Quentin Tarantino has been credited with helming a number of iconic and entertaining film endeavors, subsequently shaping decades of popular culture. Furthermore, he has collaborated with some of the most accomplished talents in Hollywood. One of those individuals happens to be the Oscar-winning star, Leonardo DiCaprio.
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The Revenant actor has had the opportunity of starring in two Tarantino films, namely, Django Unchained and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Although the two share a professional camaraderie, the esteemed filmmaker was once reluctant about the implications the actor’s name would have on his family. Take a look.
Quentin Tarantino Was Afraid Of The Implications His Son’s Name Would Have
The director of Reservoir Dogs is married to Israeli singer Daniella Pick, and the couple has been blessed with two children. Their first child, a son, was given the name Leo, which is Latin for lion. The name choice led many people to wonder whether or not actor Leonardo DiCaprio had any role to play in it.
During a conversation with Jimmy Kimmel in 2021, Quentin Tarantino openly shared his hesitance towards choosing the name Leo for his son. Turns out, the Pulp Fiction alum almost refrained from doing so because he was afraid of the speculations people would make. Given Leonardo DiCaprio‘s reputation, popularity, and acclaim, there was a strong possibility that people would be quick to believe that Tarantino named his son after the accomplished actor.
The director lightheartedly stated the following to Kimmel:
“We almost didn’t name him that because people would assume I named him after Leonardo DiCaprio. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I didn’t!”
Tarantino did affirm that there is no issue with such presumptions. However, the actual reason for naming his son Leo holds a genuinely heartwarming and important significance.
The True Meaning Behind Quentin Tarantino’s Son’s Name
Quentin Tarantino’s son, Leo, holds his name’s true significance in honor of Daniella Pick’s grandfather. Moreover, to the parents, the name represents their son’s place as a “little lion” within their hearts. Following is what the highly-venerated director told talk show host Jimmy Kimmel:
“He [Tarantino’s son Leo] is named after my wife’s grandfather, but also because, just in our hearts, he was our little lion. He’s a lion! That’s how we thought about him.”
At the time, Tarantino’s son was only 16 months old. When asked by Kimmel about the child’s speech development, here’s what the Inglourious Basterds alum had to say:
“He’s talking — they’re not necessarily words, but he makes himself understood. He can only say one word and that is ‘abba,’ which is the Hebrew word for ‘dada.’ And a third of the time, he means me.”
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Daniella Pick and Quentin Tarantino welcomed Leo, their first child, on February 22, 2020. Subsequently, in July 2022, the couple celebrated the birth of their second child, a daughter. Pick and Tarantino started dating after meeting each other in 2009 while the director was promoting his film Inglourious Basterds in Israel. They tied the knot after almost a decade in 2018.
Describing what he referred to as the “third act” of his life, Tarantino once affirmed that he was planning to redirect his focus from filmmaking to literature. This shift would imply that without the obligations of filmmaking, he could dedicate more time to being with his family.
Nevertheless, the director is currently preparing for his tenth film—a project he has long asserted would be his final one. This swan-song endeavor, titled The Movie Critic, is reportedly in its preliminary stages of creation and is set in the backdrop of late 1970s California.
What impact the renowned director’s final project would have on movie-going audiences will soon be revealed.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
