next door to Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate.
Brad Pitt plays Dalton’s longtime stunt
double, Cliff Booth. It’s a multiple-storyline
tale of California’s counter culture in the final
moments of Hollywood’s golden age. Also
making appearances: Al Pacino, James
Marsden, Lena Dunham, Dakota Fanning,
Maya Hawke, Aussie Damon Herriman as
Manson, and many, many more.
“I worked my ass off for this audition
because it’s everyone’s dream to work with
Quentin,” says Sweeney. (There’s that first-
name thing.) “A couple of days later I found
out that I would get to have a six-hour group
working session with him. We had lunch
and just chatted and I left that thinking, ‘Even
if I don’t get this, just being in that room with
him fulfilled everything I needed and
wanted.’ That night I found out that I’d
booked the role, but I had to wait three
months before I could tell anyone.” Those
three months were torture for Sweeney. “I’m
horrible at waiting,” she says, laughing.
“Having to be patient and waiting for the
call – that was the hardest secret to keep.”
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is
Sweeney’s first major motion picture, but
she’s no stranger to working with big-name
actors. Of working with Elisabeth Moss in
Handmaid’s Tale and Amy Adams in Sharp
Objects, Sweeney says that after just one
day, they felt like family. “At first it was very
nerve-racking and overwhelming – I psych
myself out before I even get on set.” She
laughs and adds, “but after just one day of
filming, you feel like you’ve known one
another your entire life.”
A new crop of young actors aren’t shy to
admit they’re grateful to meet their idols.
They gush unashamedly – think Timothée
Chalamet bowing down on red carpets
and Jennifer Lawrence running away from
everyone she adores. It’s hard to recall
another generation so openly enamoured
by the ones who came before them. No
one’s playing it cool anymore. These stars
are “all of us” – except they’ve broken free
from the fan club to join the ranks of worship.
“I got to spend time with [Leo, Brad and
Margot],” says Sweeney humbly. “At first it
was intimidating and I was beyond nervous
CULTURE
- I get nervous all the time. Quentin didn’t
allow the crew or cast to have phones on
them, so we would hang out and he would
tell us stories. It was a really nice experience
to be unplugged from everything and to
be focusing on this amazing film we’re
making together. Even though there are no
text messages or photos or anything like
that, the memories will last and I think
that’s really special.”
The relationships formed on set, says
Sweeney, are vital. Maintaining friendships
is “actually one of the hardest parts of our
job. You’re basically a nomad. I filmed
Handmaid’s in Toronto for six months and
became the best of friends with that cast, but
then I left and went to New York to film
Adolescence with Pete and became best
friends with all of them. But you don’t have
time to build those strong relationships – it’s
a lonely part of life that not many people in
this industry talk about. It’s hard.” Her tone
has turned sombre, but she perks up at the
mention of her dog, Tank, who’s a constant
presence on Sweeney’s Instagram. “We
go to the beach and binge watch shows
together,” she says. “Honestly, I would pick
her over hanging out with anyone.”
It’s not surprising Sweeney hasn’t had
much downtime to hang out with friends. In
2017, the year before her string of projects
were released, she was travelling between
Atlanta, LA and Portland filming Everything
Sucks! during the week and red-eyeing it to
“wherever Sharp Objects was filming on
the weekend. I was just running off
adrenaline.” She’s also studying business.
“My mum always asks me when I’m going
to [graduate],” she says with a laugh. “I had
to take less credits to film Euphoria, so I’m a
little behind where I’d like to be. I’m hoping
to be done within the next two years.”
Tarantino’s reputation took a hit when the
Harvey Weinstein allegations emerged
in 2017. The director had worked with
Weinstein his whole career and admitted
he looked the other way, telling The New
York Times, “I knew enough to do more than
I did.” Tarantino cut ties with the disgraced
producer, and Once Upon A Time In
Hollywood is the first of his films to be
bankrolled and distributed by Sony instead
of Weinstein’s Miramax. Given the sheer
number of celebrities signed on, it seems the
project will go off without a hitch. When
asked about the atmosphere in the industry
post-MeToo, Sweeney is more than a little
enthusiastic. “The characters and stories
being written now for girls and women are
beyond what I thought would be written for
me 10 years ago,” she says. “I’m glad I’m
not just playing the ditzy blonde little
girlfriend – I get to play these really intense,
complex characters, and I love how different
each one of them is. It’s a really different time
for women in the industry.” It’s the dawn
of a new Hollywood golden era, indeed. E
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is in
cinemas August 15“QUENTIN
[TARANTINO]
didn’t A LLOW the
CREW or CAST
to H AV E P H O N E S
ON THEM, so
WE WOULD
HANG OUT”