Later this summer, actress Margot Robbie stars as Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It’s a dream come true for the actress, who is a huge fan of the auteur director’s films. She is such a fan that once she had honed her craft enough and attained a certain level of status in the industry, she planned to reach out to him to let him know what a fan she is and get on his radar.
After she had seen a cut of her Oscar-nominated performance in I, Tonya, Margot Robbie did just that, as she explained:
So I wrote him, and said, ‘I adore your films, and I would love to work with you in some capacity. Or any capacity.’
Hey, it never hurts to ask. As she told Vogue, once she felt her career was in a place where she would warrant the director’s attention, Margot Robbie wrote to Quentin Tarantino. She sent him a letter (nice personal touch) and basically just let him know that she is a fan of his work and as such she would relish any opportunity to work with him, no matter what it is.
Like Halle Berry calling up Chad Stahelski to pitch herself for a role in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, you have to appreciate Margot Robbie’s willingness to put herself out there and ask for what she wants. She had no way of knowing how Quentin Tarantino would respond, if at all, but she knew that she had always wanted to do this, so she did.
It obviously proved to be a fortuitous move for the actress. Unbeknownst to her, Quentin Tarantino had recently finished his script for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood when he received her letter, and those who had read the script were already been bringing up her name for the role of Sharon Tate.
Quentin Tarantino couldn’t ignore that kind of serendipity and he invited the actress to his home to read the script for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The rest, as they say, is history. Margot Robbie got the part that it seems like everyone was calling for her to get, including Sharon Tate’s sister.
As to why she was cast, Quentin Tarantino cited how much Margot Robbie looks like Sharon Tate, as well as her ability to convey the late actress’s innocence. But you have to think that her go-getter attitude and desire to work with him didn’t hurt her case.
There was some controversy after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival when a reporter implied that given Margot Robbie’s talent level, she should have had more lines in the film, to which Quentin Tarantino gave a terse response.
Hearing how much Margot Robbie wanted to work with the director in any capacity would seem to show that she was more than happy with her role in the film. And given Quentin Tarantino’s penchant for using the same actors in his movies, perhaps Margot Robbie could return for the director’s 10th film, no letter required next time.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood opens in theaters on July 26. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies coming this summer season.
