As movie stars, actors are inevitably exposed to a deluge of criticism. Surprisingly, however, much of this vitriol doesn't emanate from within the Hollywood eco-system. In recent times, both Paul Dano and Matthew Lillard have faced the unenviable task of enduring scathing remarks from Quentin Tarantino, a widely respected writer and director.
In response to Tarantino's criticisms, Lillard acknowledged that his critique had caused him hurt, especially coming from someone as esteemed as the director. The incident has provoked a wave of criticism against Tarantino for needlessly insulting these actors and generating headlines worldwide. One aspect that many fans may not be aware of is that before this current controversy, Tarantino had already been called out for his critical comments by a former star of one of his movies.
In 1996, George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino co-starred in the film "From Dusk till Dawn" as Seth and Richie Gecko, respectively. In addition to acting in the project, Tarantino also wrote the script, which played a crucial role in helping Clooney become a movie star. However, years later, Clooney would come out against his former co-star for claiming that George wasn't a movie star anymore.
In an August 2024 interview with GQ alongside Brad Pitt, Clooney was prompted to express his frustration with Tarantino's remarks about him during an interview where he was discussing other actors. "Quentin said some (s—t) about me recently, so I'm a little irritated by him," Clooney said. "He was talking about [Brad Pitt] and somebody else, and then this guy goes, 'Well, what about George?' He goes, 'He's not a movie star.' And then he literally said something like, 'Name me a movie since the millennium.' And I was like, 'Since the millennium? That's kind of my whole (f-----g) career.'"
While it's important to note that Clooney is known for his sharp sense of humor and sarcastic nature, his remarks still indicate that famous actors have a history of taking note of Tarantino's comments about them and responding publicly. The recent scandal involving Paul Dano and Matthew Lillard shows that Tarantino is likely to continue being blunt in public about his opinions on famous actors.
What's noteworthy is that when George Clooney mentioned in his GQ interview that Tarantino had recently stated he wasn't a movie star, it wasn't entirely accurate. In fact, Tarantino had made those remarks more than a year prior in a July 2023 article by Baz Bamigboye for Deadline. During their discussion at Cannes, Tarantino and Bamigboye agreed that Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, and Harrison Ford were movie stars but disputed Clooney's status when asked about his last hit in the millennium. Despite Tarantino's assessment of Clooney's career, the actor has starred in several highly successful movies since 2000, including all three Ocean's movies, "The Perfect Storm," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," "Up in the Air," and "Gravity."
