Uma Thurman's Hilarious "Keep Your Shoes On" Advice to Daughter Maya About Tarantino

When Maya Hawke landed a role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, she got some priceless, laugh-out-loud advice from her mom, Uma Thurman. And it's exactly what you'd expect, given Tarantino's unique cinematic quirks.

TL;DR: The Quick Scoop on Tarantino's On-Set Foot Focus

• Maya Hawke shared her mother Uma Thurman's witty advice for working with Quentin Tarantino: "Keep your shoes on."
• This playful jab references the director's well-known tendency to feature bare feet prominently in his films.
• Tarantino himself has addressed the "foot fetish" rumors, calling it "good direction" and citing other famous directors who've done the same.

Stepping onto a Tarantino Set: A Mother's Witty Warning

Imagine heading off to work on a major Hollywood film, especially one directed by the legendary Quentin Tarantino. Exciting, right? Now, imagine your Oscar-nominated mother, who's starred in three of the director's most iconic Movies, leans in with a piece of sage advice. For Maya Hawke, that moment came before filming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and the wisdom from her mother, Uma Thurman, was pure gold.

On Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast, Maya was asked if her mom gave her "any advice about working with Quentin?" Her response was immediate, accompanied by laughter: "Keep your shoes on." Poehler, an improv master herself, quickly quipped back, "Keep them on, baby. Perfect advice. Perfect." The room, and now the internet, erupted with shared amusement, knowing exactly what Uma was referring to.

Unpacking Quentin Tarantino's Unique Directorial Style

For decades, film buffs and casual viewers alike have noticed a recurring motif in Quentin Tarantino's films: an undeniable fascination with feet. This isn't just a fleeting observation; it's become a signature element of his work, sparking endless discussion, jokes, and even academic analysis. From lingering close-ups to entire scenes dedicated to toes, feet certainly get their screen time in a Tarantino flick.

Uma Thurman, having starred in Pulp Fiction (1994) and the two-part Kill Bill saga (2003, 2004), knows this tendency intimately. In Pulp Fiction, her character Mia Wallace goes barefoot in that iconic dance scene. Even more famously, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 features the unforgettable "wiggle your big toe" scene, where Thurman's character, The Bride, painstakingly tries to regain feeling in her extremities after a coma. These moments are etched into cinematic history, underscoring the prevalence of this particular directorial focus.

The Star-Studded History of Tarantino's Barefoot Scenes

Tarantino's most recent major film, 2019's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, continued this trend with notable enthusiasm. The movie reportedly features as many as 36 shots of feet. Stars like Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley, and Dakota Fanning all had their lower extremities prominently featured. In fact, Maya Hawke's decision to "keep her shoes on" proved unique among some of her costars; Margaret Qualley, for instance, famously showcased her bare feet in the film.

This recurring visual has become such a well-known part of the "Tarantino brand" that even his collaborators joke about it. At the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Brad Pitt, accepting his award for Best Supporting Actor in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, delivered a memorable quip: "I want to thank my co-stars, Leo [DiCaprio], Margot Robbie, Margot Robbie's feet, Margaret Qualley's feet, Dakota Fanning's feet. Seriously, Quentin has separated more women from their shoes than the TSA." The line brought down the house, proving that everyone in Hollywood is in on the running gag.

Quentin Tarantino's Thoughtful Artistic Defense

While the industry and fans have poked fun at his cinematic choices for years, Quentin Tarantino himself has consistently brushed off the "foot fetish" label. In a 2021 interview with British GQ, he stated, "I don't take it seriously." He defends his decisions not as a personal fixation, but as a legitimate artistic choice.

"There's a lot of feet in a lot of good directors' movies. That's just good direction," Tarantino explained. He went on to cite historical examples, noting, "Like, before me, the person foot fetishism was defined by was Luis Buñuel, another film director. And Hitchcock was accused of it and Sofia Coppola has been accused of it." This perspective shifts the narrative from a perceived personal eccentricity to a recognized, if unconventional, element of cinematic language, shared by acclaimed filmmakers across generations.

Uma Thurman's Past Take on Her Director's Obsession

It's not just Maya Hawke who has reflected on this aspect of Tarantino's filmmaking. Years before her daughter's podcast revelation, Uma Thurman herself addressed the topic directly. In 2004, while promoting Kill Bill: Vol. 2 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, she was asked about Tarantino's supposed foot fetish.

"I think he staunchly denies it, but you should definitely address it with him," Thurman told Conan O'Brien with a wry smile. "He claims that every foot shot was essential to the telling of the story." She then playfully encouraged the host to "spend the entire interview talking to him about his potential foot fetish." Her comments highlighted Tarantino's consistent artistic justification, even while acknowledging the widespread audience perception.

Navigating a Complicated Professional and Personal Relationship

The relationship between Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino extends far beyond cinematic footwork. Their collaboration, particularly on the Kill Bill films, was intense and, at times, difficult. For instance, a stunt during Kill Bill led to Thurman suffering permanent neck and knee damage from a car crash. This incident reportedly fractured their relationship for several years.

