6 Actors Who Found Fame in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood!

Quentin Tarantino has a knack for spotting talent, and his film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a perfect example. Released in 2019, the movie not only captivated audiences with its star-studded cast—featuring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie—but also introduced a whole new generation of rising stars. The film became the launchpad for the careers of actors like Mikey Madison, Sydney Sweeney, Margaret Qualley, Austin Butler, Maya Hawke, and Victoria Pedretti, all of whom have since gone on to make their mark in Hollywood.

Let’s take a closer look at the talented stars whose careers were ignited by Tarantino’s 2019 masterpiece.

1. Mikey Madison: From Tarantino’s Wild Character to Leading Roles

Mikey Madison was just 19 when she landed her role as Susan “Sadie” Atkins in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Madison admits she was starstruck to audition for Tarantino, but the audition went so well that she landed the part, which she describes as “winning the lottery.”

Her performance as the unpredictable and intense Sadie attracted the attention of director Sean Baker, who cast her in the lead role of Anora, a film that won her the Best Actress Oscar. Madison also starred in Scream (2022) and has cemented her place as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars.

2. Sydney Sweeney: Rising Star With Multiple Breakout Roles

2019 was a major year for Sydney Sweeney. Not only did she play a Manson family member in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but she also shot to fame as Cassie in HBO’s Euphoria. Sweeney’s dual success on the big and small screen put her in the spotlight, and she hasn’t looked back since.

The Emmy-nominated actress went on to star in The White Lotus, Anyone but You (2023), and Madame Web (2024), while continuing her role as Cassie in Euphoria. For Sweeney, Tarantino’s film helped her achieve the Hollywood dream.

3. Margaret Qualley: A Call From Panama Changed Her Life

Margaret Qualley wasn’t completely new to Hollywood when she joined the cast of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but this role marked her major breakthrough. Qualley initially auditioned for a different part but didn’t give up. While in Panama, her father jokingly told her she’d book a Tarantino role if she bought a plane ticket. The next day, she received the call for a chemistry read with Brad Pitt.

Qualley’s star quality shone brightly, and she went on to star in Poor Things (2023) and The Substance (2024), earning a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

4. Austin Butler: From Manson Family Member to Oscar Nominee

Austin Butler’s role as Charles “Tex” Watson in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was a pivotal moment in his career. Though Butler had previous roles in Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, this Tarantino film catapulted him into the A-list.

Butler’s portrayal of Elvis Presley in Elvis (2022) earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and he’s since appeared in Dune: Part Two (2024). His choice to work with Tarantino over auditioning for Top Gun: Maverick proved to be a career-defining decision.

5. Maya Hawke: The Next Generation of Hollywood Talent

Maya Hawke, daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, was just starting out when she joined Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Her role as Flower Child, a Manson Family member, was her first major film appearance. In 2019, Hawke shared that she filmed her audition with her dad and was blown away when she got a callback from Tarantino himself.

Since then, Hawke has starred as Robin Buckley in Stranger Things, appeared in Do Revenge (2022), and voiced Anxiety in Inside Out 2 (2024), establishing herself as a rising star in Hollywood.

6. Victoria Pedretti: A Hollywood Breakthrough

Victoria Pedretti had a smaller role as Leslie Van Houten, aka Lulu, in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but this was the spark that ignited her career. Following her appearance in the Tarantino film, she was cast as Love Quinn in Netflix’s You, where she quickly became a fan favorite.

Pedretti also made her Broadway debut in February 2024 in An Enemy of the People, alongside Jeremy Strong. Her journey from Tarantino’s film to leading roles proves the impact of that fateful Hollywood moment.

Conclusion: Tarantino’s Star-Making Magic

Quentin Tarantino has a unique ability to discover rising stars, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is proof of that. From Mikey Madison’s breakout role to Austin Butler’s Oscar-nominated performance, the film helped launch the careers of some of today’s biggest Hollywood names. These stars are now leading successful careers, showing just how much one Tarantino film can change the course of an actor’s life.