Orange County Register/MCTRenowned for the creative vision that brought the world such films as “Pulp Fiction” and “Kill Bill,” Quentin Tarantino is one of the best-known writers and directors in Hollywood today. Known for their sharp dialogue, graphic violence and numerous pop-culture references, Tarantino’s films are popular all over the world.
Tarantino was born on March 27, 1963 in Knoxville, Tenn. His family moved to El Segundo in Los Angeles when he was 14.
That same year he wrote his first screenplay “Captain Peachfuzz and the Anchovy Bandit.” After dropping out of high school when he was 16, Tarantino went on to study acting at the James Best Theater Company.
In 1984, he began concentrating on screenwriting. His first screenplay, “True Romance,” was optioned and released in 1993. From there Tarantino went on to write “Reservoir Dogs,” which he wrote in three and a half weeks and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992.
Tarantino was offered numerous jobs from Hollywood after the success of “Reservoir Dogs,” but he turned them down in order to write “Pulp Fiction,” which earned him and co-writer Roger Avery six Academy Award nominations and one win for Best Original Screenplay in 1994.
Like many directors, Tarantino has a group of actors that he regularly casts in his films. This group includes Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman. He also sometimes plays small roles in his own films, such as “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill.”
With his success in the film industry under his belt, Tarantino has also made his mark in Hollywood by not only directing, but acting in television as well. He has directed episodes of the popular NBC and CBS dramas, “ER” and “CSI” and also appeared on ABC’s “Alias.”
Though he has been romantically linked with many celebrities, Tarantino has never married. His closest friend and collaborator is director Robert Rodriguez, who he has currently worked with on his most recent project, “Grindhouse,” which was released on April 6.
Tarantino’s next film after that will be “Inglorious Bastards,” a World War II film. Also, he has divulged information about possible anime prequels to the “Kill Bill” films.
