Nine movies into his prolific career, the history of cinema has been embedded with the style and daring stories of Quentin Tarantino. The two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “Pulp Fiction” and “Django Unchained” celebrates his 58th birthday today, and with it, we are celebrating the 10 best performances that have come from his films.
Including some of his Oscar-nominated actors like Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”) and Robert Forster (“Jackie Brown”), he’s also brought Christoph Waltz to two Academy Awards for supporting actor in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009) and “Django Unchained” (2012), and most recently Brad Pitt for “Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood” (2019). There are also many that didn’t make the cut in their respective awards years, that are worthy of attention, or just stand out in his filmography. No ranking is ever definitive, with some either growing (or diminishing) as time moves forward.
Said to be throwing in the cinematic towel after his tenth feature film, we can only hope he feels compelled to continue his venture through various genres of cinema. While we continue to hear rumors of a possible version of “Star Trek” or a Django-Zorro crossover movie in his future, personally, I’m hopeful for him to bring the conclusion of his “Kill Bill” series to the fray, which could explore the daughter of Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), Nikki (Ambrosia Kelley), seeking revenge following the death of her mother at the hands of Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman) a.k.a. The Bride. In an interview last July, Fox shared her recommendation for superstar Zendaya to portray an adult Nikki; however, an online petition was launched to have Tarantino recast Kelley for the role. Either way, there’s still no definitive word if the film will ever happen or not.
Variety has weighed in over the years with rankings of Tarantino’s films and greatest scenes. Make sure to revisit them as well.
Check out the list down below.
Honorable mentions: Robert Forster as Max Cherry (“Jackie Brown”), Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver (“Kill Bill Vol. 2”), Lucy Lui as O-Ren Ishii (“Kill Bill Vol. 1”), Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth (“Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood”), Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace (“Pulp Fiction”), Uma Thurman as The Bride (“Kill Bill Vol. 2”), John Travolta as Vincent Vega (“Pulp Fiction”), Christopher Walken as Captain Koons (“Pulp Fiction”), Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge (“Pulp Fiction”)