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Quentin Tarantino has always been known for revitalizing the careers of veteran actors. From John Travolta (Pulp Fiction) to Pam Grier and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), from David Carradine (Kill Bill) to Kurt Russell (Death Proof), these kinds of cool and effective casting choices have been one of the reasons why the films by Tarantino have a unique flavor. It is also a way for him to engage in a dialogue with his beloved history of cinema.
But in his last film, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, he uncharacteristically became the guardian angel of a young generation of actors. From Sydney Sweeney and Austin Butler to Margaret Qualley, Mikey Madison, and Maya Hawke, you'll find many of the young Hollywood A-list stars in this film, although you probably wouldn't have been able to call out their names back then.
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It's no accident that Tarantino cast so many young actors in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. This is a film that presents the 1969 Cielo Drive Murders fantastically. Naturally, the perpetrators of the murders, the "Manson family", are featured prominently in the film. The Manson family is made up of young West Coast hippies, which gives the young Hollywood actors a chance to make their mark in a Tarantino film.
Here's a look at some of the "Manson Family members" from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood who have gone on to become some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
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Margaret Qualley (as Debra Jo AKA “Pussycat”)
Of all the Manson Family members who appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, “Pussycat” is the most prominent one. She is a composite creation: the nickname is based on Kathryn “Kitty” Lutesinger’s, but the character is mostly modeled after Ruth Ann Moorehouse, another Manson family member.
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Manson would constantly send Moorehouse into the city of L.A. to seduce men with money and bring them to the Spahn ranch, just like Pussycat does with Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). In her memorable scene with Pitt, Margaret Qualley successfully showed off her adolescent charisma - and also her bare feet.
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Daughter of the famous model/actress Andie McDowell, Qualley has steadily risen to be one of the most sought-after young actors in Hollywood. Before her breakout role in the Tarantino film, Qualley appeared in the neo-noir comedy The Nice Guys and the acclaimed series The Leftovers. Since then, she has earned admiration for her performances in Maid, Poor Things, and Stars at Noon. Her new film The Substance premiered to huge acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Sydney Sweeney (as Dianne Lake AKA “Snake”)
We don’t know much about Dianne Lake and her involvement in the Manson family. She is first seen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood accompanying Pussycat and some of the other girls in the city area, looking for food. Later in the film, she is seen at the Spahn ranch where she serves as a lookout when Cliff comes up with Pussycat.
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Sydney Sweeney’s breakout role was Cassie Howard in Euphoria. She also appeared in the first season of The White Lotus as Olivia, earning Emmy nominations for both roles in 2022. Since then, Sweeney's career completely takes off with several highly successful movie roles. The success of her rom-com collaboration with Glen Powell in Anyone But You has led to upcoming film projects such as a Christy Brown biopic, Ron Howard's Eden, and a remake of cult classic Barbarella.
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Mikey Madison (as Susan Atkins AKA “Sadie”)
Susan Atkins was one of the members of the Tate-LaBianca murder group. In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, she was the one who convinced the rest of the gang to go after Rick Dalton instead of their original target, Sharon Tate. In reality, she was initially sentenced to death but was consequently sentenced to life in prison. However, in the Tarantino film, she meets a fiery end at the hands of Rick's flamethrower.
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Previous to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Madison was known for her role as Max in Better Things. Following the success of Tarantino’s film, she once again appeared as one of the killers in 2022's Scream. Madison has just gained Oscar buzz for her performance in Sean Baker's Palme d’Or winner, Anora. Her next project will be the limited series Lady in the Lake, where she stars alongside Natalie Portman.
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Maya Hawke (as Linda Kasabian AKA “Flower Child”)
Although she was part of the Tate-LaBianca murder group, Linda Kasabian didn’t take part in the killing. Instead, as the only member of the group with a driver’s license, she drove the group to Tate’s house and stayed outside the whole time. However, in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, she got cold feet and fled the scene at the last minute. In reality, Kasabian was a key witness during the trial and testified against the rest of the gang in exchange for immunity.
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Maya Hawke is the daughter of Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise, Training Day) and Tarantino's long-time collaborator, Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill). She has rapidly established herself as a rising star with several standout roles, including her big break as Robin in Stranger Things. Since then, she has appeared in the horror film Fear Street: 1994, the Wes Anderson comedy Asteroid City, and the Oscar-winning biopic Maestro. She will return as Robin in the final season of Stranger Things.
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Austin Butler (as Charles Watson AKA “Tex”)
As Charles Manson’s second-in-command, Tex Watson was deeply involved in the murders of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Unlike other members, Watson didn’t have a criminal record before joining the group. He is introduced in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as the major cowboy of Spahn Ranch.
Austin Butler was previously best known for his roles in teen TV shows. Two and a half years after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered, he got his first Oscar nomination for his performance as Elvis Presley. Butler continued to wow critics and audiences with his scene-stealing role as Feyd-Ratha in Dune: Part 2. He also appeared in the World War II miniseries Masters of the Air. Butler will next be seen in The Bikerriders, alongside Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer.
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When he was Hollywood's wonder boy, Tarantino wasn't keen on scouting for talent among young actors. However, in his middle age, when he became a Hollywood aristocrat, Tarantino began to generously feed Hollywood with the next generation of talent.
To be fair, many of these young stars didn't rely solely on Tarantino for a boost. By the time Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered, Austin Butler was already on the short list of candidates to play Elvis Presley, Sydney Sweeney's breakout hit Euphoria was about to premiere, and Maya Hawke was finishing up her work on the third season of Stranger Things. Their sparkling talents and blessed origins all make it possible for them to get enough opportunities in Hollywood, so it's only a matter of time before their careers take off.
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Even so, no one can deny that Tarantino's film is an important stage for these young actors' talents to be seen by a much larger number of people, whether they be the general public or industry insiders. Tarantino, who claims to make only ten films in his life, has one last film to make. While we can be almost certain that good old partners of his like Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, and Kurt Russell will return, we will be just as curious to see what young actors will be the lucky ones to be featured in a Tarantino film - probably their only chance to do so.
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