Hollywood has its fair share of mix-ups, but one during the filming of ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ remains among the most hilarious. Turns out, Brad Pitt actually mistook Leonardo DiCaprio’s parents for extras on the set of the 2019 Quentin Tarantino movie.
It would be wise to call it a comedy of errors, but at the same time, it’s the natural 60s aesthetic of DiCaprio’s parents that made it all believable. Here’s the lore behind the incident.
When Pitt Mistook DiCaprio’s Parents For Extras
Earlier in 2025, Leonardo DiCaprio recounted this hilarious incident in an interview with TIME Magazine. He spilled the beans on how Brad Pitt mistook his parents for paid extra background actors. “I said to Brad, ‘That’s my dad, and that’s my stepmom there,” DiCaprio told Pitt while leaving Musso & Frank’s on Hollywood Boulevard.
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While recalling the incident later, the ‘Titanic‘ star couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought, ‘I know they look like extras in this movie [Once Upon a Time in Hollywood], but it’s actually them. This is how they dress every day.'”
Describing it as an “incredible moment” that he’ll never forget, DiCaprio kept chuckling while narrating the story. What made the story even funnier was Pitt’s disbelief and the bland response. But we don’t blame the ‘Fight Club’ actor because the confusion is understandable and valid.
It’s because few people know that DiCaprio’s parents have a really interesting link to 60s culture and subculture. Quentin Tarantino ensured it was portrayed genuinely throughout the film. Here’s how it shaped people’s view of that decade.
‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Echoes The 60s Aesthetic And Flair
The late 1960s were a decade shaped by rebellion, outlawry, and utter defiance. This was evident in the movies and the growing punk rock and boho movements. Let’s not forget about Woodstock, a festival that redefined trends, music, and community.
The movie retains parts of it through its fashion and central themes, such as friendship, community, reinvention, and, most importantly, defiance of social norms. It is an ode to an era gone by, with nostalgia echoing throughout the film in its aesthetic.
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This is also something DiCaprio noted when he spoke about his parents in the same interview. “My stepmother is a Sikh. My father is from the sort of hippie counterculture, grew up in San Fran and Los Angeles. He hung out with a lot of the underground art movement in Los Angeles of the 70s.”
‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is precisely about the fading relevance of actors. It shows how they are reduced to relics and how they counter ageism in an industry fuelled by archetypes and unrealistic standards.
Set against the backdrop of the chilling Manson Family Murders that terrified America, the movie blends comedy, drama, and crime perfectly to curate and create a crafty masterpiece. The film goes beyond the horizon of leather jackets and Ray-Bans, diving deep into the subcultures that pervaded Hollywood back in the good old late 1960s.
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