Quentin Tarantino Admits There’s One Character He Wrote He Truly Hates

Quentin Tarantino once admitted that out of all the characters he’s written, Calvin Candie from Django Unchained is the one he truly hated. The director shared his thoughts on the character during an episode of the ReelBlend podcast.

Tarantino is known for creating villains who are both evil and fascinating. Characters like Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds and the Deadly Vipers from Kill Bill are memorable because they have charm, humor, and even depth.

Tarantino said he usually feels some sympathy for his villains. “I had a very weird relationship with the character he played, Calvin Candie. Because all my villains, every single villain I’ve ever created, I’ve always kind of had sympathy for. I always liked to some degree. Even Hans Landa. I could see his point of view. I like the guy. Bad, but I got it. Christoph makes him likable,” he explained.

Calvin Candie, however, was different. Tarantino said he struggled to connect with him and couldn’t find anything redeeming. “Calvin Candie was different from the rest of them. I kind of detested the character. I really, really hated him. It was weird to write a character that I hated and kind of feel that way about the character. Because of that, I thought he was a substandard character,” he admitted.

Then Leonardo DiCaprio took on the role. While Tarantino initially thought Candie was a weaker character, DiCaprio brought new life to him. “When Leo was really into it, I thought I was kind of buffaloing him a little bit. I thought, ‘This character is not as good as he thinks it is.’ I’m not going to set him straight! (Laughs). I’m thinking, ‘He ain’t all that,’” Tarantino said.

DiCaprio’s performance added depth and ambiguity to the role that wasn’t in the script. “To me, he was without ambiguity, which makes him a lesser character. But, we did a really good job of filling in everything. And Leo brought ambiguity to the piece,” Tarantino concluded.