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Joe Taysom@josephtaysom

Fri 19 April 2024 15:18, UK

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In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Quentin Tarantino‘s classic movie, Pulp Fiction, the film’s cast reunited in Los Angeles as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 18th.

While Tarantino wasn’t in attendance at the event, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Harvey Keitel were back in the same room to reminisce about the movie, which transformed the fortunes of their careers. Although none of the names mentioned above were unknowns before Pulp Fiction, Tarantino cemented their status as stars.

For Thurman, Pulp Fiction was a revolutionary movie for the whole cinematic landscape, noting to host Ben Mankiewicz, “It changed cinema, so it’s almost hard to have it sink in.”

Thurman continued: “I feel like I’ve had an evolving and beautifully growing relationship with ‘Pulp Fiction’ all of my life. It changed cinema, and it changed every filmmaker I met since.”

Although Travolta was already a household name before Pulp Fiction arrived on screens, the movie showcased him in a whole new light, allowing him to express his acting chops like never before and opening new doors.

Reflecting on the role, he explained: “I had a great first chapter, and I was desperately looking for a second one. And [Quentin] took me to the moon and back. After that, it was mind-boggling, the opportunities that came my way. I mean, an actor can only fantasise about what happened after that for me. It was next level.”

Jackson was equally exuberant while looking back on his role in Pulp Fiction, which elevated his career to the next level. “I was floating along and doing well, and this film was a great boost to me, just working and doing it through the work,” he admitted.

Due to his ongoing health problems, Bruce Willis was unavailable to attend the event, although his wife, Emma Heming Willis and daughter, Tallulah Willis, deputised for the actor. Jackson poignantly recalled watching Pulp Fiction at Cannes alongside Willis, who he was also set to work with in Die Hard, remembering, “Bruce and I were sitting there watching the film and the audience was loving the movie. And Bruce said, yeah, this movie is going to make you popular, but Die Hard is going to make you a star.”

Another positive effect Pulp Fiction had on Jackson was on his public reputation, with the actor proudly stating: “It changed my life drastically in that this was the particular role where all of a sudden people started thinking I was the coolest motherfucker on the planet.”

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed Tarantino had shelved plans to make his tenth film, The Movie Critic. The legendary director has always planned to stop filmmaking after ten productions, but after suffering a change of heart, he’s still looking for his final project.

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