Dakota Fanning: ‘Landing a Tarantino role was dream come true’

Dakota Fanning would have accepted a tiny role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood just to work with Quentin Tarantino.

Fanning landed the role of Squeaky Fromme in Tarantino’s upcoming ninth film, a real-life member of the Manson Family, who was sentenced to life in prison for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975. She was released in 2009 after serving nearly 34 years.

Fanning stars alongside the likes of Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in the upcoming drama, and admits the project has been a career-defining moment for her.

"It was such a dream come true for me to be a part of it and really something to cross off the list… I would have probably played any character that he had asked me or had chosen me for,” she grinned to The Hollywood Reporter. “It was a real cherry on top that it was an incredible, fascinating, challenging character. But I would've been like Girl No. 1."

The all-star ensemble cast also features Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Kurt Russell, late actor Luke Perry and frequent Tarantino collaborator Tim Roth.

It’s set for release in July (19), and follows the story of a faded television actor and his stunt double during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

Talking to Collider about her research for the movie, the 25-year-old actress admitted it was a little scary learning about Charles Manson’s murderous cult.

“There are a lot of resources out there, for better or for worse, and I was very immersed. It was interesting and challenging. It’s twisted,” she said.