Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Now Includes Bruce Lee
As with his previous films, Quentin Tarantino’s ninth boasts an impressive ensemble. Headlined by Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set in 1969, with the Manson Family murders serving as a peripheral backdrop. Though Margot Robbie has been cast as Sharon Tate, it’s unclear if certain key players (like Charles Manson himself) will be featured in the film. However, at least one other major name from the era has been confirmed: Bruce Lee.
Although previously reported, the casting (via IndieWire) wasn’t confirmed until this week. Mike Moh, best known for his roles in Empire and Inhumans, will portray the late martial artist and actor. Like Lee, Moh is also an actor who’s proficient in martial arts. In fact, Moh posted a tribute to Lee back in 2015, in which he performs several of the late star’s most famous stunts and moves:
As you can see in the video above, the opportunity to play Bruce Lee in a feature film is a rather special one for Moh.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as a western TV star and his stuntman, respectively, and follows the pair as they attempt to make a name for themselves in a rapidly-changing industry. Moh’s Bruce Lee and Robbie’s Sharon Tate aren’t the only two big names from the era thus far, and it stands to reason that Tarantino may include a few others — particularly since DiCaprio’s character lives next door to Tate, and given the details we know about some of the other cast members: Emile Hirsch will play Tate’s close friend and famous hair stylist Jay Sebring, and Burt Reynolds is playing George Spahn, owner of the ranch where the Manson family stayed during the murders. Dakota Fanning will play notorious Manson follower Squeaky Fromme.
Rounding out the cast are Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen (who declined an invitation to attend a gathering at Tate’s house on the night of the murders), Al Pacino as Marvin Schwarz (DiCaprio’s agent), and Luke Perry as Scott Lancer (likely a reference to the fictional ’60s TV character of the same name). Kurt Russell, James Marsden, Tim Roth, James Remar and Michael Madsen have also been cast, though details on their specific roles have yet to be disclosed.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will hit theaters on July 26, 2019.