Tarantino to actors: Always bring a pen to make notes during rehearsal

NEW YORK, June 20 (UPI) -- Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino says he fires actors who come to a set unprepared because they aren't "professional enough to be in my movie."

Diane Kruger recently was quoted as saying she saw the Oscar-winning writer-director fire an actor for not bringing a pen to rehearsal for "Inglourious Basterds," in which she starred with Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz.

"I'm not really sure what she's referring to," Tarantino told the New York Post when asked about the incident.

"However, any actor who shows up at rehearsal without a pen to make notes in their script isn't professional enough to either be in my movie or worthy enough to be trusted with one of my characters," he said. "That's actually part of rehearsal: to test the actors, and if they're not up to snuff, get rid of them. That's my job, making sure I've picked the right people."