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Tony Tarantino (/ˌtærənˈtiːnoʊ/; July 4, 1940 – December 8, 2023) was an American actor and film producer. He was best known as the father of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.
Tony Tarantino | |
|---|---|
 Tarantino in November 2009 | |
| Born | July 4, 1940 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 2023 (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Connie McHugh (divorced) |
| Children | Quentin Tarantino |
Biography
editTarantino was born in New York City on July 4, 1940, the son of Italian-American parents Elizabeth Jean (née Salvaggio) and Dominic James Tarantino.[1][2][3]
Tarantino met Connie McHugh during her trip to Los Angeles; the two were married before they had their only child together, Quentin Tarantino (born 1963), who later became a filmmaker.[4] Tarantino left the family before his son was born.[5] Quentin said in a 2010 interview, "I never knew my father. That's the thing. I never knew him. He wanted to be an actor. Now he's an actor only because he has my last name. But he was never part of my life. I didn't know him. I've never met him."[6] In October 2015, the two were at odds when Quentin received backlash from police unions after speaking at an anti-police brutality rally in New York and said, "I have to call the murderers the murderers." The elder Tarantino responded that he had relatives in the police and that what his son had said was "dead wrong".[7]
Tarantino revealed in 2017 that, when he was 20 years old in 1960, talent agent Henry Willson offered him acting opportunities and a lavish lifestyle in exchange for sex.[5] He says he punched Willson in the face, knocking him to the ground, after which Willson said Tarantino would never work in Hollywood or New York again as an actor.[5] He stated he was thereafter quickly fired from his role on the western television series Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre,[5] and used the stage name "Tony Maro" to book several acting jobs with Paramount as an extra, but was fired within two hours once his true identity was discovered.[5] In his later years, he produced films such as Prism[7] and Underbelly Blues.[8]
Tarantino died in Los Angeles on December 8, 2023, at the age of 83.[9]
Filmography
editAs producer
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Underbelly Blues |
| 2012 | Mediterranean Blue |
As director
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Blood Money |
As actor
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1999 | It's the Rage |
| Family Tree | |
| Holy Hollywood | |
| 2003 | Blood Money |
| 2008 | Harvest Moon |
| 2011 | Underbelly Blues |
| 2012 | Mediterranean Blue |
References
edit- ^ "Le origini meridionali di Quentin Tarantino, genio indiscusso del cinema contemporaneo". May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Tarantino Productions". www.tarantinoproductions.com.
- ^ "Quentin Tarantino e le sue origini italiane: Ecco di dov'è la sua famiglia".
- ^ "Tony Tarantino". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Sblendorio, Peter (November 11, 2017). "Quentin Tarantino's dad Tony claims Hollywood agent tried to sign him in exchange for sex". New York Daily News.
- ^ Secher, Benjamin (February 8, 2010). "Quentin Tarantino interview: 'All my movies are achingly personal'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
- ^ a b Pulver, Andrew (January 27, 2016). "Tarantino's father to donate to police: 'Quentin's ignorance really upset me'". The Guardian.
- ^ Lanier, Hunter (April 1, 2018). "Underbelly Blues". Film Threat.
- ^ "Tony Tarantino". Legacy.com. Retrieved December 24, 2023.