Quentin Tarantino Reportedly Clashed With Brad Pitt on ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ Set: ‘You’ll Be Dead in This Business’

A new behind-the-scenes story about Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt has surfaced from the set of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, according to an interview reported by People.

The story was shared by actor Bruce Dern, who spoke about it while promoting a new documentary about his career at the Cannes Film Festival. He discussed a moment that happened during filming of the 2019 movie, where Pitt and Tarantino had a small disagreement on set.

Dern explained that the moment came during a scene he filmed with Pitt. While acting, Dern decided to add a small improvised line to his performance.

He said, “When Brad Pitt wakes me up in ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,’ I’m in the bed and I get up and I’m a little groggy and stuff and I just say, ‘I’m not really sure what’s going on,’ I’m looking at him.”

According to Dern, Pitt reacted by stopping the camera during the take. That is when things got tense on set.

Dern described Tarantino’s reaction, saying, “The look on Quentin’s face — I mean, he was insanely grave — and he said, ‘Brad, what did you just do?’”

He continued by recalling Tarantino’s strong response to the interruption. “He said, ‘Well, I cut the camera.’ He said, ‘Never again in your life will you ever cut a camera or you’ll be dead in this business. That’s my domain. Don’t stop behavior,’” Dern said.

The moment reportedly ended without further conflict, and filming continued after the situation was clarified. Pitt also reportedly pointed out that the line was not part of the script, which led to a quick reset of the scene.

Despite the brief tension, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood went on to become one of Tarantino’s most successful films. The movie received strong reviews from critics and audiences and earned multiple awards and nominations.

The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won two, including a Best Supporting Actor win for Brad Pitt.

The film itself is set in late 1960s Hollywood and follows the story of a fading actor and his stunt double as they try to find their place in a changing film industry. It features a large ensemble cast and became one of the most talked-about releases of 2019.

Neither Tarantino nor Pitt has publicly commented on Bruce Dern’s recollection of the incident.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!