The 1990s is considered one of the best decades in film history, and there is no shortage of amazing films to come from that decade. 1994, in particular, was an amazing year, and that just so happens to be the year that Quentin Tarantino released his smash hit film, Pulp Fiction, However, real film fans know that Reservoir Dogs really got the ball rolling for the filmmaker.
Reservoir Dogs was a fantastic film that helped Tarantino get going, and years later, the director himself shared a strange connection that the project has with The Golden Girls. In fact, that movie probably doesn’t get made without the show’s unknowing help.
Let’s take a look at the connection between Reservoir Dogs and The Golden Girls.
Tarantino Acted In Two Episodes Of ‘The Golden Girls’
It’s easy to look at Quentin Tarantino’s status in the business now and just assume that everything fell perfectly into place for the performer becoming a star director, but there is far more here than meets the eye. In fact, had it not been for an appearance in The Golden Girls, there is no telling how things would have turned out for the acclaimed filmmaker.
When speaking with Jimmy Fallon, Tarantino would take fans on a walk on how things came together in his career. He told Fallon, “Before I did Reservoir Dogs, I had a very unsuccessful acting career. One of the jobs I did get — and not because I did a wonderful audition but simply because they sent my picture in and they said, 'He's got it' — was for an Elvis impersonator on The Golden Girls.”
Tarantino explained that this only happened because he “walked around dressed like Elvis in the '80s. I wore a pompadour all the time. I actually went to a rockabilly place to get my haircut.”
That’s right, the guy who made Pulp Fiction was a struggling actor that used his hairstyle to land a spot in The Golden Girls. Small fish, right? Well, not exactly. Hit shows wind up thriving on television for years, which leads to its performers banking on residuals. This played a huge part in Tarantino making things work in the future.
Residual Income Helped Preproduction On Reservoir Dogs
Now, residual checks can be worth a varying amount, depending on the episode being played on different networks, but things have a funny way of working out. For Tarantino, this meant an additional appearance on the show and a decent-sized check.
During his Fallon interview, he would say, “It became a two-part Golden Girls, so I got paid residuals for both parts. And it was so popular they put it on a best of The Golden Girls and I got residuals every time that showed. So I got paid maybe, I don't know, $650 for that episode, but by the time the residuals were over three years later, I made like $3,000.”
This was a huge break for the aspiring filmmaker, who was ready to begin his foray into making major movies. The money that he made from The Golden Girls was a huge piece of the pie that kept him afloat during this trying time.
“That kept me going during our preproduction time, trying to get Reservoir Dogs going,” Tarantino said.
Tarantino Conquers Hollywood
Thankfully, things were able to work out long enough for Reservoir Dogs to be made, and from there, it took virtually no time at all for Tarantino to conquer Hollywood. The film was a critical success that showed the world what he could do with a modest budget. His next film, however, changed everything in the 90s.
In 1994, Pulp Fiction changed the world of movies forever, and really, it was this movie that put Tarantino on the map. Suddenly, he had a colossal hit to his name, and he also had some impressive nominations and wins during awards season. Tarantino even took home Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. He was the new face of film and everyone else was simply trying to catch up.
Since Pulp Fiction, the director has only added to his legacy with a number of hit films through the years. He has done acting work, sure, but he is known for his unreal work behind the camera. Some of his best films include Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It’s been one massive project after the next, which has cemented his place in history.
Reservoir Dogs was an amazing starting point for Quentin Tarantino, and it was made possible thanks to The Golden Girls.