Jackie Brown’s Pam Grier Reveals Why Working With Quentin Tarantino Left Her “Exhausted”

Some movie fans consider Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown to be the filmmaker’s crowning achievement, thanks in large part to the complex and commanding performance of Pam Grier in the title role, though bringing the narrative to life wasn’t without its challenges. In honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, Grier recently reflected on the experience and the various nuances required to authentically realize the figure, which made for an exhausting experience, at times. More specifically, the challenge came from having to shift styles from when she shared scenes with Samuel L. Jackson as opposed to filming alongside Robert Forster.

“Quentin told me that Sam had a metronome-like quality that’s really fast, but that I’d have to slow down for Robert,” Grier recently shared with Yahoo Entertainment. “He warned me that not all actors can do that, so I had to learn.”

Scenes she shared with Forster’s Max were particularly challenging, as he was trying to uncover her true intentions yet was also falling for Jackie.

“Quentin said to slow my pace down to avoid revealing that I’m planning a scheme,” Grier detailed. “Max knows people inside and out, and knows when they’re fooling him — he can smell me if I’m lying. But I also need him, so it’s not cut-and-dried. That’s why you’re exhausted when you work with Quentin Tarantino and his characters!”

While the film would go on to be a career-defining performance for Grier, it almost didn’t happen. Not only because the actor was intimidated by the prospect of the film, but also due to a misunderstanding about a request from Tarantino.

“I thought, ‘I’m in trouble,’ … I’m gonna have to work really hard, because I don’t want to be fired!” the actor recalled. “He was waiting for me to call him, and I was waiting for him to call me … He was getting worried, and told [producer] Lawrence Bender, ‘What if she doesn’t like it? We don’t have anyone else!’ He was concerned, and rightfully so.”

She continued, “I read the note he had written on the back of the script and realized I was supposed to have called him weeks ago! I figured that he had probably recast the role, but I called him and said, ‘I love the script. What character am I?’ And he said, ‘You’re Jackie Brown.’”

Tarantino’s next film is expected to be his final directorial effort.

What do you think of the actor’s remarks? Let us know in the comments!