Quentin Tarantino has given up his acting dream because he doesn't want to take orders from another director.

The Pulp Fiction moviemaker dabbled with acting early in his career and got serious about the craft when he was dating Oscar winner Mira Sorvino - but he admits the interest quickly wore off, and he even cut himself out of his Kill Bill films.

He tells Playboy magazine, "I was going to play (Pai Mei). I'd trained to do the fights and everything, but it was such a big-deal movie that I needed all my attention directing.

"I decided that if I'm going to be on a set, I want it to be my set, with me directing. I don't want to be an actor in somebody else's movie. I don't want people faxing call sheets to my house."

Tarantino still makes brief appearances in his movies, however - he played a scalped German officer in Inglourious Basterds and had a small role in Death Proof.