The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) is a test that is used to analyze the psychological traits exhibited by individuals. The categories used in the test to determine particular qualities are Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perception, Introversion/Extroversion, and Sensing/Intuition. According to the test, a person can fit into one side of each of the categories, resulting in a potential sixteen different “personality types” they could inhibit.
In 2019, no movie featured as many different personalities as Quentin Tarantino’sGolden Globe-winning hit, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In this movie, each character can fit an MBTI® categorization fairly well because of how well-defined and well-written they are.
Rick Dalton - ESFP
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an ESFP (Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving). When the viewer first sees Rick away from the set of his show, he is realizing that his career has reached an untenable point. It sends him into an extreme state of emotional upheaval as he begins to panic about what the future has in store for his fading star power. Dalton puts a lot of weight on how the powerful figures in Hollywood perceive him.
Rick is also passionate about the craft of acting and his devotion to the pursuit of the art form is palpable throughout.
Cliff Booth - INFP
Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) is an INFP (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving). One of the main anchors of the film, Booth exudes a quiet, introverted presence across every scene he’s in. Booth never minds taking a backseat to some of the more-dialogue heavy scenes. He prefers to listen to the people around him, perceiving their intents from an introverted point of view.
However, Cliff is also quite conscious of his own concerns and he always uses them to act in the best interest of others. Cliff’s defining trait is how good of a friend he is to Dalton and INFP types tend to have loyalty in spades.
Sharon Tate - ENFJ
Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) is an ENFJ (Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging), as portrayed in the film. Obviously, Tate was a real person, but this categorization is judged by Robbie’s interpretation of the “character,” as she exists in the film.
While she is a generous, caring, outgoing ball of light throughout the film, Tate is also extremely sensitive. When she is pregnant, her mood can be entirely shifted by how she feels in the summer heat. These are feelings that Tate is keenly aware of, too. At the end of the day, she still gives a ride to passing hitchhikers and greets everyone she meets with open-hearted kindness.
Marvin Schwarz - ESTJ
Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) is an ESTJ (Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging). Schwarz only pops up in the film for a few scenes, but any role portrayed by Pacino has a bombastic presence. Schwarz is Dalton’s agent and he sees the trajectory of Dalton’s career for what it is. He doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that Dalton’s aging skillset is now best suited for Italian spaghetti westerns.
Additionally, Schwarz is also quick to apply his strong thinking abilities to the scenes of Hollywood. He understands, perhaps on a cynical level, the various tricks that executives in the industry use to push out revered talent in exchange for “the next big thing.”
Bruce Lee - ENTP
Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) is an ENTP (Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving). Like Tate, Lee also existed in real life and he still occupies a huge part of the public’s cultural consciousness. Based on Moh’s portrayal, however, Lee can also be seen to exhibit many of the negative qualities of an ENTP, including arrogance and stubborn independence.
These attributes are exhibited when Lee condescendingly talks to Cliff Booth and feels immense disbelief that the stuntman would be able to defeat him in a fight. Despite this, Lee is still capable of captivating a crowd with a story, which is how the audience is first introduced to the “character.”
Pussycat - ESTP
Pussycat (Margaret Qualley) is an ESTP (Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving). Pussycat enters into the movie as a big ball of energy and she fits the classic mold of an ESTP. She is astutely aware of her surroundings and even recognizes Cliff Booth multiple times, despite the fact that she likely sees hundreds of drivers every day as a hitchhiker.
Pussycat’s energy manifests in her outgoing friendliness and flirtations, but it can also result in a number of impulsive decisions. For every joyful dance she performs in front of Booth, there is another time when she is screaming at a cop car.
Trudi Fraser - ISFP
Trudi Fraser (Julia Butters) is an ISFP (Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving). She is the child actor with whom Dalton strikes up a conversation on the set of Lancer. Fraser exhibits classic ISFP qualities, as she is reserved and prefers to keep to herself. Fraser maintains a strong need for personal space, both physically and in the sense where she prefers to remain unbothered.
Additionally, Fraser has immense respect for the craft of acting and her belief that staying in character even when the cameras aren’t rolling helps her perform better is a core value to which she is unwaveringly loyal.
Wayne Maunder - ISFJ
Wayne Maunder (Luke Perry) is an ISFJ (Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging). The role of Maunder was Perry’s last screen performance before his death and it was great to see him, at least one final time.
The viewer doesn’t know much about Maunder outside of the pilot of Lancer when he acts opposite Dalton during the kidnapping scene. But from what the audience does know, he is quite reserved. He takes stock of the situation and evaluates it on a considered, critical level. His natural instinct is to avoid aggression, a classic trope of the introvert. Maybe we’ll see even more of him in the forthcoming planned “director’s cut” of the film.
Randy Miller - INFJ
Randy Miller (Kurt Russell) is an INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging). Miller also only has a few scenes in the movie, but Russell’s performance is among the most memorable in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His “feeling” nature comes through when he relents to Rick Dalton and allows Cliff Booth to work as a stunt double on the set of The Green Hornet.
Miller is open-minded and willing to give people second chances, but when they prove themselves undeserving of these chances, he is also quick to judge them and put his foot down, taking control of the situation altogether.
Brandy - INFP
Brandy is, like Cliff Booth, an INFP (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving). It makes perfect sense why Brandy would match up with Cliff because she is the dog of the introverted stuntman. They are always in sync and enjoy one another’s company and this usually comes about when the dog and the caretaker have the same core MBTI result.
After all, Brandy is content to stay home and enjoy quiet evenings with Cliff. But when trouble comes knocking at the door, Brandy is also quick to understand that the situation has changed. And she’s ready to protect her loved ones.