However, time and a deep mutual respect appear to have healed some of those wounds. By 2018, Thurman told Entertainment Weekly that she had forgiven Tarantino and was open to working with him again "if he wrote a great part." She added, "I understand him and if he wrote a great part and we were both in the right place about it, that would be something else." This demonstrates a complex, evolving professional bond, one that perseveres despite past challenges and public gags about directorial quirks.

This nuanced dynamic also sheds light on Maya Hawke's journey into acting. While she acknowledged in The London Times that her parentage (being the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke) gave her "nepotistic reasons" for opportunities, she also shared she "auditioned for the project through the normal channels through my agents" and "did an audition in my bedroom with my dad." This suggests a blend of inherited opportunity and personal effort in her career path.

A Day in the Life of an Actor on a Tarantino Set

Imagine a typical Tuesday on the set of a Quentin Tarantino film. The cameras are rolling, the crew is bustling, and the air crackles with creative energy. An actor, let's call her Chloe, is preparing for a scene. She knows Tarantino's reputation for his detailed shots, and while she's read the script carefully, a lingering thought about his famed foot focus crosses her mind. Before shooting, she quickly glances down at her stylish boots. "Good," she thinks, "they're staying on today." This quick, almost subconscious check is a testament to how deeply ingrained this particular directorial quirk has become in the industry's collective consciousness. It's a playful, shared understanding that permeates the set, even during serious work. The anecdote from Uma and Maya isn't just a funny story; it reflects a practical, albeit humorous, consideration for actors stepping into Tarantino's distinct cinematic universe.

Embracing the Quirks: Takeaways for Film Fans and Aspiring Filmmakers

The ongoing conversation around Quentin Tarantino's "foot shots" and Uma Thurman's witty advice to her daughter offers several intriguing insights into the world of filmmaking and celebrity culture.

• Artistic Vision vs. Public Perception: Tarantino's defense highlights the tension between a director's intentional stylistic choices and how audiences interpret them. What one sees as "good direction," another might see as a "fetish."
• The Power of Inside Jokes: The fact that industry giants like Brad Pitt and Uma Thurman openly joke about this trait underscores a unique camaraderie and shared understanding within Hollywood. These lighthearted jabs often strengthen bonds, rather than creating friction.
• Legacy and Influence: Tarantino's acknowledgment of other directors like Buñuel, Hitchcock, and Coppola suggests that cinematic quirks, whether intentional or perceived, can become part of a director's enduring legacy and influence.
• Generational Humor: Maya Hawke's quick, laughing response demonstrates how certain industry anecdotes and observations pass down through generations of filmmaking families, becoming part of their shared history and humor.
• Authenticity in Storytelling: Ultimately, these discussions, while humorous, bring to light the distinct and often personal touches that directors bring to their craft, making each film uniquely theirs.

Sources:

Deadline, "Maya Hawke reveals mom Uma Thurman's advice about working with Quentin Tarantino," November 5, 2025.

The Hollywood Reporter, "Maya Hawke Reveals She Was Cast For ‘Nepotistic Reasons’ In Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood’," November 5, 2025.

BuzzFeed, "People Are Too Stunned To Speak After Maya Hawke Jokingly Revealed Her Mom Uma Thurman’s "Advice" About Working With Quentin Tarantino," (Posted 11 hours ago relative to reference article date).

The New York Post, "The rumors about Quentin Tarantino’s foot fetish are walking from one generation to the next," (Undated, implies recent).

AS USA, "Why Uma Thurman’s warning made everyone laugh," November 7, 2025.

Cinemablend, "Uma Thurman Brought Back The Foot Fetish Debate With Four Funny Words Of Advice When Her Daughter Started Work With Quentin Tarantino," (Undated, implies recent).

Consequence, "Maya Hawke Reveals Uma Thurman’s Advice on Working with Tarantino: “Keep Your Shoes On”," November 6, 2025.

GQ, "Quentin Tarantino’s Response to the ‘Foot Fetish’ Rumours Is Perfect," 2021.

Entertainment Weekly, "Uma Thurman Says She Forgives Quentin Tarantino After Kill Bill Crash," 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tarantino's Cinematic Style When did Maya Hawke reveal Uma Thurman's advice? Maya Hawke shared the advice during a recent appearance on Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast, which was published around November 4-6, 2025. Has Quentin Tarantino addressed the "foot fetish" rumors himself? Yes, Tarantino addressed the rumors in a 2021 interview with British GQ, stating he doesn't take them seriously and considers it "good direction," citing other directors who have focused on feet. Did Maya Hawke go barefoot in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? No, Maya Hawke reportedly took her mother's advice and did not appear barefoot in the film, unlike some of her costars such as Margaret Qualley and Margot Robbie. What other films of Tarantino's prominently feature feet? Aside from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, notable examples include Uma Thurman's bare feet in Pulp Fiction and the "wiggle your big toe" scene in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, as well as scenes featuring Salma Hayek in From Dusk Till Dawn.