The Family

The Family is a 2014 Horror Dramatization Film and the new movie based on the cult leader, Charlie Manson and his family. It will focus on the forming of The Manson Family, and unlike other films on the subject, The Family also spends time getting to know the victims. The film stars Christian Bale, Jordan Pressler, America Olivo, Scout Taylor-Compton, Emma Roberts, Amanda Righetti, Julianna Guill, Mike Vogel, Matt Bomer, Lindsay Lohan, Alyson Hannigan, Bob King, James Marsden, Edwin Neal, Rory Culkin, Ellen Wroe, Alexandra Daddario, Sarah Butler, Emma Stone, Maitland McConnell, Rodney Eastman, Sean Faris, Kyle Gallner, Megan Fox, Toby Stephens, Jessica Biel, James Franco, Connor Price, David Born, Kelly Rutherford, Chris Hemsworth and Ian Somerhalder.

Plot
Charlie Manson is a troubled, rebellious convict who is moving into the suburb of Los Angeles, where he encounters the "Love Generation". After smuggling prostitutes across the border and spending half of his life in prison for petty crimes, Charlie has learned how to play the guitar and takes a career as a musician, singing aside with The Beach Boys. However, the Summer of Love comes to a bloody end when Charlie begins using his prison smarts and charisma to attract a group of young, deprived teenagers and transforms them into Devilish monsters to carry out his deadly vendetta against society. While Charlie and his "family" live life together on a movie set called Spahn Ranch, with nothing but love and acceptance, Charlie begins to listen to songs from singing groups such as The Beatles and begins constructing an apocalyptic race war between the whites and the blacks that he refers to as "Helter Skelter". Soon, these wayward teenagers fall completely under Charlie's spell and become the most notorious American family of the 20th century.

Cast
Christian Bale as Charlie Manson - He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to a 16 year old prostitute named Kathleen Maddox and a man named Colonel Scott. Charlie took his surname from William Manson, a man his mother briefly married to. After Kathleen was arrested and put in jail for strong armed robbery, Charlie was sent to live with different relatives. His grandparents were strictly religious and one of his uncles would abuse Charlie psychologically by calling him a sissy and dressing him in girl clothes for the first day of school. Another one of his uncles brought Charlie up rebelliously and blew himself up in a moonshine still because the law was going to take his land. Charlie briefly lived with his mother after she was released from prison, but was given up to the state because Kathleen's boyfriend didn't like having him around. Charlie was sent to a school for boys where he ran away and got arrested on a stolen bike. He was then sent to another boys' school where he ran away after 4 days, stole a car and committed several armed robberies. When caught, Charlie was sent to a boys' home in Indiana, where he was repeatedly raped. Charlie once again escaped, stole a car and headed to California. Charlie was arrested in Utah and because he stole a car across state lines, he violated the Dyer Act, a federal law. He spent the next 3 years in 4 different facilities. In 1955, Charlie married a 17 year old girl and they drove away in a stolen car to California, thus violating the Dyer Act again. Because his wife was pregnant, a sympathetic judge gave Charlie probation, which he soon broke. Charlie spent the next 3 years in jail and his wife ran away with a truck driver, taking their son with her. Charlie was released from prison in 1958 and began pimping prostitutes into Hollywood. In 1959, Charlie was arrested for attempting to cash a stolen $37.50 check, once again violating a federal law. He was given a 10 year suspended sentence and married once again. In 1960, Charlie was arrested for violating the Mann Act and given a 10 year sentence. While in jail, Charlie learned from a cellmate how to play the guitar and became interested in Scientology. Meanwhile, Charlie's wife served him with divorce papers and gave birth to his second son. He was transferred to another facility in 1966, where he sodomized a cellmate while holding a razor blade up to his throat. Charlie was finally paroled in 1967. He requested the prison to let him stay, as it was now his home, but he was forced by the warden to leave. Charlie heads up state to the Haight-Ashbury district of San Fransisco with his guitar and philosophies, where he now finally fits in.

