The only actor Quentin Tarantino said he was allergic to: “Enough for me to hate him on sight”
Most actors would jump at the chance to be in a Quentin Tarantino movie, and if they make a good enough impression on him, there’s a high chance they’ll be invited back for more.
Not many stars turn him down, with Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke the only ones to do it twice, and the writer and director’s repertory has been constantly increasing ever since he worked with Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, and Harvey Keitel for the first time in Reservoir Dogs.
Since then, he’s added the likes of Uma Thurman, Samuel L Jackson, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kurt Russell, and Walton Goggins to the roster. Tarantino also developed a habit of dusting off forgotten figures and breathing new life into their careers, with John Travolta, Robert Forster, Pam Grier, and Bruce Dern some of the beneficiaries.
However, there’s one retired actor he wouldn’t even contemplate trying to lure out of retirement because he can’t stand them. A semi-regular fixture on the screen from the early 1970s to the late 1980s who frequented low-budget genre films, Tarantino made his feelings clear in his book, Cinema Speculation, when casting his eye over Tobe Hooper’s 1981 B-tier terror, The Funhouse.
“Miles Chapin, an actor I’ve always been allergic to, is as annoying as usual as Richie, the wimpy-creepy-bespectacled best friend of [Cooper Huckabee’s] Buzz,” he wrote. “Chapin goes through the film with a sweater tied around his neck (which in those days was egregious enough for me to hate him on sight).”
Poor guy. Chapin eventually got out of the acting business, with his last credit coming in the 2001 made-for-TV movie Lightning: Fire from the Sky, and he’s since made a living as a sales consultant, published author, and realtor. It’s been over 40 years since The Funhouse was released, yet Tarantino still can’t reconcile his disdain for the fella. Then again, he did offer his performance a backhanded compliment of sorts.
“While I’ve never liked Miles Chapin, you can’t deny he is perfectly cast as shit-heel Richie,” he offered. Tarantino is basically saying “I hate that guy but he sure is good at playing a dickhead,” which underlines just how little he cared for his work. At least he got a kick out of The Funhouse, even if he didn’t rate it anywhere near as highly as he did some of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Hooper’s other work.
Is Chapin even aware that one of modern cinema’s most famous and influential auteurs can’t stand him? Maybe, maybe not. Even if he is, then he probably doesn’t give a shit anyway, seeing as it’s been almost a quarter of a century since the actor put Hollywood in his rear-view mirror.
Never Miss A Take
The Far Out Quentin Tarantino Newsletter
All the latest Quentin Tarantino content from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.