Vacation, he was forced to endure what he called an “unlivable environment” at the casino hotel.

I lived at the Tropicana Hotel for four months while we shot Vegas Vacation. It was an unlivable environment in 1996. Good riddance

Ethan Embry

The post was seen by some 1.2 million people and attracted 7.1K likes, 338 comments and 330 reposts.

For context, Embry played Rusty Griswold in Vegas Vacation. The actor was 18 at the time and was a perfect fit for the role of the son of Clark (played by Chevy Chase). In the movie, Embry’s character uses a fake ID to engage in underage gambling, winning multiple jackpots and cars.

Embry’s Post Received Mixed Reactions

Some people in the comment section supported Embry’s bashing of the Tropicana, agreeing with his point. Chef Reactions, an account reacting to people’s cooking vids, reassured Embry that the “world is a better place” thanks to his sacrifice and “the art that came from the pain.”

User alexxx101 shared a picture of Embry’s character from Vegas Vacation sitting in a pool surrounded by young women, joking that he “seemed quite happy there.” While Embry confirmed those were the Tropicana Girls, he said that the scene was actually shot at the Mirage.

Even the Tropicana Girls don’t go to the Tropicana.

Ethan Embry

There were also those who were let down by Embry’s comment, reminding him that it was a historical hotel that deserved more respect.

In the comment thread, Embry also revealed some behind-the-scenes information about the Vegas Vacation shooting, implying that Chevy Chase’s terrible behavior slowed the shooting of the movie. While Embry acknowledged that Chase had never treated him badly, he admitted to having seen some ugly in him.

Some of Embry’s more recent roles, for context, include the real Pete Murphy in Sneaky Pete and an astronaut in First Man. He also played Carter in The Walking Dead and Coyote Bergstein in Grace and Frankie.