The Denzel Washington Quentin Tarantino Feud That Lasted Years
Hollywood feuds have been the stuff of legends since the Silent Movie Era first put the stars on the big screen, sometimes giving audiences more real-life drama than the scripted situations they are paid to act out. From the Bette Davis/Joan Crawford fiasco to the heat between The Rock and Vin Diesel, tabloids have taken celebrity fodder and splashed it over front pages, further fueling the public’s want for the inside gossip. In the 1990s, a less publicized feud erupted between screen icon Denzel Washington and filmmaker Quentin Tarantino during the making of Crimson Tide, and lasted well into the 2000s.
A Quiet Feud That Simmered
In a 2012 interview with GQ, Denzel Washington was discussing his upbringing, career, and family life when he mentioned that his daughter, Katia Washington, was working behind the scenes with Quentin Tarantino on his Academy Award-winning film Django Unchained. The Oscar-award-winning actor had been talking about hustling hard for money as an independent kid and noted that he really admired that sense of hustle and independence in his eldest child.
Started With Crimson Tide
Denzel Washington revealed to GQ that, though she didn’t like him to bring it up publicly, that she was busy working with the director. At this point, the interviewer mentioned the feud between him and Quentin Tarantino that stemmed from their interactions with each other during the 1995 film Crimson Tide. Washington held a starring role in the dramatic military film, and Tarantino was working on the production as an uncredited screenwriter.
The source of the dispute between Denzel Washington and Quentin Tarantino was rooted in the dialogue that the filmmaker was attempting to interject into the production. Washington felt that Tarantino was adding language and situations that were overtly racist, and went to confront him over the changes that he had made to the script.
A Fundamental Disagreement
When Denzel Washington was cast in Crimson Tide, Quentin Tarantino was not part of the official screenwriting team. The Pulp Fiction director was hired in an uncredited role to contribute some pop culture references to the production. When he was made aware of Washington’s being upset about the contributions he made, he asked to speak privately to the actor, an offer that Washington reportedly refused.
Instead, Denzel Washington let Quentin Tarantino really have it in front of their colleagues, a move that made Tarantino resent him for years.
Tarantino Carried The Grudge
Though it was the Kill Bill filmmaker that seemed to carry the grudge through the years, the feud apparently ended more than a decade later at the behest of Washington.
Denzel Washington told his GQ interviewer that he approached Quentin Tarantino after seeking him out. Washington admitted that he apologized to him, and urged his one-time adversary to also let it all go. “You gonna walk around with that the rest of your life?” he related what he said to the director.
Apologized And Made Up
According to Denzel Washington, Quentin Tarantino accepted the apology and seemed relieved that the squabble was over. Washington went on to muse about how, years after he agreed to bury the hatchet, now his oldest daughter is working on a production with a man he was once at great odds with.
Sources: GQ
