Kurt Russell’s role in the Quentin Tarantino classic, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, may have been small in comparison to his co-stars, but he played a crucial part in the movie’s critical success. Set in the late 1960s and serving as Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood explores a “what if” historical scenario, similar to Tarantino’s previous work in the 2009 war movie, Inglourious Basterds. The movie follows fictional characters, Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth, trying to revive their fading acting careers only to cross paths with members of Charles Manson’s family.

The movie was met with critical acclaim, with reviews for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood calling it Quentin Tarantino’s “love letter to the 1960s.” The cast and crew of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood were highly praised for their roles, with Brad Pitt winning his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Cliff Booth. Throughout the production, Quentin Tarantino went to great lengths to ensure the movie provided realistic and accurate portrayals of real Hollywood actors, most notably, Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, and he was ᴀssisted by Kurt Russell’s critical cameo.

Kurt Russell Helped Keep Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Authentic

Tarantino Stated That Russell Knew About The 1960s The Best Out Of The Entire Cast

Kurt Russell played the role of Randy Miller in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and also had a second role as the movie’s narrator. In the movie, Russell’s character, Miller, is a movie stunt coordinator who is reluctant to hire Cliff Booth for his upcoming movie, due to Booth’s troubled past. After Booth inadvertently damages Janet Miller’s car by throwing martial artist Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) into the windshield, Miller fires Booth from the set. Quentin Tarantino later stated that Kurt Russell was the secret key to helping the movie’s authenticity.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Quentin Tarantino revealed that during production, Kurt Russell regularly collaborated with him and spoke to him about his early acting experiences in the 1960s. In the early stages, Tarantino worked with Burt Reynolds – who pᴀssed away during production – and Bruce Dern to learn about their 1960s experiences, but stated that Kurt Russell provided a different perspective as he was “the youngest guy that [Tarantino] can work with, who actually lived that life.” Tarantino praised Russell for sharing his experiences and called Russell was “a valuable resource” in keeping Once Upon a Time in Hollywood authentic.

Kurt Russell’s Incredible Career Meant That He Knew Everyone Tarantino Was Writing About

His Acting Career Spans An Impressive Six Decades

Kurt Russell’s impressive acting career that has lasted over six decades allowed him a unique connection to the era that was depicted in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Russell began his acting career at the age of 12 in the Western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964), and appeared twice in the TV series, Gunsmoke (1969), before moving to work in Disney action movies such as Follow Me, Boys! (1966) and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). Russell’s experience working on various projects in the 1960s meant he had knowledge of how movie studios operated, and the various stars depicted throughout Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster.

Quentin Tarantino acknowledged that Kurt Russell’s early acting experience helped him in ensuring that the movie era depicted in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood was as accurate as possible (via Slashfilm). Tarantino stated that “there’s almost nobody that [Kurt Russell] didn’t work with at one point or other in his career” and that Russell was able to help him ensure that every historical figure depicted in the movie was realistic and authentic. Kurt Russell’s work throughout Once Upon a Time In Hollywood proved he was more than just Randy Miller and his ᴀssistance and expertise ensured that Tarantino’s movie was both a critical and commercial success.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Slashfilm