The real Rick Dalton, the main character in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood, never existed — he's a fictional character created by Tarantino himself.
But he's inspired by real actors who lived and worked in Hollywood in the late 1950s and 1960s. And there are about seven people who serve as prototypes.
Who was Rick Dalton based on?
Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a composite character that incorporates the traits of several "Old Hollywood" stars whose careers began to decline after the rise of TV Westerns and the advent of the new cinema.
Some real-life inspirations include:
- Steve McQueen - he had a similar style and also starred in Westerns.
- Tyburn (Ty) Harden - the star of the TV series Bronco, which is very similar to Bounty Law (Dalton's fictional series).
- Clint Walker - another TV cowboy.
- Ralph Meeker - an actor who was popular in the 50s but fell off the radar in the 60s.
- As well as Dan Duryea, Peter Duell and Doug McClure.
Tarantino has said in interviews that Dalton is "an actor who almost became Steve McQueen." That is, a man who had a chance to break into big Hollywood, but he remained in the niche of television projects and episodes. Few viewers appreciated these references, but American critics immediately understood who the master's film was about.
Who was Cliff Booth?
Brad Pitt's character, Dalton's bodyguard, stuntman, and best friend, Cliff Booth is also fictional, but his image is a reference to Hal Needham, a famous Hollywood stuntman and director who was a friend and stunt double for Burt Reynolds.
Rick Dalton is a fictional actor, but his story is so plausible that it's easy to believe. It's an ode to the stars of Hollywood Westerns who were left behind as the genre slowly stagnated.