Jordan Pressler as Young Charlie Manson

America Olivo as Leslie Van Houten - She was born in Los Angeles, California. Leslie and her brother grew up in a typical middle class household. Leslie's father Paul is an automotive auctioneer, and her mother, Jane is a schoolteacher. After Leslie, there were two more additions; the Van Houtens adopted a young boy and girl that had been orphaned in Korea. In 1963, Leslie's parents divorced, her father moved out and the children were left with their mother. Meanwhile, Leslie was attending Monrovia High School, where she was elected homecoming queen twice and became a member of the cheerleading squad. Like many at the time, Leslie began experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs and her grades began to slip. She drifted away from her extracurricular activities and shortly after, got pregnant and had an abortion. After graduating high school in 1967, Leslie moves in with her father and begins attending a business college, studying to become a legal secretary. She begins gravitating toward spiritualism and plans to live in a yogic spiritual community. In the summer of 1968, Leslie is visiting friends in San Fransisco when she meets Catherine Share, Bobby Beausoleil and a group of girls that compromise their group. She begins traveling with them and in September, they take her to meet Charlie Manson at Spahn Movie Ranch. She returns to the ranch 3 weeks later, this time she doesn't leave.

Scout Taylor-Compton as Susan Atkins - She was born in California. Her mother was afflicted with cancer and died when Susan was still in her teens. Constantly fighting with her alcoholic father, Susan decided to hit the road; dropping out high school and moving to San Fransisco. She got a job as a telemarketer for a company that sold magazine subscriptions, rented a room and soon found herself poor, lonely and depressed. Susan eventually quit her job telemarketing and started waiting tables at a local coffee shop. It was there that she met a couple of escaped convicts and decided to hit the road with them. The three committed several armed robberies up the West coast, and were eventually caught in Oregon. The men were sent to prison and Susan got probation after she served 3 months in jail. When she was released, she came back to San Fransisco and found work as a topless dancer. It was there she danced in a show called the Witches' Sabbath organized by Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey. After quitting her job, Susan meets Charlie Manson. Her experiences with him have a profound effect on her, and she decides to leave San Fransisco to travel with the family to Los Angeles.

Emma Roberts as Kathleen Maddox - She is the youngest of three children from the marriage of Nancy and Charles Maddox. Kathleen's parents love her and mean well by her, but they are fanatical in their religious beliefs. Especially Kathleen's grandmother, who dominates the household. She is stern and unwavering in her interpretation of God's Will, and demands that those within her home abide by her views of God's wishes. For Kathleen, life is filled with a never-ending list of denials. From awakening in the morning until going to bed at night, she is forbidden by her parents to participate in social events, comb her hair and talk to boys, and spends most of her time going to church. In 1933, at the age of 15, Kathleen runs away from home. In search for acceptance, Kathleen begins to fall easily in love with other men and gets a job as a prostitute in order to supply herself with money. Kathleen meets and marries a man named Colonel Scott, and the two become pregnant with their son, Charlie. Kathleen gives Charlie the last name, Manson named after William Manson, a man she was briefly married to. After Charlie's birth, Kathleen begins to disappear consistently for days or weeks at a time, leaving Charlie with his grandmother or his aunt and uncle. When Kathleen and her brother get sentenced to the penitentiary for armed robbery, Charlie gets sent off to live with his aunt and uncle in McMechan, West Virginia. When Kathleen is released from jail, she is not responsible enough to take care of Charlie, preferring her life of promiscuity and hard drinking to any kind of normal lifestyle. At a cafe one afternoon, Kathleen sells Charlie to a waitress for a pitcher of beer and leaves him at the cafe for several days, until his uncle searches the streets for the waitress to take Charlie home. After Charlie runs away from his reform school at the age of 9, he tracks down Kathleen in hopes of her taking him back, but she rejects him.

Amanda Righetti as Patricia Krenwinkel - She was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents divorced when she was 17 years old. At the time, Pat stayed in California with her father, an insurance agent, while her mother moved to Alabama. After high school, Pat moved to Alabama with her mother and attended a Catholic college. She had taught Sunday school in the past and had thought about becoming a nun. After one semester, Pat had enough and dropped out. She moved back to California to live with her half-sister, Charlene and got a job as a processing clerk. Due to an endocrine condition that causes Patricia to have an excessive growth of body hair, she feels ugly and unwanted. At one point, Pat was overweight, but was supplied with diet pills from her sister and dropped the weight completely. In September of 1967, Pat meets Charlie and his girls at Manhattan Beach. After making love with Charlie, Patricia decides to to go with them to San Fransisco, leaving behind her car and final paycheck. With the family, Patricia exhibits a quiet but intense personality. She helps take care of the family's children and is dedicated to Charlie.

