In a rather bizarre turn of events, director Quentin Tarantino has now announced that Rick Dalton has unfortunately passed away. Dalton, a fictional actor played by Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is said to have passed away peacefully at his home in Hawaii, and as for why Tarantino is announcing the death of a character he created, that remains unclear as of now.
The news of the passing was shared on The Video Archives Podcast Twitter channel, with this being a podcast that Tarantino hosts alongside Roger Avery. The post states:
"We are saddened by the news of the passing of actor Rick Dalton, best known for his roles in the hit TV series Bounty Law and The Fireman trilogy.
"Rick passed away peacefully in his home in Hawaii and is survived by his wife Francesca.
"RIP Rick Dalton 1933-2023"
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A follow-up comment adds: "Because of his passing, the episode for Rollerball has been postponed. Instead, we will come back on Tuesday with a memorial episode designed by Quentin that features some of Rick's best roles."
Dalton would have been 90 years old upon passing away, and as for what ultimately happened to the rest of the characters in the film, aside from knowing that Dalton's life continues through his wife Francesca (played by Lorenza Izzo), no word has been mentioned to his stunt double Cliff Booth (aka Brad Pitt).