The Many Now-Familiar Faces of ‘Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood’!

Although Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are the main stars of Quentin Tarantino's 10-time Oscar-nominated film Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood, the movie is filled with lots of other familiar faces. Taking place in 1969, the film is an ode to old Hollywood showcasing a fading TV star and his stunt double while playing with historical fact surrounding the notorious Manson Family, which terrorized the city at the time. Many of the cult members were portrayed by actors who weren't super well-known at the time of the film's release but have gone on to become household names!

1. Sydney Sweeney

Best known for "Euphoria" and Anyone But You, Sydney Sweeney played one of the girls on the ranch, Dianne “Snake” Lake. The real Dianne Lake was the youngest member of the Manson Family at only 14 and was not involved in the infamous killing spree. As for Sweeney, she has earned two Emmy nominations, one for her role in "Euphoria" and one for her role in the first season of "The White Lotus". She also had the lead role in the horror film Immaculate and is set to star in the Barbarella remake as well as Eden directed by Ron Howard.

2. Austin Butler

The Elvis star played Charles Manson’s second-in-command, Charles "Tex" Watson, who had a pivotal role in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Prior to this role, he guest-starred on shows such as "iCarly", "Hannah Montana", "Wizards of Waverly Place", and "Zoey 101", as well as the lead role in the short-lived fantasy series "The Shannara Chronicles". After appearing in OUATIH, Butler went on to win a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Elvis Presley and has recently starred in Dune: Part Two, Masters of the Air, and The Bikeriders.

3. Mikey Madison

Mikey Madison played Susan “Sadie” Atkins, another perpetrator of the Tate-LaBianca murders who was originally sentenced to death before having her sentence commuted to life in prison (she died behind bars in 2009). Susan was the one who convinced the rest of the group to head to Rick Dalton's house instead of the original plan, following Tarantino’s pattern of twist endings. As for Madison, she went on to star in the 2022 remake of Scream, Sean Baker's Palme d'Or-winning film Anora, and currently appears opposite Natalie Portman in the Apple TV+ limited series "Lady in the Lake".

4. Margaret Qualley

As a member of the Manson Family in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, Margaret Qualley played one of the more significant parts. Her role was a composite of two real Manson family members, Kathryn “Kitty” Lutesinger and Ruth Ann Moorehouse. Her nickname in the film, “Pussycat”, is based on Kathryn, but the character is mostly based on Ruth. Since being in the film, Qualley has earned acclaim for her roles in "Maid" and Drive-Away Dolls, and has since starred in two films that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, The Substance and Kinds of Kindness.

5. Maya Hawke

Playing Linda “Flower Child” Kasabian, her character was the only one with a driver's license, so although she wasn’t directly involved with the murder spree, she was supposed to be the getaway driver who ended up fleeing the scene in the film. Maya Hawke received her big break in the 3d season of "Stranger Things" and has since gone on to have roles in films such as Do Revenge, Asteroid City, Maestro, Netflix's Fear Street Trilogy, and most recently Inside Out 2.

6. Victoria Pedretti

Although her acts of murder are not shown in the movie, Victoria’s character Leslie “Lulu” Van Houten was convicted for the murders of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. Even though she was only shown giving visitors a tour of the ranch on horseback, her small appearance greatly impacted her career. She is a regular at Netflix, most notably having played Love in the second season of "You", Elenor “Nell” Crain in "The Haunting of Hill House", and Dani in "The Haunting of Bly Manor".

7. Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning played perhaps the most notorious member of the Manson Family, outside of Manson himself, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, who often slept with the owner of Spahn Ranch, George Spahn. Although Lynette was never involved with the Manson murders, she later went on to try to assassinate President Gerald Ford and spent 3 decades in jail before being released in 2009. By her own account, she still very much believes in her guru Manson and that his actions were justified (yikes!). as for Dakota, she rose to fame as a child actor through her roles in I Am Sam and Uptown Girls, but she most recently starred in Netflix’s 'Ripley", the new horror film The Watchers, and the soon-to-be-released adaption of Elin Hilderbrand's Novel The Perfect Couple.

Watch Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood on Hulu!