Hollywood is notoriously tough, and even A-list actors aren’t immune to rejection — sometimes for reasons as superficial as looks. Jennifer Lawrence recently opened up about missing out on a coveted role in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which dramatizes the events surrounding the Sharon Tate murders by the Manson family.
Back in 2017, Tarantino was reportedly considering either Lawrence or Margot Robbie to portray Tate, a rising star and former pageant queen whose career included hits like Valley of the Dolls (1967) and The Wrecking Crew (1968). According to the Daily Mail, it was Tate’s sister, Debra Tate — a campaigner against criminal violence — who allegedly dismissed Lawrence for the role, saying she was “not pretty enough” and ultimately supporting Robbie instead.
Robbie was cast as Tate and joined a star-studded ensemble including Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, who won an Oscar for his supporting role.
At a recent event hosted by 92NY, Lawrence reflected on the disappointment, sharing that she had been repeatedly told she was “not pretty enough to play Sharon Tate.” Despite her interviewer’s surprise, she added, “I’m pretty sure it is true, or it’s that thing where I’ve been telling that story this way for so long that I believe it, but I’m pretty sure that happened.”
She also questioned whether the remark came directly from Tarantino, or if the Internet had exaggerated the story: “Or he just never was considering me for the part and the internet just went out of their way to call me ugly.”
Debra Tate reportedly approved of Robbie’s performance, telling Vanity Fair that Robbie’s portrayal of her eight-month pregnant sister “made me cry because she sounded just like Sharon.”
While Tarantino has not publicly confirmed that Lawrence was considered for the role of Tate, he did discuss another potential part for her in the film. He apparently wanted Lawrence to portray Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a member of the Manson family depicted in the film, who manipulates an elderly blind man to secure the ranch where the cult operates.
Tarantino revealed on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast in 2021 that Lawrence read the script at his home and was interested in the part, but for reasons unknown, it never materialized.
Though she didn’t play Tate, Lawrence remains one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors, with a career that continues to thrive despite the occasional setback.
