When it comes to directing actors, nobody does it better than Quentin Tarantino. The Pulp Fiction director has had legendary actors of the current era as well as yesteryear stars. He has brought out some of the career-best performances from actors, with many of them winning coveted awards for their roles.
Quentin Tarantino has collaborated with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, and more. He has had long collaborations with actors like Samuel L Jackson. While the legendary filmmaker is gearing up for his tenth and final film The Movie Critic, he reveals the one thing directors should not do while directing actors.
The Many Collaborations Of Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino started his career as a director with the heist film Reservoir Dogs. The film starred prominent stars such as Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn, and Michael Madson, as well as future stars such as Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi. The crime film was the director’s breakthrough and has since been considered a gold standard in independent filmmaking.
The director’s next film Pulp Fiction put him on the map. It is regarded as a cult classic and won the Palm d’Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. It also won Quentin Tarantino an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Pulp Fiction was also the beginning of a long collaboration of the director with actor Samuel L Jackson, with whom he has since collaborated on six films. The film also was a well-deserving return to form for legendary actor John Travolta. Travolta’s performance as Vincent Vega, a contract killer, was unanimously lauded upon release. The film gave a change of pace to action star Bruce Willis, who was seen in a different kind of role The film also starred Uma Thurman with whom the director worked on the Kill Bill series.
The director again brought back a legendary star of the yesteryears with Death Proof where he collaborated with Kurt Russell. The film was part of the double feature Grindhouse which also consisted of Robert Rodiguez’s Planet Terror.
Quentin Tarantino collaborated with stars Brad Pitt in Inglorious Basterds and Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained. He also worked with actor Christoph Waltz on both films for which the actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role twice. The director collaborated with Pitt and DiCaprio again, this time together in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. The film also starred Margot Robbie as well as a host of other actors such as Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Timothy Oliphant, and more.
Quentin Tarantino On Working With Actors
Quentin Tarantino has worked with the best of the best in Hollywood. From reviving the careers of stars like John Travolta and Michael Madson to bringing Oscar glory to well-known stars, he has done it all. He seems to have the ability to bring the drama out of the actors, allowing them to shine in every scene.
On being asked what he would advise young filmmakers on directing actors, Tarantino said to not be intimidated by them. The director has worked with stalwarts like Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Leonardo DiCaprio said,
“Don’t be scared. Don’t be intimidated by them. You’re there to find it together…don’t tell them how to do the scene, don’t tell them what you are looking for. They have the material themselves and they’ve come up with their own thing.”
The director in multiple interviews has stressed giving actors their space to perform. Speaking about his process of giving his actors the first shot at performing a scene,
“You will never see what was in their head. An adjustment is the easiest thing in the world to give. You’re the director and they’ll do whatever say, but let them do the first shot at it, what they came up with.”
He has also spoken about the importance of being near the actors while they are performing. The director can constantly be seen near the camera while the scene is happening, preferring that over a monitor. Talking about this practice,
“One of the best things a director can do is to not be stuck in Video Village, not be stuck behind a monitor…I think we should be sitting right by the camera. If you watch the acting right in front of the actors, it is as if they are acting just and solely, and utterly only for you.”
The director has seldom given a bad performance for his actors as many have gone on to win many awards for their performances in his films as well as gain universal acclaim.
Source: Far Out
