Six Hollywood Stars Quentin Tarantino Publicly Can’t Stand
Quentin Tarantino has never been shy about his opinions, and he’s made it clear there are six actors he simply can’t stand—even if he’s never worked with most of them.
Quentin Tarantino is known for his bold filmmaking and even bolder opinions. While it ’s not unusual for directors to criticize actors they’ve had bad experiences with, Tarantino has taken things a step further. He’s openly voiced his dislike for several actors, most of whom he’s never even met, let alone worked with. Out of the six actors he’s called out, only one ever appeared in one of his films. In an industry where most people keep their opinions to themselves, Tarantino’s unapologetic attitude stands out.
Matthew Lillard: An Unexpected Target
Matthew Lillard, who’s been quietly building his career for decades, found himself on the receiving end of Tarantino’s criticism for no apparent reason. Lillard, known for roles in Scream, Scooby-Doo, and She’s All That, admitted the comments stung.
“It hurts your feelings,”
he said.
“It fucking sucks.”
Despite keeping a low profile, Lillard’s steady work was enough to land him on Tarantino’s list of least favorite actors.
Lawrence Tierney: Trouble on Set
Lawrence Tierney is the only actor on this list who actually worked with Tarantino, starring in his debut film, Reservoir Dogs. Tierney’s behavior on set was so disruptive that Tarantino called him a
“complete lunatic,”
and even fired him during production. As Tarantino put it,
“Take your fat fucking ass off my fucking set.”
Although Tierney still appears in the movie, Tarantino made it clear he never wanted to work with him again.
Owen Wilson and Al Lettieri: Disdain Without Reason
Owen Wilson, a well-known actor who’s managed to avoid controversy throughout his career, somehow managed to irritate Tarantino. Even though Tarantino praised Midnight in Paris as one of his favorite films of the 21st century, he made a point to say,
“I really can’t stand Owen Wilson. I mean, I can’t stand him.”
The criticism seemed to come out of nowhere and had nothing to do with Wilson’s performance.
Al Lettieri, best remembered for his role as Virgil ‘The Turk’ Sollozzo in The Godfather, also drew Tarantino’s ire. Tarantino described Lettieri’s performance in The Getaway as physically off-putting, saying,
“I’m not a fan.”
He went further, adding,
“I find his performance physically repellent.”
Even though Lettieri played a villain, Tarantino felt his presence made the film less enjoyable.
Miles Chapin and Paul Dano: Unlikely Foes
Miles Chapin, a retired actor who peaked in the 1980s, is another surprising name on Tarantino’s list. The director once called Chapin
“an actor I’ve always been allergic to,”
and described his performance in The Funhouse as
“as annoying as usual.”
Even Chapin’s fashion choices, like wearing a sweater draped over his shoulders, were enough to set Tarantino off.
Paul Dano, known for his consistently strong performances, was singled out by Tarantino as the
“weakest”
actor in the Screen Actors Guild. Dano, who tends to avoid the spotlight, may not even realize he’s at the center of Tarantino’s criticism. Still, Tarantino insisted there’s at least one actor worse than Dano—himself.