Jennifer Lawrence Reveals She Lost a Quentin Tarantino Role After Being Told She Was “Not Pretty Enough”

Jennifer Lawrence has shared a blunt story about losing out on a major movie role, and it all came down to how she looked.

During a recent appearance at an event hosted by 92NY, the Oscar-winning actress said she believes she missed the chance to play Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood because people said she was “not pretty enough.” The conversation was later shared by People.

Lawrence explained that Tarantino had shown interest in her at one point, but the talk around the casting quickly turned negative. “He did want me, and then everybody was like, ‘She’s not pretty enough to play Sharon Tate,’” she said during the event. When interviewer Josh Horowitz pushed back and said that didn’t sound right, Lawrence admitted the situation has stayed with her for years.

“I’m pretty sure it’s true, or I’ve been telling the story this way for so long that I believe it,” she added. She also said it was possible that she was never truly in the running and that the online reaction played a role. “Or he just never considered me and the internet went out of their way to call me ugly.”

The casting rumors first surfaced in 2017, when news broke that Tarantino was making a film centered around the time of the Manson Family murders. At the time, speculation swirled that Lawrence and Margot Robbie were both being considered to play Tate. Tate’s sister, Debra Tate, publicly spoke out and made her feelings clear in an interview with TMZ. “She’s not pretty enough to play Sharon,” Debra said back then, adding that Robbie reminded her more of her sister.

Not long after, Robbie was officially cast. She later earned praise for her performance, and Debra Tate would go on to say that seeing Robbie on set was emotional. According to Vanity Fair, she said watching Robbie portray Sharon “made me cry because she sounded just like Sharon.”

Tarantino later clarified that Lawrence had actually read for a different role. On Marc Maron’s WTF podcast in 2021, he said Lawrence came to his house to read the script and was considered for the role of Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme. That part ultimately went to Dakota Fanning. Tarantino said Lawrence was interested, but “something didn’t work out.”

Lawrence also reflected on another Tarantino project she turned down. During the same 92NY conversation, she said she passed on a lead role in The Hateful Eight. “I turned it down, which I should not have done,” she said. That role later went to Jennifer Jason Leigh.

This story shows how harsh and personal casting talk can get in Hollywood, especially for women. Lawrence handled it with honesty and humor, but it also highlights how looks are still unfairly judged in the industry. What do you think about her comments and the casting debate? Share your thoughts in the comments.