Julianna Guill as Linda Kasabian - She was born in Biddeford, Maine. Her parents divorced and remarried when Linda was still young. At the age of 16, Linda dropped out of high school and got married, and soon after, divorced. Linda married again, this time to a hippie named Robert Kasabian. The couple traveled the country, enjoying the hippie lifestyle from commune to commune. In March of 1968, Linda and Bob had their first child, Tanya. However, problems between the young couple led Linda and Tanya back to New Hampshire. In an effort to reconcile their marriage, Bob talked Linda into coming out to California. Bob was living with a man named Charles Melton in Topanga Canyon. It is through Melton that Linda first meets Manson family member Catherine Share. When things don't work out with Bob, Linda decides to go with Catherine back to Spahn Ranch. After a day at the ranch, Linda returns to Topanga Canyon, retrieves her belongings, steals $5,000 from Melton, comes back to Spahn and joins the family.

Mike Vogel as Tex Watson - He is the youngest of 3 children and grew up in Dallas, Texas. Tex had a happy childhood; always looking up to his parents, who ran a gas station. The Watsons were always a church going family, and as Tex got older he became more involved in church activities. In high school, Tex was an honor roll student, and very active in track, basketball and football. He even became the editor of his school newspaper. But once Tex starts going to college, he begins losing sight of what's important and his grades begin to slip and he becomes interested more in girls and booze. Through a roommate, Tex gets a job as a baggage boy for Braniff Airlines. As a perk, Tex starts traveling around the world and occasionally brings a girl with him to Hawaii for the weekend. Around this time, Tex begins smoking marijuana and experimenting with other drugs. His senior year, Tex decides to visit a frat brother in California. Impressed with it, he comes back to Texas only to tell his parents that he is moving out west. In California, Tex signs up for classes at Cal State and gets a job as a wig salesman in Beverly Hills. He starts to live in different places; first in an apartment in Silverlake, and then he moves to Laurel Canyon. Tex ends up injuring his knee in a car accident, which keeps him out of the Army. After dropping out of high school, Tex moves to Malibu and opens up a wigshop with his roommate. The store is called Love Locs and it turns out to be a disaster, closing after only a few months. To pay the rent, Tex starts dealing pot full time. Now hooked on drugs, Tex does whatever is possible to get ahold of drugs of any kind. He picks up Beach Boy Dennis Wilson hitchhiking, and is invited to stay at Wilson's mansion. There he meets Charlie and the family and decides to join them, giving them all of his belongings.

Matt Bomer as Bobby Beausoleil - He is the first of 5 children who has a strong passion for music. Bobby even taught himself how to play the guitar. At the age of 16, Bobby had an affair with his cousin's wife; angered by the affair, his cousin left and Bobby was forced to play the role of the father, getting a job as a trailer worker to support his cousin's wife and child. After the death of a grandmother, Bobby moved to Los Angeles. There, he briefly played in a band with Arthur Lee called Grass Roots and took up a career in acting. Bobby also became friends with Frank Zappa and was assigned the job as a backup singer for his first record, Freak Out. However, the city of Angels proved to be too superficial for Bobby, so he traveled north and fell in love with the Bay Area. In San Fransisco, Bobby begins playing in a band called The Outfit, but eventually drops out and starts his own band called Orkustra. The group plays gigs in the Bay area from 1966 to 1967, and as the group is in the process of breaking up, Bobby meets filmmaker Kenneth Anger. Anger and Bobby work together on a film called Lucifer Rising, in which Bobby plays Lucifer and helps compose the score. At this time, Bobby starts playing in a band called Magick Powerhouse of Oz, while living at Anger's "Russian Embassy" house. In the fall of '67, Bobby and Kenneth have a falling out, so Bobby decides to move back to Los Angeles. He once again finds acting work and is featured in a soft porno titled "Ramrodder" near Spahn Ranch. While living in the basement of a friend's house in Topanga Canyon, Bobby goes to a house called The Spiral Staircase and performs his musical talent, which impresses Charlie and the family, and Bobby decides to join them.

Lindsay Lohan as Sandra Good - She is the youngest of 3 girls. Sandra's father, a San Diego stockbroker, and her mother divorced when she was only 4 years old and she has never had a sense of love and care. Sandra attended both the University of Oregon and San Fransico State College. As a result of her lack of purpose, Sandra dedicates herself to only love and peace, and goes to far lengths to help others find their way. She joins the family in April of 1968 and a month later, she finds a home for them at Spahn Ranch.

