You’ve seen the posters. You saw the trailers. When Quentin Tarantino announced he was making a movie about 1969 Los Angeles, the biggest question on everyone’s mind was: who’s playing Charlie? That role went to Damon Herriman.
Honestly, the hype was massive. People expected a central villain, a looming shadow over the entire plot. But when you actually sit down to watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Damon Herriman barely has enough time to blink.
He’s on screen for maybe thirty seconds.
Basically, it's the ultimate "blink and you'll miss it" performance. Yet, years later, we’re still talking about it. Why? Because Damon Herriman didn't just play Charles Manson; he became the definitive version of the man across two completely different projects at the exact same time. It’s a weird, lightning-in-a-bottle moment in cinema history that sounds fake, but it's 100% real.
The Mystery of the Missing Manson Scenes
Let's get into the nitty-gritty. In the theatrical cut of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Damon Herriman appears in exactly one scene. He drives up to Cielo Drive in a beat-up ice cream truck, hops out, and looks for Terry Melcher.
He meets Jay Sebring (played by Emile Hirsch) on the lawn. He asks if Terry’s home. Jay says no, Terry moved. Manson gives a little wave, says "thank you," and leaves.
That’s it.
For an actor of Herriman's caliber, it felt like a waste. But there's a reason for it. Tarantino wasn’t making a biopic about a serial killer. He was making a love letter to a lost era of Hollywood. By keeping Manson on the periphery, he kept the "boogeyman" vibe alive without letting the real-life darkness swallow his fictional fairytale.
But here’s the kicker: there was more.
A lot more.
Damon Herriman actually filmed several other scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor. One specific scene involved him at the Spahn Ranch, interacting with the "Family" in a way that showed his manipulative, faux-messiah side. There were even rumors of a scene where he’s seen lurking around the edges of a party. Tarantino eventually released some of this in an "extended cut" on 4K and digital, but the mystery of the "short" performance remains part of the movie's lore.
Why Damon Herriman Was the Only Choice
Casting Manson is a nightmare for any director. You need someone who looks like him, sure. But you also need someone who can project that specific brand of "unwashed street preacher" charisma.
Damon Herriman is an Australian actor. You might know him as the lovable idiot Dewey Crowe from Justified. He’s got this incredible range. He can go from hilarious to absolutely terrifying in about two seconds flat.
Tarantino didn't just find him through a headshot. He was actually recommended by Nicholas Hammond (who plays Sam Wanamaker in the film) and Timothy Olyphant. They basically told Quentin, "Look, if you want Manson, this is your guy."
The Height Factor
Manson was short. Like, really short. He was 5'2".
Herriman is 5'7".
In Hollywood terms, that’s close enough. To make him look smaller, Tarantino used specific camera angles and had him stand near taller actors like Emile Hirsch to emphasize that slight, wiry frame. It worked. When Herriman steps out of that truck, he looks small but dangerous. Like a stray dog you really shouldn't pet.
The Bizarre Mindhunter Coincidence
This is where things get truly "glitch in the matrix" weird.
While Herriman was filming his 1969 version of Manson for Tarantino, he was also cast as the 1980s version of Manson for David Fincher’s Netflix series, Mindhunter.
Think about that.
Two of the biggest directors on the planet—Fincher and Tarantino—both decided, completely independently of each other, that Damon Herriman was the only man who could play Charles Manson.
Herriman has talked about this in interviews, saying it was purely a coincidence. He shot the Mindhunter scenes (where he’s older, bearded, and behind bars) just a couple of weeks apart from his scenes in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
It’s a feat of acting that hasn't really happened before. He had to play the same man at two different stages of his life, for two different legendary directors, at the same time. In Mindhunter, he is a rambling, philosophical prisoner. In Hollywood, he’s the "Charlie" the girls talk about with stars in their eyes.
What the Movie Got Right (and Wrong)
Tarantino’s movie is a "revisionist" history. That’s a fancy way of saying he changed the ending so the good guys win and the bad guys get burned with a flamethrower.
Because of this, Herriman’s Manson doesn't actually do anything "evil" on screen. He’s just... there.
- The Ice Cream Truck: Real. Manson often drove around in beat-up vehicles provided by his followers or "liberated" from others.
- The Cielo Drive Visit: Real. Manson really did go to the house looking for Terry Melcher. He was snubbed by the industry, and that resentment fueled his rage.
- The Vibe: Spot on. Herriman nails the "peace and love" mask that Manson wore to lure in vulnerable kids.
Some critics argued that by making Manson a cameo, Tarantino "humanized" him too much. But honestly? The performance is more effective because it's brief. It feels like a bad omen. You see him, you know who he is, and you know what’s coming—or at least, what should have been coming if Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth weren't there to stop it.
The Legacy of the Performance
Even with only a minute of screen time, Damon Herriman’s Charles Manson is the one people remember. He didn't need a ten-minute monologue. He didn't need a murder scene.
He just needed to step out of a car and wave.
If you want to see the "full" Damon Herriman experience, you really have to watch both Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Mindhunter back-to-back. It’s a masterclass in how an actor can take the same DNA and create two completely different vibes.
Actionable Insights for Movie Buffs:
- Watch the Extended Cut: If you’ve only seen the theater version, track down the 4K/Digital extended version. It features more of the Spahn Ranch footage that gives Herriman more room to breathe.
- Compare the Mansons: Watch Mindhunter Season 2, Episode 5. Contrast that with his entrance in Tarantino's film. Pay attention to his voice; he uses a completely different pitch for the older, "prophetic" Manson.
- Check out Justified: If you want to see Herriman’s actual range, watch him as Dewey Crowe. It’ll make his transformation into a cult leader even more impressive.
Damon Herriman proved that there are no small parts. In a movie filled with Brad Pitt and Leo DiCaprio, he managed to steal the conversation with nothing more than a creepy smile and a vintage truck.