Does Quentin Tarantino have a problem with British actors?
Since the 1990s, Quentin Tarantino has been a major force in the film industry, directing movies that garner instant attention simply because his name is attached to them. Everyone flocks to see the newest Tarantino movie even though they know what to expect – brutal violence, witty lines, offbeat characters, and a retro soundtrack.
When you go into a Tarantino movie, no matter the genre or the time period in which it’s set, you can also expect to see several familiar actors that the filmmaker has worked with before. Whether it be Samuel L Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman, or Michael Madsen, you might notice a common theme – almost all of Tarantino’s favourite collaborators are American.
Of course, we can’t forget Tim Roth, born in London, for whom Tarantino seems to hold a special place. He has appeared in four Tarantino projects: Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight, and the anthology Four Rooms, co-directed by various other filmmakers. It is important to note that in the latter three films, Roth uses a British accent, something that is rarely heard in Tarantino’s films. His movies, for the most part, feel quintessentially American, set in locations like the Old West or Los Angeles.
Tarantino simply seems to prefer using American actors, with Roth seemingly the only British star to have been given a chance by the director. This isn’t a coincidence or a fan theory; Tarantino essentially confirmed his lack of enthusiasm for British actors in an interview with Deadline.
“Nothing against the Brits,” he said, “I think when people look back on this era of cinema, and it’s just all these British actors pretending to be Americans and all these Australian actors pretending to be Americans, it’s like phantoms. Nobody is acting in their own voice.”
It’s a bizarre quote from Tarantino, who seems to completely ignore how many incredible British actors have always been used in Hollywood – some causing great shock when people find out they’re not even from America. Look at actors like Florence Pugh or Robert Pattinson, for example. Both have used incredibly realistic American accents throughout their careers – the fact that they’re actually British becomes irrelevant. If you can do a good accent, why should it matter?
Hollywood is the main force in the film industry, so if British actors want to succeed, they’re going to have to learn how to master an authentic American accent, which most have certainly achieved. For Tarantino to accuse people of not “acting in their own voice,” (a very contradictory thing for him to say following that Django Unchained performance), is to disregard the abilities of many incredible British actors who have dominated Hollywood out of pure skill.
So, it seems as though we won’t be getting any British actors performing in Tarantino’s next film, which he claims will be his last. Unless Tim Roth wants to make an appearance (which is likely if it really is Tarantino’s last project), then it seems as though we’ll be getting another American-led movie from one of the country’s cinematic titans.
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