How Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Discovered a New Generation of Stars

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In the summer of 2019, Quentin Tarantino’s movie “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was released, and anticipation focused on its stellar cast. For the first time, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt shared the screen, with Margot Robbie completing this powerhouse trio. Although both DiCaprio and Pitt were subsequently nominated for Oscars, with Pitt taking home the award, it’s possible that the film’s lasting impact won’t be these three A-list actors on the poster but rather the new talents it launched: Mikey Madison, who won an Oscar for Best Actress; Austin Butler, who was Oscar-nominated; Margaret Qualley, a Golden Globe nominee; and Sydney Sweeney, a rising star in Hollywood. Even lesser-known ensemble members like Maya Hawke and Victoria Pedretti have since carved out successful careers of their own.

Credit for this achievement belongs to Victoria Thomas, the film’s casting director, whose experience dates back to “Repo Man.” Thomas is a seasoned Hollywood professional, having won the Casting Society’s Artios Awards six times for diverse projects such as “The Last of Us,” “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” and “Hidden Figures.” However, her collaboration with Tarantino, starting from “Django Unchained,” is what she is most recognized for. As Thomas stated in 2016, “We always say to each other, ‘We grew up in the same house, miles apart.’” More recently, she downplayed suggestions that she and Tarantino intentionally cultivated a new generation of stars. “There wasn’t any agenda,” she says. “We just happened upon these actors who became popular after being in the movie.

Nonetheless, as Thomas explains, the casting endeavored to convey an essence of generational transition. The movie is set in 1969, marking the end of the classic Hollywood studio system and the dawn of New Hollywood. This shift is mirrored in the cast by including veterans from New Hollywood who have since become legends: Al Pacino portrays a Hollywood executive, Brenda Vaccaro appears in a cameo from Midnight Cowboy, and initially Burt Reynolds played George Spahn, the ranch owner linked to the Manson family. (Following Reynolds’s death in 2018, his role was taken over by Bruce Dern.) The main characters would be portrayed by established movie stars, but the Manson plot allowed Tarantino and Thomas to incorporate their rising stars of choice. “There’s always a new generation ready to take over,” Thomas notes, “We were simply trying to delve into that idea subtly.

Although the movie presented fresh characters to viewers, Thomas had been observing several of the performers for quite some time. As she explains, “Timing is everything in casting. You might follow someone for five years, witnessing their talent like Mikey Madison, who consistently impresses but misses out on a role. However, when a character aligns with an actor at the perfect moment, it’s their turn.” This, she suggests, could be why they discovered so many promising stars all at once: A group of exceptionally talented actors seized their opportunity simultaneously.

In the bustling world of 2018, the movie “Once Upon a Time” was highly sought after, boasting multiple roles for young women. This made it simpler for Thomas to fill positions since everyone was eager to audition. “Everyone was clamoring to be a part of this,” she explained. “If I hadn’t met them before, I met them then. It wasn’t difficult to get people in the room.” One such hopeful turned out to be another future Gen-Z Oscar winner. “We met Billie Eilish,” Thomas reminisced. “She was 16. Her mother brought her in. She was quite reserved – cool, a little nervous. I think she felt a bit awkward about it. At that point, her focus was mainly on her music.” The auditions were delayed, and Eilish had a studio session she couldn’t skip; she stayed to get some advice from Thomas before submitting a self-tape while traveling.

Among the actors who eventually landed roles, Austin Butler stood out for having a significant history in acting. As Thomas pointed out, he wasn’t exactly new to the scene: at that time, he was in his mid-20s and had already accumulated a variety of TV roles such as those in “The Carrie Diaries” and “Switched at Birth”. Butler caught Thomas’s attention that April when she learned that he was sharing the stage with Denzel Washington in George C. Wolfe’s revival of “The Iceman Cometh”. According to her, he not only held his own but also received positive reviews. In fact, Hilton Als praised him by saying, “There is only one actor in this production, and his name is Austin Butler.” Impressed, Thomas thought, “Wow, okay. This young actor doesn’t need to perform ‘Iceman Cometh’ on Broadway. He seems determined to take his career seriously.” Tarantino also took notice of these positive reviews and felt the same way. As Thomas explained, “Someone probably checked him out with Denzel just to make sure.

