What The “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” Characters Look Like In Real Life

Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Sharon’s sister Debra Tate cried at a viewing of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. She told Vanity Fair, “She made me cry because she sounded just like Sharon. The tone in her voice was completely Sharon, and it just touched me so much that big tears [started falling]. The front of my shirt was wet. I actually got to see my sister again… nearly 50 years later.”

Bruce Lee, played by Mike Moh


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Even though he’s an actor who works in Los Angeles often, Moh actually lives with his family in Milwaukee and runs his own studio called Moh’s Martial Arts.

Wayne Maunder played by Luke Perry


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: You wouldn’t necessarily think that Leonardo DiCaprio would get starry-eyed on set, but that’s apparently what happened when he met Luke Perry. He told Entertainment Weekly, “I felt this overwhelming feeling of being star-struck. Then he and I got to sit down and talk about Los Angeles, the ’90s, his life, where his career had gone, where my career had gone, where his life had gone, where my life…and I was just so, how do I say this, the kindness of his character, I don’t know, it really affected me.”

James Stacy, played by Timothy Olyphant


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Lancer — the western television series that Rick Dalton stars in with James Stacy — was a real CBS show that began airing in 1968.

Connie Stevens, played by Dreama Walker


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: In real life, Stevens was married to James Stacy, Dalton’s co-star on Lancer, from 1963 to 1966.

Charles Manson, played by Damon Herriman


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Hollywood must think Damon Herriman is the perfect Charles Manson because he’ll play the serial killer once again in Netflix’s second season of Mindhunter.

Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, played by Dakota Fanning


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Dakota told Porter that she “probably would’ve played any role” in the movie, but liked that she won the role of Squeaky because “the fact that it was such a juicy and challenging one made it even more exciting.”

Kathryn “Kitty” Lutesinger, played by Margaret Qualley


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: While it would make sense that Qualley’s character “Pussycat” is a reference to “Kitty,” the notorious member of the Manson Family, we don’t know for sure. However, you might be interested to know that the real-life Kitty Lutesinger was one of the Manson Family members who shaved their heads out of protest of Charles Manson being given the death penalty.

Charles “Tex” Watson played by Austin Butler


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Austin Butler already knew how to ride a horse when he was cast as Tex because his grandfather was a cowboy himself. He told People that he “wears a cowboy hat every day and cowboy boots every day so he’s gonna be really proud, I think.”

Catherine “Gypsy” Share, played by Lena Dunham


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Gypsy eventually went to prison for five years due to her involvement with a Manson Family robbery and again for credit card fraud. While in jail, she became a practicing christian.

Leslie “Lulu” Van Houten, played by Victoria Pedretti


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Van Houten first met Catherine Share at a Northern California commune and followed her to Charles Manson’s commune in 1968. She was nineteen at the time.

Susan “Sadie” Atkins, played by Mickey Madison


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: The flamethrower that Sadie meets in Rick Dalton’s backyard is the very same one from his role as a Nazi-killer in The Fourteen Fists of McClusky.

Steve “Clem” Grogan, played by James Landry Herbert


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Clem was the only Manson Family member to be found guilty and then later released from prison after a judge stated that he was “too stupid and too hopped on drugs” to orchestrate a murder. He was granted parole in 1985.

Linda Kasabian, played by Maya Hawke


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: In real life, Linda Kasabian went to Sharon Tate’s house only to act as a lookout and getaway driver but was eventually granted immunity in exchange for acting as a star witness in the Manson murder trials.

Dianne “Snake” Lake, played by Sydney Sweeney


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Dianne was only 14 at the time of the murders and as such, did not participate in them. She later served as a witness in a trial that convicted Charles Manson to life in prison.

George Spahn, played by Bruce Dern


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Bruce Dern stepped into the role of real-life owner of the Spahn Movie Ranch for Burt Reynolds, who was originally cast in the role.

Mama Cass, played by Rachel Redleaf


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Dan Akyroyd lives in the mansion formerly belonging to Mama Cass and when Robbie Williams rented the home, he claims he was visited by her ghost. (Lucky him!)

Michelle Phillips, played by Rebecca Rittenhouse


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Michelle is featured only briefly in the movie, where she shows up alongside Mama Cass at the Playboy Mansion and parties the night away.

Abigail Folger, played by Samantha Robinson


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Abigail Folgers — of Folgers coffee — sings along to “Straight Shooter” by the Mamas & the Papas during the movie.

Voityck Frykowski, played by Costa Ronin


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Frykowski’s son would later go on to become a cinematographer.

Roman Polanski, played by Rafal Zawierucha


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Roman Polanski’s current wife has criticized Quentin Tarantino for his inclusion in the film, saying, “it doesn’t bother [Hollywood] to make a film which takes Roman and his tragic story, while at the same time they have made him a pariah. And all without consulting him of course.”

Jay Sebring, played by Emile Hirsch


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Sebring worked as a hair dresser in Hollywood and his clients included Warren Beatty, Frank Sintara, Sammy Davis Jr., and Steve McQueen.

Steve McQueen, played by Damian Lewis


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Damian Lewis shares an interest with McQueen, having spoken about being a fan driving of fast, fancy cars and appeared on Top Gear in 2016.

Joanna Pettet, played by Rumer Willis


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: British actor Pettet is probably most recognized for her role as Mata Bond in Casino Royale.

Sam Wanamaker, played by Nicholas Hammond


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🎬 MOVIE FACT: Hammond played Friedrich in 1965’s The Sound of Music.