5. Edward Norton
This method actor has given several strong performances since the start of his career. From collaborating with David Fincher to Alejandro González Iñárritu, Edward Norton has owned every character he has portrayed. He can be either an violent neo-nazi or a scout master, without any problem; in fact, most of his latest films have been comedies. They are certainly not regular comedies, but rather films by Wes Anderson or dark and existential works, such as “Birdman” (which earned him his third Oscar nomination).
However, it’s been a while since we last saw the actor take on a dark or disturbed character. Don’t get me wrong, his performances in “Moonrise Kingdom”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Birdman” were fantastic. However, it would be interesting to find him playing another disturbed character, like his roles on “Fight Club” and “American History X”, and Norton teaming up with Tarantino could make use of his talents in both ways – dark and disturbing, or dramatic and comedic.
4. Marion Cotillard
The Oscar winner is regarded by many as one of the best actresses working today. From indie cinema to big blockbusters (and some strong French films), Marion Cotillard has managed to give several powerful performances in all kinds of characters. She can take starring, supporting, or antagonistic roles without any problem and often creates something different for each of them.
This has given her the chance to team up with many big name directors, such as Christopher Nolan, Steven Soderbergh, Michael Mann, James Gray and Woody Allen.
Thus, there is no doubt that she would be an interesting choice to see team with Tarantino. After all, she has proven that she can use her charm and talent to create intense villains (such as in the case with “Inception”). While that doesn’t necessarily mean that she should be a Tarantino villain, it proves that Cotillard can portray badass characters as well.
3. Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin is often known for playing tough or villainous characters. Even in comedies or in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he gets to play complex and intimidating characters – which is a perfect fit for the actor. However, despite this, in several cases Brolin has shown how to use his charisma to make them likable or somehow, funny.
The actor manages some degree of dry humor when required, as it has been seen in his collaborations with the Coen Brothers or Paul Thomas Anderson. Because of this talent, he would be an interesting figure to find teaming up with Tarantino.
It has to be said that they have already collaborated in some way, as the two of them were part of “Grindhouse” that was directed by Tarantino’s buddy, Robert Rodríguez. While they didn’t exactly work together on screen, rumors has it that Rodríguez and Tarantino helped Brolin prepare for his role in “No Country for Old Men”. And if that worked out in his favor (and Brolin came to be a great part of “Grindhouse”), it would make sense to see him actually working under Tarantino.
2. Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is another actor whose latest films have largely received divided or poor reactions by critics and audiences. While he certainly is a big name (and gave one of his best performances last year in “Black Mass”), the actor needs an image refresher. After all, several people point at the fact that many of his films after the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise are alternative versions of the notorious pirate, and cinephiles know Depp can do more than just that.
Through several of his earlier films and collaborations with directors such as Terry Gilliam, Jim Jarmusch, Michael Mann or (yes, in some particular cases) Tim Burton, the actor has given strong and diverse performances, proving his talents in blockbusters, indies and auteur cinema.
Tarantino himself has said that he would like to team with Depp, if the right character is written for him. Also, during the production of “Pulp Fiction”, Depp was one of the choices for the role of Pumpkin (before it went to Tim Roth). A collaboration between them may not be an actual surprise, but would undoubtedly be an interesting exercise for both of them.
1. Mel Gibson
After a couple of rough years for the original “Mad Max” star, Mel Gibson has tried to return to film, either as an actor or director. While in the last couple of years he’s taken on several action films (from “Edge of Darkness” to “Machete Kills”), it cannot be said that these films have made good use of his talents.
Sure, they’re interesting to watch (especially if Gibson plays an maniacal bad guy, like Luther Voz in “Machete”), but they aren’t at the level of his performances in the Mad Max or Lethal Weapon films. We all know Gibson can be more than just an action star; he can feature really tough and intense performances.
So, what may require Gibson to make an actual “comeback” (in acting, at least) would be teaming up with a director who really knows how to make use of his talents, and Tarantino certainly knows how to derive intense and different performances from his actors. Finding Gibson in a Tarantino film could be quite a help for the actor.
Author Bio: Patryk Suchocki is a Mexican student on Cultural Management at the Universidad de Guadalajara and enthusiastic cinephile. He likes indie films, auteur cinema and writing short stories.