Initially, Butler submitted a self-recorded video for a role but not the one he eventually landed, which was Tex Watson, a character from Charles Manson’s gang. To preserve the film’s storyline confidentiality, many actors read the same script passages during auditions. The characters given to the male actors were from a fictional episode of Lancer, specifically Bob Gilbert and Johnny Madrid (later portrayed by Scoot McNairy and Timothy Olyphant). Quentin Tarantino instructed all actors to read initially as a good character and then as a bad one, enabling them to showcase their ability to play villains. Butler’s self-tape impressed the team, but it was during his in-person audition that they recognized his potential for Tex. As Thomas explains, “He was just a movie star. He had more edge than we anticipated and was a cool guy. He came in, talked, and Quentin liked him.” Additionally, Butler already knew how to ride horses, which was an added advantage.

Typically, young actresses would audition to play Pussycat, a role eventually taken by Margaret Qualley in the movie. However, there was one exception: A few actresses tried out specifically for the character of Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme. Unlike the other cult members who were imagined as typical flower children, somewhat clueless, the actress playing Squeaky had to portray a dangerous individual. As Gerald Ford might verify, this was indeed accurate. Dakota Fanning personally auditioned for the part along with Tarantino. According to Thomas, “She was tough,” he said. “She gave him a scare.

Actresses auditioning for other characters were motivated to select their preferred Manson girl character and were allowed to present supplementary work for additional points. Thomas explained, “You could improvise, you could sing a song, or read a poem – something showcasing your unique take on the character.” Mikey Madison offered a painting with a poem inscribed on its reverse and a strand of her hair. Sydney Sweeney performed a monologue as Lulu, the role eventually taken by Victoria Pedretti. Margaret Qualley sung “I’ll Never Say Never to Always,” a Manson-composed ballad featured in the movie.

As a movie critic, I found myself intrigued by the early casting decision of Madison in our upcoming film. At the time, she had already made her mark on two seasons of “Better Things,” but it wasn’t her FX show stint that caught Thomas’s eye. Instead, it was their past collaborations on projects like Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” and Edward Zwick’s “Trial by Fire.” Thomas fondly recalled Madison as a dedicated actress, always eager to delve into the craft, and a kind soul.

For her audition, Madison arrived in a vintage ’60s dress and without shoes. At this stage of pre-production, the character of Sadie—a cult member who plays a pivotal role in the film’s climax—had been combined with Pussycat. After a successful chemistry read with Brad Pitt, Madison was offered the role. Truly, she proved herself to be a trooper, always ready to tackle the challenges that came her way.

During mid-June, the filmmakers organized a “mix and match” session for prospective Manson followers, which was attended by nine actors including James Landry Hébert, Madeline Brewer, Joey King, and Perla Haney-Jardine from Kill Bill. This gathering was quite enjoyable according to Thomas, as everyone socialized and even switched roles for various activities. Among these activities were practicing the cult’s famous “creepy crawls”, where James’ associate Jennifer Yoo pretended to be asleep in bed while others performed the crawl. The aim of this session was to determine which actor would suit each role best, as every character in the script was based on a real member of the Manson family. Thomas explains that they were not necessarily searching for physical resemblances but rather capturing the essence of these individuals. Although unacknowledged, the characters were inspired by actual members of the Manson family, and the research team supplied extensive reference materials to the authentic cult members.

Madison was secretly chosen for a role at the mix-and-match event, without her knowledge beforehand. As Quentin put it, he wanted her to act as his undercover agent on that particular day, aiming to guide other potential actors into unanticipated territories. However, commitments with the show “Better Things” almost prevented her participation. It seemed for a while that she wouldn’t be able to participate in the film. Luckily, producer Shannon McIntosh managed to keep Madison involved. As a result, Sadie and Pussycat were once again distinct characters, and by accepting the smaller role, Madison had enough time to handle both projects effectively.

