Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: who's playing who?

Quentin Tarantino’s eagerly-anticipated 9th film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is to premiere today in Cannes.

Both Charles Manson and Roman Polanski are central figures in the film, an exploration of Hollywood’s hippy era set against the backdrop of the 1969 killings. The cult murdered Sharon Tate, Polanski’s pregnant wife, and four others in the couple’s home; it was part of a spate of murders that took the lives of nine people during July and August that year. Tate is played by Margot Robbie in the film, although Tarantino insists it is not about the Manson murders.

The director has given away little about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, aside from the fact that the two central characters, a has-been TV actor (Rick Dalton) and his stunt double (Cliff Booth), are on a mission to make themselves newly famous.

But the cast is brimming with Hollywood heavyweights. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Bruce Dern have all been cast. So who, exactly, is playing who?

Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton

DiCaprioplays the part of a fictional character, Rick Dalton, alongside Brad Pitt. Once the star of a popular Western television series, Rick has failed to move into films and arrives in Hollywood with the hope of regenerating his career, only to find that hippy culture and fear of the Manson cult has transformed the city. Dalton is a neighbour of the murdered actress Tate and her husband Polanski.

Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth

Pitt forms the other half of a dynamic duo with DiCaprio as Cliff Booth, Dalton's (DiCaprio) longtime stunt double and closest friend. This marks Pitt's second time working with Tarantino after he appeared in the award-winning Inglorious Basterds.

Rafal Zawierucha as Roman Polanski

Tarantino’s decision to cast an actor in the role of the disgraced director Roman Polanski has proved contentious. Last year he was forced to apologise to Polanski’s rape victim Samantha Geimer after audio recordings made in 2003 emerged. In them, Tarantino described Geimer – who was 13 at the time of the assault – as a “party girl” who wanted to have sex with the older man.

Rafal Zawierucha is a relative unknown. He’s an actor of Polish heritage, like Polanski, and has largely appeared in Polish films and television. But Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds made little-known Austrian actor Christoph Waltz an Oscar-winner, and gave Michael Fassbender one of his first major roles. If Zawierucha’s turn as Polanski is as good, this part could be life-changing for him.

Damon Herriman as Charles Manson

In another instance of Tarantino casting his net wide, he’s opted for another obscure actor for a leading role. Australian actor Damon Herriman, best known for his work in TV series Justified and Battle Creek, has landed the role of mass killer and cult leader Charles Manson. Herriman, however, is used to taking on controversial roles: he played a transgender woman named Kim in the Netflix series Secret City last year.

Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate

Margot Robbie takes on one of the film’s most important roles: Sharon Tate. The Valley of the Dolls actress was a promising newcomer in Hollywood before she was brutally murdered while eight months pregnant. In the first images, she wears a typically Sixties ensemble of a black polo neck top, white mini-skirt and go-go boots.

Bruce Dern as George Spahn 

The Hollywood stalwart will play George Spahn, the owner of the ranch that was once a filming location for Westerns before infamously housing Manson and his family.

Spahn reportedly allowed the cult to live at his ranch in exchange for sex with Manson’s young female followers and their assistance walking (he was partially blind). It’s thought that Manson and his followers concocted their murderous plans there.

Burt Reynolds was originally cast in the role of Spahn, but died in September before his scenes had been filmed.

Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen

Brit Damian Lewis plays the “King of Cool” Steve McQueen, whose reputation as an action film heart-throb made him one of the key figures of Sixties counterculture. McQueen was also Sharon Tate’s ex-boyfriend. The actor narrowly avoided death at the hands of the Manson family after choosing to meet his mistress instead of his friends Tate and Jay Sebring on the night of the murder.

Tim Roth and Kurt Russell as unknown

We’re yet to learn what roles The Hateful Eight stars Kurt Russell and Tim Roth play in the film. Both have worked with Tarantino before – Russell also appeared in Death Proof and Roth held roles in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction –but they might have fully-fledged roles or merely cameos.

Mike Moh as Bruce Lee

Iconic martial artist Bruce Lee, of whom Tarantino is a fan, is played by Moh in his first major big-budget film. It is expected that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will explore Lee’s interaction with Tate, of whom Lee was a good friend.

Austin Butler as Tex Watson

Austin Butler, best known as the star of The Shannara Chronicles, plays Tex Watson, one of the murderers present at Tate’s home and a central member of the Manson family. Despite feigning mental illness, Watson was convicted of seven counts of first degree murder, but was spared the death sentence. The 73-year-old remains in prison in California.

Dakota Fanning as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme

The star of Netflix series The Alienist and former child actor (in films such as War of the Worlds and Man on Fire) has been cast as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a former member of the Manson family cult.

Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975. She attempted to escape from prison in the Eighties but was granted parole in 2009. She was one of the last followers of Manson to stay loyal to his cause.

Emile Hirsch as Jay Sebring

Emile Hirsch, best known for his role in the 2008 political biopic Milk, plays the role of Jay Sebring, one of Tate’s former lovers and her professional hairdresser. The pair were good friends; Sebring was also murdered by Manson’s followers when they stormed Tate’s home.

Al Pacino as Marvin Schwarz

Hollywood veteran Al Pacino plays Rick Dalton’s fictional agent. It will be the Godfather actor’s first time working with Tarantino.

Lena Dunham as Catherine “Gypsy” Share

Lena Dunham, who wrote and starred in the HBO series Girls, plays Catherine “Gypsy” Share, a former member of the Manson family. Share was one of five family members sent to jail in 1971 for attempting to drug a fellow family member to stop her testifying against the cult. She was released after nine months but later returned to prison for a four-year stint because of an armed robbery. Upon release, she distanced herself from the family, receiving plastic surgery to remove the famous cross-shaped branding from her forehead.

Rumer Willis as Joanna Pettet

Rumer Willis, who has most recently appeared in hip-hop TV drama Empire, plays English actress Joanna Pettet, who became famous for playing Mata Bond in 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale. Pettet had lunch at Tate’s just hours before her host was murdered.