# The 1970 song that almost cost Margaret Qualley her big break: “A terrible choice”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1970-song-that-almost-cost-margaret-qualley-her-big-break-a-terrible-choice/
- Published: 2026-10-23T13:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T14:41:38+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-1970-song-that-almost-cost-margaret-qualley-her-big-break/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Qualley was initially rejected after singing at her audition.
- Tarantino invited her back to screen-test with Brad Pitt.
- Her role grew, and the film earned 10 Oscar nominations.

## Summary

Margaret Qualley’s attempt to land a role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood initially went badly: she was turned down after adding a song to her audition. She later received another chance, won the part of Pussycat and impressed Tarantino enough for him to expand her role.

Qualley told W Magazine she sang “Always Is Always Forever”, a 1970 song written by Charles Manson, despite being nervous and considering it a poor choice. Tarantino asked her to screen-test with Brad Pitt, then wrote additional lines for her character. The film made more than $400 million and received 10 Oscar nominations; Qualley went on to earn Golden Globe nominations for Maid and The Substance.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.