Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast is filled with top-tier actors and actresses. Tarantino's ninth film isn't just a rehashing of the Manson murders, an ode to a key paradigm shift in American culture, or a paean to a Hollywood that doesn't exist anymore. Instead, it's all three. Tarantino has blended all of these elements together (plus some others) and made a film that has earned widespread appraise.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a fading actor who made his name in gun-toting, all-American movies popular in the 1940s and '50s. By 1969, Rick is adrift and he's nervous that he's turning into a has-been quicker than he's comfortable with. Luckily, his close friend and stuntman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), is right by his side to be his confidant, drinking buddy, life coach, and everything in between, as both men try to evolve in an industry that seems to be jumping leaps and bounds each an every day. As newcomers like Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) arrive on the scene poised to make a splash, and rumors of Charles Manson and his family at Spahn Ranch start weaving themselves into the fabric of Hollywood, Rick and Cliff are faced with shaping up quick or shipping out.
Take one look at the cast list for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and there may be more than one jaw hitting the floor. Tarantino brought together a talented cast from all corners of the industry to bring his ode to the '60s to life. Below is an extensive Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast list featuring all of the famous faces that pop up in the film, including DiCaprio, Pitt, and Robbie.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, who has been living and working in Hollywood for years but finds his star power fading fast in 1969. Rick also happens to live on the now-infamous Cielo Dr. in Los Angeles, right next door to the rising star Sharon Tate. Believe it or not, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is DiCaprio's first film role since starring and winning the Best Actor Oscar for 2015's The Revenant.
Between then and now, DiCaprio has been relaxing and focusing his attention elsewhere, taking what seems like a well-deserved break after a truly hot streak over a 5-year time period, including films like Titanic, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Departed, Shutter Island, and more.
Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth
Brad Pitt plays Cliff Booth, Rick's right-hand man, confidant, drinking buddy, longtime friend, and stuntman. Cliff and Rick have spent a lot of time together on set, so Cliff has some unique insights into what it's like living and working in Hollywood and the perils of working in the movie business.
Similar to DiCaprio, Pitt's been having a slightly more relaxed go of it in recent years. He's been averaging one film a year since 2014, moving from Fury to By the Sea to The Big Short, then Allied and War Machine before taking on bit parts in Deadpool 2 and The Jim Jeffries Show. Even though Pitt has been taking it a bit easier in the acting department, he's still been active as an executive producer through his production company, Plan B. In the last few years, Plan B has played a role in getting Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk, Okja, and The Lost City of Z to theaters and streaming platforms.
Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate
Margot Robbie plays Sharon Tate, the real-life actress who was sadly murdered in August 1969 at her home on Cielo Dr. by followers of criminal and cult leader Charles Manson. Tate's career was only just beginning by the time her life was tragically cut short, which means Once Upon a Time in Hollywood similarly, with the help of Robbie's performance, depicts Tate as she experiences the first flashes of fame and celebrity as she continues to transition from modeling to acting. In the film, Tate is married to director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha).
Robbie has been on a hot streak since breaking onto the scene in 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street. She's proven herself able to sink into a variety of roles, appearing in big studio films like Suicide Squad, Focus, The Legend of Tarzan, and I, Tonya, which has only helped her become even more of a household name.
Al Pacino as Marvin Schwarz
Al Pacino plays Marvin Schwarz, Rick's manager. Marvin is a classic Hollywood wheeler-dealer, always ready to schmooze and help make his clients feel like their needs are being taken care of. Pacino's Marvin only appears briefly, but he's crucial to Dalton resurrecting his career in Spaghetti Westerns.
Pacino is one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood. His early career is chock-full of '60s and '70s films which have gone on to be revered, including Scarface, Serpico, The Godfather Part II, and Dog Day Afternoon. Nowadays, Pacino has been popping up in some interesting places, like the oddball indie Manglehorn, charming romantic drama Danny Collins, and on HBO's original drama Paterno.
Kurt Russell as Randy
Russell appears in the film as Randy, a stunt coordinator. Randy is married to a character named Janet, who is played by frequent Tarantino actor Zoe Bell. Interestingly, in real life, Bell works as a stuntwoman.
The Russell renaissance is in full swing as of 2019. Russell reteams with Tarantino for this latest film after the pair worked together on 2015's The Hateful Eight. Previous to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Russell popped up in Deepwater Horizon, The Fate of the Furious, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, and Netflix holiday film The Christmas Chronicles, though he's previously starred in memorable films such as Escape From New York, Backdraft, Stargate, and more.
Timothy Olyphant as James Stacy
Timothy Olyphant plays James Stacy, a real actor who was known mainly in the 1960s for his role on the Western drama series Lancer. In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Lancer is recreated with Stacy in the lead role and Dalton as a guest star.
Olyphant found time to pop into the world of Tarantino for this ninth film while also on deck for his starring role as Joel Hammond in Netflix's zombie comedy The Santa Clarita Diet and filming the Deadwood standalone film. Although Olyphant has been working in film and television since the early '90s, he's perhaps best known for his roles in the popular TV series Deadwood and Justified.
Dakota Fanning as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme
Dakota Fanning portrays notorious Manson family member Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. In real life, Squeaky Fromme was one of the most prominent of Manson's followers. Following the murder of Tate at her home, Fromme was in the press with other Manson family to show for their then-alleged innocence. Fromme went on to make headlines of her own when she attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a huge step back into big films for former child star/teen actor Fanning. Rising to prominence with roles in I Am Sam, Uptown Girls, and War of the Worlds, Fanning has been popping up in unusual places, be it TNT's 19th-century crime drama The Alienist, a two-minute scene in Ocean's 8, or lending her voice to the animated series Gen: Lock.
Margaret Qualley as Pussycat
Margaret Qualley plays a character named Pussycat, who is loosely based on real-life Manson family member Kathryn Lutesinger who went by the nickname "Kitty". Pussycat catches Cliff's eye and she tries to bring him home to the (Manson) family, where Cliff gets a taste of what's actually going on at Spahn Ranch.
Qualley is popping up more and more following her initial break with roles in 2013's Palo Alto and 2016's The Nice Guys. Since breaking onto the scene, Qualley has appeared in both film and TV, including The Leftovers, Fosse/Verdon, and HBO's adaptation of Richard Wright's novel Native Son.
Luke Perry as Wayne Maunder
Luke Perry posthumously stars as real-life actor Wayne Maunder in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In the '60s and '70s, Maunder was best known for roles on Lancer, Custer, and The Virginian. Like many others in the film, Perry appears only briefly in a short scene with DiCaprio's Rick Dalton during filming on Lancer.
Perry is best ed for his role on the teen drama Riverdale back in 2017.
Emile Hirsch as Jay Sebring
Emile Hirsch portrays Jay Sebring, a close friend and former boyfriend of Sharon Tate's who was sadly murdered at Tate and Polanski's home in August 1969. Sebring was a famous celebrity hairstylist and went on to become the founder and operator of the hairstyling company Sebring International. Hirsch, who rose to fame in the 2000s with films like The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and Lords of Dogtown, is returning back on the scene with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
