Al Pacino joins Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino’s always had an eye for casting, and the breadth of performers announced for his upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood serve as a primer in his blend of fresh faces—Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry—with constant collaborators/grizzled relics of earlier eras like Tim Roth and Michael Madsen. Now, all need is that near-forgotten character actor from the ’70s to round things out—Jan-Michael Vincent, where are you?—and, though the film’s latest casting announcement doesn’t quite speak to that archetype, we’re not complaining.
Variety reveals that Al Pacino, a first-time Tarantino collaborator, is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s latest get. He’ll play Marvin Shwarz, the agent of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, a washed-up TV star. Who else can’t wait to see him and DiCaprio tear it up alongside co-star Brad Pitt? Pitt is playing Rick’s longtime stunt double, meaning we’re probably get the trio together at one point or another.
The movie, which sounds like a pastiche in the vein of Pulp Fiction, will center around a vast ensemble in Los Angeles in 1969, an era that was irrevocably altered by the murders committed by Charles Manson and his followers. Fanning is playing one of those followers, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, and other performers on the project will also play real-life personalities. Damian Lewis, for example, is playing screen legend Steve McQueen, while Emile Hirsch will play Manson Family victim Jay Sebring.
Pacino recently drew strong reviews for his portrayal of Penn State coach Joe Paterno, and will next appear in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.
