Quentin Tarantino Reveals the Bizarre Way He Deals With Crew Members Who Fall Asleep on His Movie Sets

Maintaining control on a movie set is a difficult task for any director, but Quentin Tarantino has developed a rather unorthodox method for ensuring his cast and crew stay awake. During an appearance on late-night television with Conan O’Brien, one of his most famous stars, Uma Thurman, shed light on the peculiar way the filmmaker deals with those who doze off.

According to Thurman, Tarantino’s secret weapon for on-set discipline is far from a standard reprimand. He had a weapon of choice. There was a large d***o, and we’re talking something like this [holds her arm out]. I don’t know who this is made for. An elephant r****t would use this thing, she explained to the audience.

Even with the director’s well-known reputation for pushing boundaries, this specific tool seemed to catch the crew off guard. So this elephant r****t tool, or elephant i*********r, whatever it was, Thurman continued, Whenever snores would be found in various corners of the set, it would be brought out like Jaws, and then sort of presenting is some ungodly horrific angle next to the face of the offending sleeper.

The actress, who has had her own complicated history with Tarantino’s intense filming style, expressed some reservations about the practice. I was quite troubled by it. I found it quite unkind. There would be photographs taken, and there was a wall of shame. I attempted to kidnap this wall on several occasions, but it was kept under lock and key, she added.

Tarantino later confirmed the existence of this unusual disciplinary measure in his own conversation with O’Brien. He explained that his motivation came from a place of frustration during grueling night shoots where energy levels would naturally dip. To put it the exact way, it always bugged me when you shoot at night and see a crew member or an actor sleeping. So I came up with something where it wouldn’t bug me, and if it did happen, I’m now happy about it, the director admitted.

He even revealed that the prop has a name and a specific origin story within his filmography. I introduced a new crew member to the set around Jackie Brown, called Big Jerry, Tarantino said with visible excitement. Big Jerry is a big purple d***o that’s about this long [indicating enormous size]. It’s the second biggest d***o in the store. If somebody has fallen asleep, we come in with Big Jerry, as close to the mouth as humanly possible.

As of early 2026, Uma Thurman remains a busy force in the industry, continuing to expand her diverse body of work. She recently wrapped production on the highly anticipated sequel Red, White & Royal Wedding, where she reprises her role as President Ellen Claremont. The film is expected to be a major streaming event for Prime Video later this year.

Thurman has also ventured into the world of gritty television, starring in the recent revival series Dexter: Resurrection. In this project, she plays a mysterious and formidable antagonist, a role that has allowed her to return to the high-intensity action she is known for. Additionally, she also appeared in The Old Guard 2 alongside Charlize Theron.

On the other hand, Quentin Tarantino is currently the subject of intense speculation regarding his tenth and supposedly final feature film. While he famously scrapped The Movie Critic last year, he is currently working on a new project The Adventures of Cliff Booth. This project, a spiritual successor to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is rumored to be heading to Netflix in late 2026 with Brad Pitt returning to his Oscar-winning role.

Do you think Tarantino’s Big Jerry method is a hilarious way to keep a crew focused or does it cross a line into being unprofessional? Share your thoughts in the comments.