Alyson Hannigan as Lynette Fromme - She is the oldest of 3 children who grew up in Westchester, California, where her father, William worked as an aeronautical engineer. Lynette was born in Santa Monica, California and was a talented, well-liked child who toured through the United States and Canada in her song and dance troop called the Lariats. In Junior high, Lynette was very active in after school activities. She was a member of the Athenian Honor Society as well as the Girls Athletic Club. In her Drama class, Lynette befriended a young Phil Hartman, who eventually gained fame on popular T.V. shows. When her class gave out superlatives, Lynette was voted "Personality Plus". However, as she gets older, the relationship between she and her father grows apart. William becomes somewhat of a tyrant-like figure, who often punishes Lynette for little to no reason. In high school, Lynette becomes more rebellious and starts experimenting with drugs and alcohol. She works at a Canvas shop where she begins to engage in self-mutilation such as burning herself with lit cigarettes and shooting staples into her forearm with a staple gun. Though she comes off as sadistic, Lynette is actually well-natured and could never harm another being. After high school, Lynette starts bouncing around, living with different people. She eventually moves back home and enrolls in El Camino Junior College. Shortly after, Lynette begins fighting with her father again. They get into a fight over the definition of a word. Her father kicks her out and Lynette is out on the streets. Around this time, Lynette meets Charlie on Venice Beach. Impressed by Charlie, Lynette decides to leave with him and Mary to become apart of a real family.

Bob King as George Spahn - He is a rancher who owns the Spahn Ranch near Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California. George rents the ranch to the movie industry to film Westerns. He is a blind, 81 year-old man who looks after his property and houses the Manson Family at the ranch in return for their care. Many of the girls in the family claim that they love George because he is a beautiful man on the inside and is a good lover too.

James Marsden as Danny DeCarlo - He was born in Toronto, Canada, but was granted citizenship for serving 4 years in the Coast Guard. After his service, Danny goes into the firearms business with his father. He becomes fascinated with guns and starts to love them more than anything. Danny is also club treasurer at the Straight Satan's motorcycle gang. In 1966, he gets convicted for smuggling marijuana across the U.S./Mexican border. Through the Straight Satans, Danny meets Charlie Manson. Charlie invites Danny to join his family so he and his motorcycle gang can protect them. Danny enjoys the girls and the lifestyle at Spahn Ranch, so he decides to join the family. He is very protective of the family and is given the duty of taking care of all the family's weapons.

Edwin Neal as Bruce Davis - He was born in Monroe, Louisiana. Bruce is the youngest of 2 children and grew up in Mobile, Alabama. After high school, Bruce attended college in Tennessee for about 2 years, then dropped out and moved to the west where he became immersed in the hippie counter culture. In the west, Bruce makes a living doing construction work and in 1967, he meets Charlie and the family in Oregon. Like Charlie, Bruce is an ex-con, has an interest in Scientology and is a good musician. From November of 1968 to April 1969, Bruce lives in London, England working at the Scientology headquarters. Bruce gets kicked out of the organization because of his drug use and returns to the states, where he rejoins the family. In the family, Bruce acts as a comptroller, handling all of the stolen credit cards and fake ID's.

Rory Culkin as Steve Grogan - He is a high school drop out and enjoys roaming the communes of California, eventually ending up at Spahn Movie Ranch in the spring of 1967. Steve is a talented musician and has a criminal record; which includes small time crimes such as Disturbing the Peace and Possession of Marijuana. Steve joins the Manson family when they move into Spahn Ranch in the spring of 1968. He is often assumed to be mentally handicapped by the family for acting slow-witted and is always too stupid and hopped up on drugs that he can't think for himself. In June of 1969, Steve was arrested for exposing his penis to a group of school children. He was sentenced to a 90-day observation period at Camarillo State Mental Hospital, but walked out and returned to Spahn Ranch 2 days later.

Ellen Wroe as Mary Brunner - She was born in Wisconsin. Mary went to the University of Wisconsin and earned a bachelor's degree in History. After graduating, Mary heads west and takes on a job at the UC Berkely Library. In 1967, she meets and takes in Charlie Manson. Mary leaves her job, hits the road with Charlie and the family is born. On April 1st, 1968, she gives birth to her and Charlie's son, Valentine Michael Manson, the first baby of the family and is always a loving and protective mother to her child.

