The Performance Quentin Tarantino Calls One of the Most Incredible He Has Seen
Quentin Tarantino is one of the most famous directors in Hollywood, known not just for his films but also for his love of movie history. He often talks about legendary filmmakers like Brian De Palma and Akira Kurosawa, but he also has a deep admiration for actors who can truly own the screen.
On a recent episode of his Video Archives podcast with Roger Avary, Tarantino highlighted a performance that completely blew him away. The actor was George C. Scott in the 1971 dark comedy The Hospital.
Tarantino said, “Wow, is this one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in my life?” He and Avary were stunned by how Scott brought depth and humanity to his role as a disillusioned chief of staff at a chaotic hospital.
The Hospital was directed by Arthur Hiller and earned Scott an Academy Award nomination. It came right after Scott made headlines for refusing to accept his Oscar for Patton, arguing that acting should never be treated like a competition. Tarantino admires that approach and often praises actors who treat their craft with the same seriousness.
Tarantino’s respect for acting doesn’t stop at the classics. He has also named Sean Penn, Tim Roth, and Nicolas Cage as some of the most remarkable actors of his generation. He praised Cage for turning being miscast into a career strength, saying that no one else could rise to a role the way Cage does.
For Roth, Tarantino pointed out his chameleon-like talents and intensity, which have made him a go-to actor in the director’s films. Even as he nears retirement, Tarantino is still active in the industry.
He surprised fans by canceling his planned tenth film, The Movie Critic, but he hasn’t slowed down. He recently wrote the screenplay for The Adventures of Cliff Booth, a $200 million Netflix project that serves as a standalone sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. David Fincher is directing, and Tarantino reportedly stayed closely involved throughout the shoot, which wrapped in January.
Tarantino is also returning to acting after more than thirty years. He will play John Percy in the upcoming drama Only What We Carry, starring alongside Simon Pegg and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The project marks a rare chance for him to appear on screen while continuing to write and shape major productions behind the camera.
For Tarantino, finding actors who challenge him and push the story forward remains a key part of filmmaking. His praise for George C. Scott shows how much he values performances that combine technical skill with raw emotion.
Do you think Quentin Tarantino’s collaboration with David Fincher on the Cliff Booth sequel will push him into a whole new creative era? Share your thoughts in the comments.
