Quentin Tarantino’s Most Disliked Actors Revealed
Quentin Tarantino has never shied away from sharing his opinions, especially when it comes to actors he finds particularly irksome. Discover which six performers have drawn his sharpest criticism.
Few directors are as forthright as Quentin Tarantino, who has never hesitated to air his grievances about certain performers—even those he’s never actually worked with. Of the six actors he’s publicly criticised, only one has ever appeared in one of his productions. While many in the industry might consider it poor form to disparage colleagues without direct experience, Tarantino seems entirely unfazed by such conventions.
His reputation for candour is well established, and his recent remarks about a widely respected actor have only reinforced his image as Hollywood’s most outspoken auteur. For Tarantino, holding back simply isn’t an option, and his list of disliked actors is as eclectic as it is surprising.
Unexpected Targets
Matthew Lillard found himself on the receiving end of Tarantino’s disdain for no apparent reason. The actor, known for roles in Scream, Scooby-Doo, and She’s All That, admitted the comments stung:
“It hurts your feelings. It fucking sucks.”
Lillard, who has quietly built a steady career over three decades, seems to have landed on Tarantino’s blacklist without ever crossing his path.
Lawrence Tierney, on the other hand, did work with Tarantino—albeit briefly. During the making of Reservoir Dogs, Tierney’s behaviour reportedly alienated much of the cast and crew. Tarantino described him as a
“complete lunatic”
and, after a particularly heated exchange, told him to
“take your fat fucking arse off my fucking set.”
Despite this, Tierney still appears in the finished film, though Tarantino made it clear he wanted nothing further to do with him.
Long-standing Grievances
Owen Wilson, a familiar face in British cinemas, has also drawn Tarantino’s ire. Despite praising Midnight in Paris as one of his favourite films of the century, Tarantino made a point of distancing himself from its star:
“I really can’t stand Owen Wilson. I mean, I can’t stand him.”
The remark was entirely unsolicited, and his dislike for Wilson appears to be based on little more than personal taste.
Al Lettieri, best remembered for his role as Virgil ‘The Turk’ Sollozzo in The Godfather, failed to impress Tarantino in subsequent roles. In The Getaway, Tarantino found his performance particularly off-putting:
“I’m not a fan. I find his performance physically repellent. Now, for a character like Rudy, that should be a good thing, no? No. It’s still a film. I still should want to watch the film and enjoy it.”
Unlikely Offenders
Miles Chapin, whose career peaked in the 1980s, is perhaps the most unexpected name on the list. Tarantino described him as
“an actor I’ve always been allergic to,”
and recalled his turn in Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse as
“as annoying as usual.”
Even Chapin’s choice of wardrobe—a jumper draped around his neck—was enough to provoke Tarantino’s instant dislike:
“to make me hate him on sight.”
Paul Dano rounds out the group, though he may not even be aware of Tarantino’s opinion. Despite Dano’s reputation for consistently strong performances, Tarantino has labelled him the
“weakest”
actor in the Screen Actors Guild. In a final twist of self-deprecation, he suggested there might be one member of the Guild even less impressive—himself.