The actor who is “in goddess territory”, according to Quentin Tarantino
Like all good directors, when Quentin Tarantino finds an actor he really likes, he won’t shy away from working with them multiple times. From John Ford and John Wayne to Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst, director/actor partnerships often allow both parties to prosper. Tarantino has worked with several actors more than once, clearly enjoying directing stars who truly understand what he wants from them.
He has worked with Uma Thurman on Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Vol 1 and Kill Bill Vol 2, and his admiration for the actor practically emanates through the screen. He was initially hesitant to meet with Thurman when he was casting the role of Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction, his second feature after Reservoir Dogs. Yet, once he’d met another actor in the hopes of finding a better Mia, he realised that he couldn’t possibly pick anyone else.
Talking about the actor he met after meeting with Thurman, he told Rolling Stone, “It was with this terrific actress who totally got the piece. But I’m sitting there giving her my private thoughts about Mia — stuff that Uma and I had talked about that’s not on the page — when all of a sudden, I felt like I was cheating on Uma. It felt like I was having an illicit affair. ‘How can I talk to another girl about Mia when Uma is Mia?’ And that’s when I knew.”
Thurman’s performance in Pulp Fiction was iconic – it still inspires countless Halloween costumes every year. During the mid-1990s, Tarantino began workshopping an idea with the actor for a new movie, which would become Kill Bill. He was set on having Thurman play the leading role, and the pair fleshed out the character of The Bride together. When Thurman became pregnant, Tarantino happily held off from making the film until she was available – he needed her to be the star.
Tarantino frequently visited the actor and her baby daughter, Maya Hawke, and adjusted the script based on the bond he witnessed between the pair. Thus, the emphasis on motherhood in Kill Bill might not have been developed as well if Thurman hadn’t actually given birth shortly before filming.
After giving a career-defining performance in Kill Bill and its sequel (although Tarantino technically considers them one film, just split in two), Thurman cemented her place in Hollywood as an unforgettable star. “Thurman’s up there with [Greta] Garbo and [Marlene] Dietrich in goddess territory,” Tarantino once said, as reported by AnOther Magazine.
These greats of Hollywood are a bold comparison, but Thurman’s ability to embody her character so effortlessly suggests that Tarantino might have a point. Thurman’s portrayal of The Bride – abused and betrayed – is mesmerising. As she fights and seeks revenge on everyone who has wronged her and her child, she remains poised with a deep strength that is admirable and impressive.
Tarantino often emphasises his clear love and appreciation of her as a “goddess” in Kill Bill by framing her in certain ways, such as allowing her hair to flow in the wind. It is more than evident that Tarantino needed Thurman for Kill Bill; it couldn’t have been made without her. She contributed significantly to the screenplay, and her incredible performance elevated the script to the highest of heights.
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