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Jennifer Lawrence has reflected on a moment in her career where she believes online commentary may have cost her a major Hollywood role. Speaking on the January 12 episode of Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Oscar-winning actress discussed her connection to filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and her understanding of how casting decisions unfolded for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
During the conversation, Horowitz noted that Tarantino had previously expressed interest in working with Lawrence. He referenced The Hateful Eight, saying the Jennifer Jason Leigh role was initially written with her in mind. Lawrence acknowledged she declined the part, joking, "I turned it down, which I should not have done."
Horowitz then asked whether Tarantino had also considered her for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Lawrence responded, "Well, he did and then everybody was like, 'she's not pretty enough to play Sharon Tate.'" When Horowitz pushed back, she added, "I'm pretty sure it is true. Or it's that thing where I've been telling the story for so long that way, I believe it. I'm pretty sure that's true, or he just never was considering me for the part and the internet just went out of its way to call me ugly."
The role of Sharon Tate ultimately went to Margot Robbie. Prior to the film's 2019 release, Tate's sister, Debra Tate, publicly shared her preference. "They are both extremely accomplished actresses, but I would have to say my pick would be Margot," she told TMZ. She added, "Simply because of her physical beauty and the way she carries herself, it's similar to that of Sharon... She's just, I don't know, she's not pretty enough to play Sharon."
After the film was released, Debra Tate praised Margot Robbie's portrayal, saying it was deeply emotional for her and made her feel as though she was seeing her sister again nearly 50 years later.
Tarantino later clarified Lawrence's connection to the film during a 2021 appearance on Marc Maron's WTF podcast, explaining that she had not been considered for the role of Sharon Tate. Instead, he said he had explored the possibility of casting her as Squeaky Fromme. According to the director, Lawrence read the script, expressed interest in the part, but the discussions did not progress further, and the role was ultimately cast with Dakota Fanning.
While Lawrence did not appear in the film, she remains candid about how public perception can influence casting, even when the full story is more complicated behind the scenes.
