Once Upon A Time In Hollywood The Real Life Inspirations Behind Cliff Booth

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: The Real Life Inspirations Behind Cliff Booth

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Once Upon A Time In Hollywood took many elements and characters from the real world, and Cliff Booth was inspired by two stuntmen. Here’s who.

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Once Upon A Time In Hollywood The Real Life Inspirations Behind Cliff Booth

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood features a mix of real-life celebrities from the 1960s and fictional characters, though they’re based on real people. Such is the case of Cliff Booth, who took inspiration from some legendary stuntmen from the decade. Following the steps of his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, which told an alternate version of World War II, Quentin Tarantino brought Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which shows a different story of some tragic events from the 1960s (and the film industry in general).

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood follows actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his best friend and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who have worked together for years. As Hollywood’s golden age nears its end, so do the careers of Dalton and Booth, and they struggle to remain active and relevant. Their stories are intertwined with that of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), though she doesn’t really get enough screen time. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood also acknowledges the existence of Charles Manson and his “family”, as well as the events from that 1969 night but with a twist.

The film offers a look at the 1960s and life in Hollywood through the lives of two struggling actors, and Tarantino took inspiration from real life figures and their own experiences. In Cliff Booth’s case, his story was inspired by those of two different stuntmen from the decade.

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Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: The Stuntmen Who Inspired Cliff Booth

Brad Pitt’s performance as Cliff Booth was modeled after Tom Laughlin’s portrayal of Billy Jack in the 1971 film of the same name, but the character was inspired by two stuntmen: Hal Needham and Gary Kent. Needham was a close friend of Burt Reynolds and did a lot of very dangerous stunts in his career. Needham met Reynolds in the 1950s on the set of Riverboat, and very much like Dalton and Booth, they became friends and Needham even lived with Reynolds for a couple of years. Needham worked with a lot of actors, among those John Wayne, and taught him how to throw a convincing fake punch. Needham directed a number of films too, as his career as stuntman was affected by the industry trading stunts for special effects.

Gary Kent was also a stuntman in the 1960s and 1970s, and among his most notable credits are The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Green Hornet. He was also a stunt coordinator in more modern productions, such as Bubba Ho-Tep. Very much like Needham, Kent also directed a couple of films, and retired from stunt work in 2003 after an accident on Bubba Ho-Tep, though he keeps acting in independent films. Tarantino took elements from both to create Cliff Booth’s story in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, paying tribute to stuntmen not only from the 1960s but in general.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/upon-time-hollywood-tarantino-cliff-booth-stuntmen/

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