Quentin Tarantino may never fully escape the long-running talk about his alleged foot fetish.
The topic came up again on a recent episode of Good Hang by Amy Poehler podcast, when Stranger things star Maya Hawke was asked if her mother, Uma Thurman, had any advice about working with the acclaimed director.
Thurman famously starred in some of Tarantino’s most iconic films: Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), and Death Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) — before her daughter appeared in his 2019 hit Once upon a time in Hollywood.
Hawke didn’t hesitate with her witty response: “Keep your shoes on,” she said, prompting laughter from both herself and Poehler. The Saturday Night Live alum quickly added, “Keep them on, baby. Keep those shoes on. Perfect advice. Perfect.”
Over the years, Tarantino has often been teased for his tendency to include close-ups of women’s bare feet in his films, particularly those of Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley and Dakota Fanning.
Even Brad Pitt joined in during his acceptance speech for the 2020 SAG Awards, joking, “I want to thank my co-stars, [Leonardo DiCaprio]Margot Robbie, Margot Robbie’s feet, Margaret Qualley’s feet, Dakota Fanning’s feet. Seriously, Quentin has separated more women from their shoes than the TSA.
Despite the ongoing jokes, Tarantino has dismissed the speculation. In a 2021 GQ interview, he said, “I don’t take it seriously,” while defending his creative choices.
“There’s a lot of foot in the films of good directors. That’s just good direction,” he explained, citing Luis Buñuel, Alfred Hitchcock and Sofia Coppola as others who have faced similar claims.
