Quentin Tarantino admits he owns a gun for 'protection' while calling for stricter laws

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In a recent interview with Spanish magazine EL PAÍS, legendary Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino claimed that there needs to be more gun control in the U.S., but admitted that he keeps a gun for personal protection.

The "Pulp Fiction" director mentioned that the United States needs more gun laws, claiming it has too many "automatic weapons."

He also remarked on actor Alec Baldwin’s accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust," calling it a "tragedy."

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American director Quentin Tarantino at Rome Film Fest 2021.  (Getty Images)

Tarantino spoke to the Spanish outlet while in Barcelona last week, promoting his book "Cinema Speculation." They got onto the topic of weapons after the interviewer asked about his favorite action movie weapons. 

The interviewer asked, "What do you prefer: a katana, a .44 Magnum, a sawed-off shotgun, a Gatlin machine gun, or a flamethrower?"

The director replied, "In general, in modern cinema, when I have to choose a weapon, I use a 9 mm, because it looks like a .45 automatic pistol, but it doesn’t jam."

Before getting to the subject of gun control, EL PAÍS asked, "What do you think of Alec Baldwin’s accident on the set of Rust that cost Halyna Hutchins her life?"

He responded, "What a tragedy. I don’t know how it could have happened. On set, there are lots of security measures… we’re very careful."

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According to Hugh Grant, Quentin Tarantino bans the use of phones on his set. (Rich Polk/NBC)

The outlet then broached the controversial gun control question: "What’s your position on the debate about gun ownership in the U.S.?" The "Django Unchained" filmmaker tried to take a nuanced position, but ended up advocating for more gun control.

He said, "There are always two sides. We certainly don’t need as many automatic weapons as there are. There should be better laws."

Despite his politics on guns, Tarantino admitted, "I do have a gun at home." The interviewer asked, "A gun?" to which he said, "Yes, for protection."

The topic then turned to the gratuitous depiction of violence in Hollywood movies, which Tarantino has contributed to significantly over the years. 

The outlet noted, "few years ago in an interview, the father of Uma Thurman — a promoter of Tibetan Buddhism in the U.S., a friend of the Dalai Lama and a former monk — defended his cinematic work. He told me that we must distinguish between real violence and on-screen violence."

The director added, "Robert [Thurman], yes. I couldn’t have said it better myself. There is no real violence in the movies. We’re just playing." 

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The interviewer then asked, "Are you tired of the debate about violence in your movies?" Tarantino wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "Yes, very much so. In fact, I hope you stop asking about it."

In another recent interview as part of his book tour, Tarantino explained why he doesn’t have nudity in his movies: "Sex is not part of my vision of cinema." He told Spain’s Spain’s Diari ARA, "The truth is that, in real life, it’s a pain to shoot sex scenes, everyone is very tense. And if it was already a bit problematic to do it before, now it is even more so. If there had ever been a sex scene that was essential to the story, I would have, but so far it hasn’t been necessary." 

Additional reporting by Stephanie Giang-Paunon. 

Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman during "Kill Bill Vol.1" Hollywood Premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic) (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)