How would YOU react if your child made it big — and refused to ever give you a penny of it??
That’s the situation Connie Zastoupil is living in. You may not know the name, but you know her son’s: he’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino! And despite his millions from being one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, she was completely cut off due to an argument when he was just a child.
The Oscar winner opened up on the podcast The Moment, with Rounders screenwriter Brian Koppelman, this week about the vow he made not to share any wealth he achieved with his momma after she downplayed his passion for screenwriting.
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He described getting into trouble because as a 12-year-old he was already focused on writing movies instead of doing his schoolwork. His mother gave him what was meant to be a tough love talk, one of those “straighten up and fly right” type things — but came dangerously close to being dream-crushing instead! He recalled:
“And then in the middle of her little tirade, she said, ‘Oh, and by the way, this little ‘writing career,’ with the finger quotes and everything. This little ‘writing career’ that you’re doing? That s**t is over.'”
Right then he told her angrily that when he was a big-time writer he wouldn’t be treating his mother the way a lot of celebs have been known to over the years, with the brand new car and whatnot:
“When she said that to me in that sarcastic way, I go, ‘Okay lady, when I become a successful writer, you will never see one penny from my success. There will be no house for you. There’s no vacation for you, no Elvis Cadillac for mommy. You get nothing. Because you said that.’”
And shockingly, through pure spite, he managed to hold that grudge all these years and stay true to the promise. He told his fellow scribe he only ever helped her out with some money for taxes to keep her out of trouble — never any luxuries.
So how did Zastoupil — who was a young, single mom who reportedly had Tarantino when she was only 16 years old — react to the story hitting the press? Not great! She noted how quotes like this can “spin and go viral without full context” and stated unequivocally she does “not wish to participate in this salacious transactional media frenzy.”
What she would say was all positive:
“Regarding my son Quentin — I support him, I’m proud of him and love him and his growing new family. It gave me great joy to dance at his wedding and receive his news upon the birth of my grandson Leo.”
It seems clear Connie doesn’t hold that grudge — even if Tarantino does.
How would YOU feel? Proud like QT’s momma? Or annoyed you weren’t on that gravy train when you literally made the conductor in your own body??
We’re just happy it lit a fire under him instead of convincing him to give up the pen and focus on algebra. Because we’d be out a major storytelling talent if it had…
[Image via Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube.]
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