Biography
Having famously learned his art while working as a video store clerk after dropping out of high school, Tarantino burst onto the scene first as a writer, penning the original drafts of Tony Scott's "True Romance" (1993) and Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers" (1994). Prior to that, he was a cause célèbre at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival with his breakout heist-gone-wrong thriller "Reservoir Dogs" (1992). But it was "Pulp Fiction" that …
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Career Milestones
| Began making (unfinished) first film, "My Best Friend's Birthday" from a screenplay co-written with Craig Hamann; they both co-starred | ||
| Hired with Avary as production assistants for a Dolph Lundgren video after impressing producer John Langley - a regular customer at Video Archives - with their film knowledge | ||
| Met future producer Lawrence Bender while working at Cinetel Productions | ||
1985 | Spent five years working at Video Archives, a well-stocked video store in Manhattan Beach, CA; co-worker was future writing collaborator Roger Avary | |
1990 | Commissioned to write a screenplay based on a 6-page story by Robert Kurtzman (co-founder of the special effects makeup company KNB Effects); eventually became "From Dusk Till Dawn" | |
1990 | Made acting debut, as an Elvis impersonator, in an episode of NBC's "The Golden Girls" | |
1991 | Formed A Band Apart Productions with producer Lawrence Bender | |
1992 | Met future collaborator, writer-director Robert Rodriguez, at the Toronto Film Festival | |
1992 | Premiered directorial debut, "Reservoir Dogs," at the Sundance Film festival; also co-wrote (with Avary) and co-starred as Mr. Brown | |
1993 | First film as screenwriter only, "True Romance"; directed by Tony Scott and co-starred Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette | |
1994 | First film as producer only, "Killing Zoe"; Roger Avary's debut as a writer-director | |
1994 | Had breakthrough feature film with "Pulp Fiction"; directed, co-wrote and acted in | |
1994 | Received story credit for Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers" | |
1994 | Received strong notices for his performance in "Sleep With Me" | |
1995 | First collaboration with writer-director Rodriguez, played a small role in "Desperado" | |
1995 | Formed Rolling Thunder (with Bender), a specialty distribution label under Miramax Pictures, designed to acquire, distribute and market their films | |
1995 | Made TV directing debut with "Motherhood," an episode of the hit NBC medical drama "ER" | |
1995 | Played first feature lead, Johnny Destiny in "Destiny Turns on the Radio" | |
1995 | With Bender, launched A Band Apart Commercials, a commercial production house under the Miramax banner | |
1996 | Appeared in and wrote the script for Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk Till Dawn" | |
1997 | With Bender, launched A Band Apart Records to market and distribute recordings made on Madonna's Maverick label | |
1997 | Wrote and directed the film, "Jackie Brown," an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel "Rum Punch"; tailored leading role for actress Pam Grier | |
1998 | Starred on stage opposite Marisa Tomei in a revival of "Wait Until Dark" | |
2000 | Had featured role in "Little Nicky," starring Adam Sandler | |
2001 | Produced the US release of the Hong Kong martial arts film "Iron Monkey" | |
2002 | Had a recurring role on ABC's drama series, "Alias" | |
2003 | Wrote script "Kill Bill" for actress Uma Thurman; was scheduled to direct in 2001 but was postponed after Thurman became pregnant; released in two volumes "Kill Bill vol. 1" (2003) and "Kill Bill vol. 2" (2004) | |
2004 | Brought the Chinese martial arts film "Hero" to the US | |
2005 | Directed the fifth season finale of CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"; earned an Emmy nomination | |
2005 | Produced Eli Roth's horror film, "Hostel" | |
2007 | Helmed "Death Proof," the slasher themed half of the goretastic double feature of "Grind House," a collaboration with Robert Rodriguez | |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing ("Inglourious Basterds") | |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film ("Inglourious Basterds") | |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture ("Inglourious Basterds") | |
2009 | Wrote and directed the film, "Inglourious Basterds," about a group of U.S. soldiers in Nazi occupied France during World War II; earned Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay and a Directors Guild nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement | |
Awards
1993 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Director in Reservoir Dogs |
1993 | Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in Reservoir Dogs |
1994 | Academy Award for Directing in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen) in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | BAFTA Award for David Lean Award For Achievement In Direction, The in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | BAFTA Award for Film in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | BAFTA Award for Original Screenplay in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Cannes Film Festival for Palme d'Or in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | National Board of Review Award for Best Director in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director in Pulp Fiction |
1994 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay in Pulp Fiction |
1995 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Director in Pulp Fiction |
1995 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay in Pulp Fiction |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2009 | Academy Award for Directing in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | Academy Award for Writing (Original Screenplay) in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | BAFTA Award for Director in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | BAFTA Award for Original Screenplay in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Director in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Original Screenplay in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay in Inglourious Basterds |
2009 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay in Inglourious Basterds |
2010 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Picture in Inglourious Basterds |
2010 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay in Inglourious Basterds |
2010 | Palm Springs International Film Festival for Sonny Bono Visionary Award |