A few days ago, Quentin Tarantino revealed to the world that actor Rick Dalton had passed away at the age of 90. Of course, Dalton is Tarantino’s creation from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, so this wasn’t an actual obituary, but in building out the world of his characters from the hit film, he’s managed to keep fans invested in the character, memorably portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio.
As detailed in Variety, Tarantino paid tribute to him here on the latest episode of his podcast, giving listeners even more details about the career and life of Dalton. Anyone who appreciates world building would do well to give it a listen. Awards Radar sends its condolences to the Dalton family.
Source: Variety
The one part of this “news” I flat-out refuse to believe is “he was survived by his wife Francesca.”
If, as the denouement heavily implies, Rick Dalton has a drink with Sharon Tate after killing those Manson cultists, and she introduces him to Roman Polanski, who then helps stage his big comeback in Hollywood, there is no way he doesn’t dump her within a few years for a younger American ingénue.