Jennifer Lawrence is claiming that internet backlash may have contributed to her not playing the role of Sharon Tate in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The actress said on Monday’s episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast that she missed out on the part, which was played by Margot Robbie, in the 2019 comedy-drama because people said she wasn’t ”pretty enough.”
While discussing filmmakers Lawrence wants to work with, host Josh Horowitz claimed that Quentin Tarantino has been ”chasing” Lawrence for movie roles. The actress revealed that Tarantino wanted her to star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time, but commentators were against the casting choice.
”Well, he did, and then everybody was like, ‘She’s not pretty enough to play Sharon Tate,” Lawrence said to which Horowitz responded with disbelief.
”I’m pretty sure it is true,” she continued. ”Or it’s that thing where I’ve been telling the story this way for so long that I believe it. No, but I’m pretty sure that happened. Or he just was never considering me for the part, and the internet just, like, went out of their way to call me ugly.”
Horowitz claimed that the internet would ”never do that” to which Lawrence jokingly said, ”No, those sweetie pies?”
Earlier in the conversation, Lawrence revealed that she rejected a role in Tarantino’s Hateful Eight.
”The Jennifer Jason Leigh part was originally written for you, I believe,” Horowitz said.
“I turned it down, which I should not have done,” Lawrence responded with a laugh.
Tate’s sister, Debra Tate, commented on the Once Upon a Time casting decision during an interview with TMZ in 2017. She said at the time that Robbie would be the best choice to play her sister due to her “physical beauty and the way she carries herself.”
Indeed, Debra Tate specifically said she didn’t think Lawrence was “pretty enough” for the role.
”They are both extremely accomplished actresses, but I would have to say my pick would be Margot,” Debra Tate said. ”Simply because of her physical beauty and the way she carries herself — it’s similar to that of Sharon. I don’t think as much about Jennifer Lawrence — not that I have anything against her. She’s just, I don’t know, she’s not pretty enough to play Sharon. That’s a horrible thing to say, but I have my standards.”
Tarantino said in 2021 that he considered casting Lawrence in Once Upon a Time, but he wanted her for a different role. The director shared that he “flirted with” the idea of casting Lawrence for the role of Squeaky, which eventually went to Dakota Fanning.
”I couldn’t be happier with what Dakota Fanning did — it’s one of the best performances in the movie,” Tarantino said during an interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. “She’s amazing as Squeaky Fromme. She becomes her. But early on, I investigated the idea of Jennifer Lawrence playing Squeaky.”
Tarantino explained that Lawrence came to his house to read the script and the pair “talked about it a little bit,” but “something didn’t work out.”
”She’s a very nice person,” Tarantino added, ”and I respect her as an actress.”