What Happened To Cliff Booth After Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Cliff Booth ended up being the hero in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but what happened to him after the film ended? Four years after his last film, The Hateful Eight, was released, Quentin Tarantino took viewers back to the 1960s, though an alternate version of it, in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Very much like he did with Inglourious Basterds, the film took elements, places, and people from 1960s Hollywood and gave them a twist, changing some very tragic events from the decade with his trademark filmmaking style.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood followed actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman and best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they struggled to remain active and relevant in the final years of Hollywood’s golden age. The film also featured some real-life actors and directors, most notably Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), and the fictional characters were inspired by some Hollywood legends.

The film also acknowledged the existence of Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) and his “family”, but gave Tate a very different ending by making Rick and Cliff the targets of the murders. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s ending was full of action, suspense, and Tarantino-levels of violence, but what happened to Cliff Booth after all that?

Cliff Booth’s Career After Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s ending saw Manson family members Tex (Austin Butler), Sadie (Mikey Madison), and Katie (Madisen Beaty) breaking into Rick’s house to kill him, but they weren’t counting on Rick and Cliff defending themselves in unconventional ways. Cliff was injured during the fight and was taken to the hospital, and Rick was invited to have a drink with Tate and friends at her house (after all, they were neighbors). The film didn’t share what happened to Cliff after that night, nor has Tarantino spoken about it, but you can get an idea when looking at the inspiration behind the character and other stuntmen from the decade.

Cliff Booth was inspired by real-life stuntman Hal Needham, close friend of Burt Reynolds and who performed some truly dangerous and incredible stunts in the 1960s and 1970s. Needham’s career as stuntman was affected by the industry trading stunts for special effects, so he focused on directing films instead. Now, taking into account that Rick Dalton’s career after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood didn’t have the big boost he (and the audience) hoped but he wouldn’t have been unemployed either, taking TV roles and being more open to roles than he was before, Cliff could have followed his steps. Given the strong relationship between Rick and Cliff, it’s possible that Cliff continued working as his stuntman – that is, if his injuries allowed him to. If not, he could have become a director, just like Needham, allowing him to stay active in the industry after the arrival of special effects.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood left the fates of Rick and Cliff open to viewers’ interpretation, but it’s unlikely that Cliff would have retired after the Manson incident. If anything, viewers can be sure that he moved on with his life alongside the always loyal and caring Brandy, and that his friendship with Rick continued for many more years.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
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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.

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