Quentin Tarantino Drops Bombshell on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Character

Quentin Tarantino, the acclaimed filmmaker, has shared what happened to one of the characters in his movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, three years after its release. The movie is set in 1969 and is a tribute to the Los Angeles of Tarantino's youth and an era of Hollywood that was in transition. The film features Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, a B-grade actor who is struggling with his self-doubt as a performer and forced to take on TV roles to get by. Dalton becomes an unlikely hero in the film's outrageously violent finale.

Now, three years after the movie's release, Tarantino has seemingly ended Dalton's story for good. The director's Video Archives podcast shared a tweet announcing the passing of actor Rick Dalton, known for his roles in the hit TV series Bounty Law and The Fireman trilogy. The tweet reveals that Dalton is survived by his wife Francesca, an Italian starlet whom Rick meets while working on films overseas. The podcast also announced a tribute episode dedicated to Rick Dalton, which will be released next Tuesday.

Rick Dalton Was Tarantino’s Tribute To Hollywood's Less-Famous Leading Men

Part 3: The Inspiration Behind Rick Dalton's Character

The creation of Rick Dalton's character in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was influenced by several real-life Hollywood leading men. One of the chief inspirations was Ralph Meeker, a tough guy actor who starred in the film noir classic Kiss Me Deadly. Other leading men from the 1960s who served as inspiration for Tarantino include Tab Hunter, Ty Hardin, Edd Byrnes, George Maharis, Vince Edwards, Fabian Forte, and William Shatner.

These actors not only caught Tarantino's attention for their on-screen performances but also shared a similar career trajectory. Like Rick Dalton, they established themselves in movies before encountering hard times and being forced to seek work in television or European films. Despite the movie's occasional jokes at Dalton's expense, Tarantino's portrayal of his struggles is always affectionate.

One particularly memorable scene depicts Dalton forgetting his lines while filming a TV Western and having a meltdown in his dressing room. This scene, cited by Michael J. Fox as a poignant reminder of his own struggles after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, is a testament to Tarantino's ability to capture the emotional depth of his characters.

If you're a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio's portrayal of Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, then you won't want to miss out on Tarantino's upcoming Video Archives podcast episode. The director will be paying homage to the character he created in tribute to some of his favorite old-school movie actors. The episode is set to drop on Tuesday and promises to offer some unique insights into the making of the film and the inspiration behind Dalton's character. Be sure to tune in and discover what Tarantino has in store for his listeners.