Quentin Tarantino is turning the pages on his 2009 hit Inglourious Basterds, and from those pages he has taken out the chapter where he fired Isabelle Huppert and Mélanie Laurent. When a famous director puts together a big movie, getting the cast just right is always a wild ride. We look back at Tarantino's hit WWII epic and assume the cast fell into place effortlessly. But behind the scenes, the road to opening night was packed with unexpected drama and tough calls. Long before cameras started rolling, the director did not hesitate to drop the axe on major talent.

The iconic director has now opened up about the strict, surprising standards that nearly cost the two prominent French Stars their roles.

When Quentin Tarantino assembled his star-studded ensemble for his 2009 World War II masterpiece Inglourious Basterds, putting the iconic cast together was anything but a smooth ride. According to Jay Glennie's new deep-dive book, The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, the path to the film's final roster included some major behind-the-scenes drama - most notably, the sudden, early firing of two big French stars: Isabelle Huppert and Mélanie Laurent.

Isabelle Huppert had been firmly locked in to play Madame Ada Mimieux, the Paris cinema owner who originally shelters Shosanna. However, contract complications and a crucial no-show at the table read pushed Tarantino to pull the plug. As the director bluntly explained:

“She didn’t show up, so f*** it. I fired her. I mean, I love Isabelle Huppert — Heaven’s Gate and all that — but there were issues with her contract. It just kept stalling. And then not coming to the table read. Well, we cast Maggie Cheung instead.”

Huppert was not the only one shown the door early on. Mélanie Laurent, who would go on to deliver a breakout, career-defining performance as Shosanna Dreyfus, nearly lost the role entirely after a disastrous initial table read.

“Well, Mélanie was terrible, so I fired her,” the filmmaker said about letting her go.

For Tarantino, the first table read is the most sacred and exhilarating milestone of preproduction - the first time he gets to experience his script come alive outside of his own head. Unfortunately, Laurent's first run-through completely missed the mark. Driven by his strict philosophy that actors who fail to show up or deliver at the table read owe him nothing, the director initially handed down the axe and fired her on the spot.

Quentin Tarantino Reveals His 7 Perfect Movies, Including ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Annie Hall’

However, that was not the end of Laurent’s journey on the film - a film that had Brad Pitt captivated on just the first read - as she was ultimately seen playing Shosanna in the movie.

Refusing to accept her sudden firing, Mélanie Laurent took matters into her own hands and directly called Quentin Tarantino to fight for her role. Admitting she had been unwell during the disastrous read-through, the determined actress made a passionate plea to the director, promising to fly to Germany, pay for her own hotel, and wait indefinitely just for a second chance to prove herself. 

Moved by her tenacity, Tarantino agreed to turn the clock back to square one, though with one strict condition: Laurent had to endure three grueling days of rehearsals before he would officially decide if she truly was his Shosanna Dreyfus. The gamble paid off entirely, as Laurent ultimately blew the director away, secured her iconic part, and earned widespread critical acclaim. The entire ordeal prompted a deeply affectionate Tarantino to happily go on the record, declaring his absolute love for the star.

“Write Us a Movie”- Matt Damon Sends Quentin Tarantino a Dream Invite for a Collaboration With Ben Affleck

What do you think about Quentin Tarantino’s strict standards? Do let us know.