Quentin Tarantino Kept Childhood Promise to Never Give His Mom a ‘Penny’ After She Belittled His Writing

Quentin Tarantino vowed as a child not to share any money he made off his writing career with his mother, something he says he has largely stuck to. 

The Pulp Fiction director shared the story on a recent episode of Billions creator Brian Koppelman’s The Moment podcast. When the host asked him to share details about his childhood, he revealed that he wasn’t great in school. He also opened up about writing screenplays instead of concentrating on homework, something Tarantino’s mother, Connie Zastoupil, chastised him for. He recalled one notable time where his mother told him his film writing career was over before it officially began.  

“…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 sh*t is f*cking over,” Tarantino said.

He vowed right then and there that his mom would never benefit from any of the money he made off of writing.

“When she said that to me in that sarcastic way, I was in my head, and I go: ‘OK, lady, when I become a successful writer, you will never see penny one from my success,” he continued. “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 when asked by Koppelman if he stayed true to his word, he revealed he surprisingly had. Besides helping Zastoupil out with an IRS issue, he has not bought her the house, Cadillac, or sent her on vacation. 

“There are consequences for your words as you deal with your children. Remember there are consequences for your sarcastic tone about what’s meaningful to them,” he said.

The wildly successful writer and director recently became a father for the first time himself. He welcomed son Leo with his wife Daniella in February.