Alexandra Daddario as Ruth Ann Moorehouse - She was born in Toronto, Canada. Ruth Ann first meets Charlie in 1967, after her father, Dean Moorehouse, a former minister, picks up Charlie, Lynette and Mary hitchhiking up and down the pacific coast and welcomes the three over to their home for dinner. Ruth Ann and Charlie develop an instant connection, and Charlie takes Ruth Ann to Mendocino and the two fall in love. Her father disapproves of the relationship and vows to kill Charlie, but after Charlie introduces Dean to LSD to calm him down, he lets Charlie stay at his house for a few weeks. Charlie visits the Moorehouse home a few more times before he and the girls decide to travel down to Southern California. Before leaving for Los Angeles, Charlie tells Ruth Ann that she can come with him if she is married. A few weeks later, she marries a bus driver, leaves him and joins the family in L.A. Ruth Ann begins living with the family at various residences, including Spahn Movie Ranch. With the family, Ruth Ann goes along on garbage runs, digging through supermarket dumpsters looking for food, to supply for the family, panhandles and helps take care of the children.

Sarah Butler as Catherine Share - She was born in Paris, France. Her Hungarian father and German mother were both members of the French underground and committed suicide during the war. Catherine was put in an orphanage where she stayed until she was eight. She was adopted by an American couple, a blind psychologist and his wife, and moved to California. When Catherine was still in high school, her adoptive mother was afflicted with cancer and took her own life. Catherine stayed and took care of her adoptive father until he remarried. After graduating from Hollywood High School, she went to college, stayed there for three years, got married, and shortly after, divorced. Like her father, Catherine is a Violin virtuoso and has a beautiful singing voice. She spends the next few years drifting around California, occasionally scoring acting roles. On the set of a soft porn entitled Ramrodder, Catherine meets a young musician named Bobby Beausoleil. She begins living with him and his group of girls, travelling with the group for about 8 months before deciding to go live with Charlie and the family, whom she meets through Bobby, at Spahn Movie Ranch.

Emma Stone as Nancy Pitman - She was born in Springfield, Illinois and her father works as an aeronautical engineer designing guidance systems for missiles. Growing up in Malibu, California, Nancy and her brothers are surrounded by the rich and famous. Despite her wealthy lifestyle, Nancy begins to get into fights with her parents, and they eventually kick her out, leaving her to feel abandoned and searching for love. Nancy is a talented surfer and surfs all over Malibu, until she is greeted by Charlie and the family, who invite her to join them and Nancy happily accepts.

Maitland McConnell as Kathryn Lutesinger - She is brought into the family by her boyfriend, Bobby and takes an instant liking into Charlie and his deadly intensions. Kathryn is pregnant with Bobby's child and has been feeling neglected by her parents. She continues to fight with them and often goes back and forth with the family and her parents. However, Charlie takes a disliking to Kathryn, and constantly beats and threatens her due to pulling Bobby away from the family.

Rodney Eastman as Paul Watkins - At the age of one, Paul moved to Sidon, Lebanon, where his father worked on a pipeline. After five years in Sidon, the Watkins family moved back across the Atlantic to Beaumont, Texas and finally Thousand Oaks, California. He is one of 6 children. Paul enjoys going to church, is a talented musician and is considered "gifted" by his high school teachers. Paul joins the family in 1968 after running into them in Topanga Canyon a number of times. He spends most of his time working at the ranch and enrolls into high school in order to recruit new faces to the family.

Sean Faris as Chuck Lovett - He is a loyal member of the family who loves to get wired on drugs and is devoted to Charlie and his "siblings". Chuck is a true hippie and is against violence, but is willing to prove his dedication. His favorite activity is spending time around the swimming hole and hanging out with the other family members.

Kyle Gallner as Larry Bailey - He is a member of the family who is often picked on for having black facial features, and loves to get wired on drugs. Larry is also against violence of any kind, but is too cowardly and secretly afraid of Charlie to break out of his spell or think for himself.

