Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: The Actor Who Almost Played Cliff Booth

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood gave Brad Pitt a number of awards, most notably the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but he almost didn’t star as Cliff Booth, as there was another well-known actor considered for the role. Following the style of Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino offered an alternate version of 1960s Hollywood in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, one of the most anticipated and acclaimed releases of 2019, which also got its dose of controversy – after all, it’s a Tarantino film.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood follows actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his best friend and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they struggle to stay relevant and active in the final years of Hollywood’s golden age. The film also explores the story of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), and features other notable figures of the decade, such as Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis) and Bruce Lee (Mike Moh). Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has been praised for its screenplay, direction, and performances, especially that of Brad Pitt.

It’s not surprising, then, that Pitt was the big favorite during awards season, taking home the biggest awards, such as a Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA awards. However, Cliff Booth could have looked very different, as before Pitt joined the project, another actor was in talks to play the role, and it’s one Pitt has work with before.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: Tom Cruise Almost Played Cliff Booth

When Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was in the early stages of pre-production, Tarantino approached Brad Pitt to star in it, but as a very different character: the detective investigating the Manson Family murders. A few months later, it was revealed that Tom Cruise was in talks for one of the lead roles, along with Leonardo DiCaprio. Ultimately, Brad Pitt was cast, and the chemistry between him and DiCaprio was one of the things that made the film a big hit.

Tarantino addressed Tom Cruise’s possible casting a few days before Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was released. Speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via The Playlist), Tarantino confirmed he talked to Cruise about it, but in the end, it was all about getting the right pair to play Dalton and Booth, and DiCaprio and Pitt were his first choices. Tarantino went on to explain that getting both on board wasn’t a sure thing, and there was a lot to consider given that one was the double of the other, and they had to “match up in the right kind of way”. Although DiCaprio and Pitt aren’t exact copies of the other, they’re a closer match than DiCaprio and Cruise.

Tarantino added that he had “maybe eight different pairings of actors” that could go together in a believable way, but the final pair was definitely his #1. The writer-director doesn’t rule out a future collaboration with Cruise, so even if he didn’t get to star in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, there’s still hope for him to join the Tarantino movie universe.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3273 Articles Published)

See also  20 Mistakes Fans Completely Missed In Iron Man Movies

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

More From Adrienne Tyler