Apart from being a highly appreciated cult classic movie, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starring Leonardo DiCaprio has delivered a few of the most memorable scenes in the history of cinema. One among them is the intense scene involving DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton and the iconic flamethrower.
While the flamethrower scene became memorable for its dramatic flair, considering how Leonardo DiCaprio incinerated Manson cult member Susan Atkins (Mikey Madison) to death, it wasn’t as effortless as it was portrayed. Apparently, DiCaprio’s experience filming it was far from ordinary and bordered on a nightmare for the actor.
Stunt Coordinator Revealed Leonardo DiCaprio’s Fear About Using the Flamethrower
Leonardo DiCaprio, known for his dedication to roles, found himself in a particularly unnerving situation while shooting Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Although the actor is no stranger to action sequences, he was particularly distressed and anxious about the flamethrower scene. Therefore, playing the role of Rick Dalton, DiCaprio initially struggled a lot while using the intimidating World War weapon.
According to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo’s interview with HuffPost, Leonardo DiCaprio required meticulous planning and execution ahead of shooting the sequence where he incinerates Mikey Madison’s character Susan Atkins. Despite the controlled environment and safety measures in place, Alonzo revealed that DiCaprio was a little freaked out about using the flamethrower and burning up actors on set.
Leo was not very gung-ho with all the flamethrower stuff. Literally, he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. And I completely understood it. Normally you use a stunt person in that spot to be able to manage firing a flamethrower at somebody. When I did ‘Tropic Thunder,’ Nick Nolte fired a flamethrower at me.
This time, [Leo] is actually lighting them up and holding a flame to them for about seven to eight seconds as the flamethrower is traversing back and forth around eight guys that he’s never met. That is psychologically difficult to do, so kudos to him on being able to stay in character and do that scene.
In an attempt to help Leonardo DiCaprio and ease his concerns, Robert Alonzo, who has been in the industry for two decades and had a lot of experience with fire burning, demonstrated the flamethrower scene by allowing himself to be set ablaze first. After practically showing DiCaprio that the flamethrower wasn’t that deadly of a weapon, Alonzo was able to get the actor ready for the iconic scene.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Cheeky Glimpse into Leonardo DiCaprio’s Practice and Struggles
Despite being known for his conscientious approach to his craft, Leonardo DiCaprio was deeply concerned about the potential dangers of working with fire, in his Once Upon a Time in Hollywood scene. Quite naturally, his dilemma and worry were rooted in his desire not to cause harm or endanger anyone on set. However, eventually, after working closely with Quentin Tarantino and the stunt team, DiCaprio was able to deliver the sequence with perfection.
Meanwhile, here comes a fun fact, wherein Once Upon a Time in Hollywood even took a cheeky dig at Leonardo DiCaprio’s real fear by including that scene in the movie. During DiCaprio’s conversation with Al Pacino who played Marvin Schwarz, Rick Dalton’s agent, the Titanic actor was spotted speaking about his particularly stressful experience with the flamethrower and the practice that went behind the scenes.
That’s you operating the flamethrower, isn’t it? Al Pacino asked.
Oh, you bet your sweet a*s it was. And let me tell you, that’s one sh*t-f*ck crazy weapon you do not wanna be on the wrong side of. Boy oh boy. You know I practiced with that dragon three hours a day for two weeks, not just cause I wanted to look good in the picture, but because I was sh*t scared of the thing, to be honest. DiCaprio stated.
Eventually, despite Leonardo DiCaprio’s concerns and Quentin Tarantino’s film offering a cheeky glimpse into the actor’s struggles, DiCaprio later trusted the process and worked closely with his stunt coordinators, to deliver the powerful and memorable moment. Showcasing the lengths to which he would go to achieve the demanded performance, DiCaprio did justice to Tarantino’s bold storytelling.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is available on Prime Video.
