When Quentin Tarantino First Tried to Direct Brad Pitt’s Shirtless ‘Hollywood’ Scene He Failed Miserably
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One of the most memorable moments in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” arrives when Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth climbs to the roof of Rick Dalton’s house to fix an antenna. It’s a warm summer afternoon in Los Angeles, so Cliff strips down and takes off his shirt. Pitt’s physique and the way the sun is beating down on his body and glaring off his abs overwhelmed more than a handful of moviegoers. Tarantino appeared on the latest episode of Amy Schumer’s “3 Girls, 1 Keith” podcast and recalled the moment he tried and failed to direct Pitt’s acting when it came to how Cliff should take off his shirt.
“It was funny because actually in public Brad is kind of shy about things like that,” Tarantino said. “At the same time, he knows exactly what time it is. I go, ‘So, I’m thinking maybe you unbutton the Hawaiian shirt, and you peel that off, and then peel off the Champion T-shirt.’ He was like, ‘Really? You want me to go through all that button bullshit? I’ll just take it off in one bit. Go!'”
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Tarantino continued, “I’m like, okay, this guy knows exactly what time it is. Shut the fuck up and let the master do his job! Even when you see him in the work shed and the way he puts on the leather gloves and puts the wire in his mouth all butch and macho. He just knows what time it is.”
Pitt won every major supporting actor prize on the 2019-20 awards circuit for his performance in “Once Upon Time in Hollywood,” including the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Academy Award. Pitt had previously won an Oscar as the producer of Best Picture winner “12 Years a Slave,” but his win for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” marked his first Academy Award for acting.
Tarantino has yet to announce a follow-up project to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” but whatever he chooses to do will be his last film as he remains committed to his plan to retire after directing 10 movies. Tarantino was attached to an R-rated “Star Trek” for a time but has announced he most likely will not direct the space adventure. Listen to Tarantino’s full appearance on Schumer’s podcast here.
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