So how does one approach playing an iconic figure such as Sharon Tate?
Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie has revealed how she got the part of Sharon Tate in the new Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Speaking to Total Film magazine, Robbie revealed that it wasn't the iconic director who approached her to work together.
Robbie said when asked how she got the role: "No. I reached out to him, actually. I wrote him a letter after I saw the first cut of I, Tonya. I thought, "OK. I'm finally ready to reach out to my idol filmmaker."
She revealed: "I wrote him a letter saying that I love his work and that I'd love to watch him work one day, and a few weeks later I received a phone call saying, "Quentin received your letter and he would like to meet you." So we sat down and he started telling me about the project. After that, I think it was another couple of months before the script was ready to read."
For Robbie it was a no-brainer to take the part: "There was no question of, "Do I want the part?" I was just beyond thrilled to be having a conversation with him, to be honest."
On approaching the part of Tate, Robbie says she spoke to people who knew Sharon personally, including her sister Debra, friends, and even her hairdresser, too.
Robbie said: "Just everyone pretty much says the same thing, that she was just the most lovely, delightful, ray of light. And that's what I honed in on: this idea of her being this light, bright, ethereal presence."
Taking on such a personality isn't that easy, however, as Robbie admitted "it was hard work to embody that lightness" compared to getting to "go dark, to yell, to scream, to cry, to find the conflicts."
It was clear for Robbie, however, that Tarantino was a huge fan of Tate and it showed in the script.
"Well, he helped me on the page," she said. "You could see when you were reading the script - he's spending so much time with her on the page, even while she's just doing her daily errands - that he adored her.
"Like everyone I spoke to, he just adored her and thought she was this angelic figure, this beautiful presence, this generous spirit and open heart."
In fact, the film's portrayal of Tate was so effective for Sharon's sister Debra that it
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is released in UK cinemas on August 14, 2019, but is already out in US cinemas.
