{"id":486903,"date":"2026-02-24T04:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T04:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/486903\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T04:00:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T04:00:07","slug":"tarantino-diss-felt-like-i-got-punched-in-the-mouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/486903\/","title":{"rendered":"Tarantino Diss Felt Like I Got ‘Punched in the Mouth’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tMatthew Lillard<\/a> told People magazine<\/a> that he would \u201clove\u201d to be in a Quentin Tarantino<\/a> movie, which is why it \u201csucked\u201d when the director criticized him last year, along with fellow actors Paul Dano and Owen Wilson. Lillard added: \u201cI think he\u2019s a lovely filmmaker, and to just sort of get punched in the mouth just was kind of a bummer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring a viral interview on \u201cThe Bret Easton Ellis Podcast<\/a>\u201d last fall, Tarantino slammed Dano as \u201cthe weakest fucking actor in SAG\u201d and added that \u201cI don\u2019t care for\u201d Lillard or Wilson either.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt felt like I had died and was in heaven watching everyone send out their RIP tweets,\u201d Lillard told people about the reaction that followed. \u201cI mean, it was really being a part of your own wake, sort of sitting there living through all the nice things people say after you die\u2026 Everyone, from the people at the mall this weekend with my kids to George Clooney and James Gunn and Mike Flanagan, I mean, people have sort of been really generous with telling me how much they loved me and liked my work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMany of Lillard\u2019s former Hollywood collaborators used social media to champion him after Tarantino\u2019s comments went viral. Mike Flanagan, who directed the actor in \u201cThe Life of Chuck\u201d and cast him in the upcoming \u201cCarrie\u201d series reboot,\u00a0called Lillard<\/a>\u00a0the \u201cthe goddamn greatest.\u201d James Gunn worked with Lillard on the \u201cScooby Doo\u201d movies and called him \u201cone of my favorite guys (and actors).\u201d George Clooney\u00a0even accepted a prize\u00a0<\/a>from AARP and said that he \u201cwould be honored to work with\u201d any of the actors Tarantino dissed.<\/p>\n

\n\tLillard originally weighed in on\u00a0Tarantino\u2019s comment<\/a>\u00a0while speaking at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio. He said \u201cwho gives a shit\u201d while also acknowledging that \u201cit hurts your feelings. It fucking sucks. And you wouldn\u2019t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn\u2019t say that to somebody who\u2019s a top-line actor in Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSpeaking to Entertainment Weekly<\/a>\u00a0last month, Lillard said \u201cit was crazy\u201d to receive so much support from fans and industry names about Tarantino\u2019s diss, adding: \u201cI keep showing it to my wife to convince her that I am worthy, that people still like me. Nobody has to like me. Nobody has to like any actor out there, obviously. It\u2019s personal preference. I am not everyone\u2019s first choice, that is obvious, but to then have that kind of reaction was beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDano similarly received widespread support from fans and industry colleagues. Speaking to\u00a0Variety at Sundance,\u00a0Dano\u00a0said \u201cit was really nice\u201d\u00a0<\/a>to see such a reaction, and \u201cI was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n