Maya Hawke reveals that she was afraid to audition for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood became Maya Hawke's big break, with her role as Flowerchild, a prominent member of the Manson family. But the role didn't exactly come across as easy, as the actress recalls being afraid to audition for the film.

This comes from The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a coffee table book by author Jay Glennie, that delves deeper into the iconic film that remains one of Tarantino's best works yet. Among several actors who recounted little stories about the film which form the book's premise, Hawke spoke about “being so scared" about auditioning for the role.

As Rolling Stone reported, Hawke tells in the book:

"I guess I knew that Quentin was going to be there, and I have known him my whole life. But, of course, in the room that day, he was very different, you know? He wasn’t, like, kooky Uncle Quentin — he was in serious mode. It was unlike anything I had or have since been involved with.”

In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2019, the actress gave fans some details about Tarantino's casting for the project as she told the outlet:

“I did an audition in my bedroom with my dad [actor Ethan Hawke]. We sent in the tape to Quentin and I got a callback. He actually organized a really amazing callback process except for maybe auditioning for drama school. It was all day. We worked on the scene in many different ways and in many different combinations of people and eventually he found a group of people who were doing the scene in a way that he liked. And then everyone went home and people got the call.”

More details about Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

In the summer haze of 1969 Los Angeles, dreams and delusions flicker like film reels burning too brightly. Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood spins this fading glow into a bittersweet fantasy, part elegy, part love letter, part fever dream.

Written and directed by Tarantino, the 2019 period comedy-drama is produced by Columbia Pictures alongside Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, with Sony Pictures releasing it worldwide. It’s an unlikely co-production between the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, a fusion that mirrors Hollywood’s own restless ambition.

The film went on to earn ten Oscar nominations, winning for best supporting actor for Pitt and best production design. It also took home the Golden Globe for best motion picture, musical or comedy and was named among the top ten films of 2019 by both the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review.

Today, it’s hailed as one of the defining films of the 2010s and 21st century, with a sequel The Adventures of Cliff Booth, written by Tarantino and directed by David Fincher on the way, that will take us deeper into Cliff Booth's adventures.