One actress who didn’t attend the Manson gathering was Margaret Qualley, as Tarantino hadn’t yet had a chance to review her audition tape. Thomas explained, “Tarantino was swamped with auditions and hadn’t had time to watch them all yet, and that’s understandable given his busy schedule. It’s essential for casting directors to know when to take it easy and when to go full speed. Initially, we overlooked her, but eventually, Tarantino did his due diligence.

Similar to Butler, Qualley was well-known due to roles in shows like “The Leftovers” and “The Nice Guys”, as well as being Andie MacDowell’s daughter. As Thomas stated, she wasn’t discovered from an obscure location. Once Tarantino watched her audition tape, Qualley seemed the ideal candidate to replace Madison. “Quentin realized he had missed her,” Thomas said. “She’s Pussycat.” She was peculiar and distinct, keeping viewers slightly unbalanced. She was simply a humorous, eccentric individual who made decisions others didn’t.

By this point, it was already August, with the filming already underway. For her second audition, Qualley visited the set – “during lunch or perhaps a break for the crew” – to perform a chemistry reading with Pitt. The outcome of this reading can be seen in the final movie.

Sydney Sweeney had been in the industry for quite some time but hadn’t yet made a significant mark when the production of “Once Upon a Time” began. Her season on “The Handmaid’s Tale” was still fresh on streaming platforms, and she had just completed filming the pilot for “Euphoria,” which wouldn’t be aired until the next year. She also tried out for “Detroit.” Thomas described Sweeney as being extremely kind and having an outstanding attitude. His initial impression of her: “She was youthful, free-spirited, emanating a hippie-like aura. She seemed to fit the role — these girls who, regardless of their origins, ended up hitchhiking across the country or living on the streets.” To prepare for her audition, Sweeney created a vision board to visualize getting the part. Eventually, she landed one of the smallest roles among the film’s future stars: Snake, a Manson family lookout who appears briefly on screen.

Maya Hawke’s role stands out more. She portrays a fictionalized version of Linda Kasabian, a cult member who chose not to participate in the Manson murders and eventually testified against her former associates. As Uma Thurman’s daughter, Hawke shared a special moment with Quentin Tarantino during her callback, receiving an extra-tight hug and a wink. She was then cast as Kasabian, here named Flowerchild, during the audition process which coincided with her work on season three of Stranger Things. Thomas, reflecting on the character, said, “We paired Flowerchild with Maya, indicating the traits we saw in her. A ’60s hippie, wandering aimlessly and following the group. They were all somewhat naive, given that they followed Charles Manson.

Victoria Pedretti had also left an impression on Thomas during past productions. She self-recorded for “Once Upon a Time,” but didn’t make it to the final auditions as she was engaged in a play reading in New York. As Thomas explains, “It was quite tricky to get hold of her because she was constantly moving between Atlanta, Cleveland, and New York.” The production team flew her out for a callback that included a horse-riding test at the ranch. Pedretti passed the test and secured the role of Lulu, which is the film’s portrayal of Leslie Van Houten, a follower of Charles Manson who was involved in the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

Having Rumer Willis, along with Qualley and Hawke, who are offspring from well-known film stars, lent an air of examining Hollywood’s genealogy on set. Interestingly, Bruce Willis’ daughter also made a brief appearance as a friend of Sharon Tate’s character. However, it wasn’t intentional; their inclusion just happened naturally, as director Thomas explains. The same sense was felt behind the scenes, where many of the younger crew members were discovered to be the children of long-time Tarantino collaborators. “On set, I would meet someone and realize they were so-and-so’s daughter – it had been years since I last saw them, now they’re grown up,” Thomas shares. “It created a very warm, family-like environment – not like the Manson Family, of course.

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2025-05-08 23:50