Megan Fox as Sharon Tate - She was born in Dallas, Texas to two loving parents and was the first of 3 girls. As a teenager, Sharon began modelling and competing in beauty pageants. In high school, she was a very active student, joining the Library Club, Student Council, the Cheerleading squad and became the first homecoming queen of her school. Sharon is a well-read and educated person who learns early how to speak Italian fluently. Problems didn't occur until she fell a victim to date rape, but didn't tell anyone due to feeling that she brought shame on her family's name. Sharon's beauty caught the eye of many directors and they often invited her to have lunch with them and offered her roles. She is a beautiful, caring person who is willing to befriend anyone at any time and is extremely perky when it comes to issues or problems that can or can't be solved. She falls in love with hairstylist Jay Sebring and the pair become unseperable. They do everything together, whether it was eating at the fanciest restaurants, attending various Hollywood parties and experimenting with psychedelic drugs like LSD. Sharon's first role was in a movie called Thirteen, where she played a witch with mysterious powers. Her second film was a vampire parody called The Fearless Vampires where she played Sarah, a woman kidnapped by vampires and gets rescued by a bumbling professor and his assistant. While filming the picture, Sharon developed a romantic interest in the director, Roman Polanski and the two soon married. Sharon moved back into the states and began filming her new movie, Don't Make Waves, where she played Malibu. The film was a parody of 60s Beach Movies, filled with a tangled web of love triangles. Alfred Hitchcock began filming the horror film, Rosemary's Baby, and Sharon was recommended for the lead, but lost it because Roman didn't want to be the one to consider her, and no one else knew of her. Twentieth Century eventually casted Sharon in their film version of the bestseller, Valley of The Dolls. She played the character, Jennifer North, a showgirl whose career focused on her stunning looks. Sharon was unhappy with her movie deal and got her agent to let her off the hook. She eventually got signed over to Columbia Pictures and won a role in The Wrecking Crew. Sharon played the character of Freya Carson, a clumsy agent sent to assist Matt Helm. The part called for her to perform a few fight scenes, so Bruce Lee assisted in giving her Martial Arts lessons. In early 1969, Sharon and Roman bought a house in L.A. Around this time, Sharon found out she was pregnant. She flew to Italy to film her next motion picture, The Thirteen Chairs. Sharon played the part of Pat, a scheming saleswoman working in an antique shop that gets involved in a wild goose chase, looking for a fortune hidden in an old chair. After the showbiz, Sharon and Roman decide to settle down in their cul-de-sac and await the arrival of their baby.

Toby Stephens as Wojciech Frykowski - He was born in Poland and graduated from school with a degree in chemistry, but chooses to spend his time hanging around filmmakers. Wojciech is well known for being a troublemaker and will often start fistfights. Once at a bar, Wojciech got into a brawl and struck a man twice with a chair. Wojciech leaves Poland in 1967 after spending some time in Paris and moves into the United States. He meets Roman Polanski after an altercation at a school dance and the two become friends. Wojciech finances and produces an early short film that Roman makes titled Mammals, but isn't credited for it because he isn't an official member of the film community. He married twice and has a son named Bartek. Wojciech is an exceptional swimmer and was hired to be the lifeguard on the set of Roman Polanski's first full-length motion picture, Knife in The Water. Underneath his tough exterior, Wojciech is often soft-hearted and good-natured to the point of sentimentality, and utterly loyal. Wojciech's English is poor and tends to create humor from other people. In New York, Polish author Jerry Kosinski introduces Wojciech to Abigail Folger. Wojciech has trouble speaking English, but like Abigail, he is fluent in French. He takes an interest in writing like Jerzy Kosinski and begins writing poetry. Wojciech gets a job at Paramount as a set constructor, but is unhappy with the job and quits. Though he is well-kept, Wojciech's relationship with Abigail begins to sour and the two start taking drugs more frequently in order to avoid their problems, but he often keeps a clean head. Wojciech receives tutoring in English and keeps a diary where he takes notes on American customs.

Jessica Biel as Abigail Folger - She was born in California to Peter Folger, the chairman of Folger Coffee Company, and Inez Mejia. Her parents divorced while she was still young. Growing up in the San Fransisco area, Abigail displayed an interest in art, spending most of her free time painting. Abigail is also musically inclined, being very skilled at playing the piano. She attended the Catalina School for Girls in California, moving on to Radcliffe College where she graduated with honors, finally ending up in Harvard, where she did graduate work and received a degree in Art History. In 1967 she took a job at the University of California art museum in Berkeley, California. Abigail didn't stay in Berkeley long. She soon decided to move to New York City, where she got a job as a magazine publisher, which she eventually left for a job at the Gotham Book Mart on 47th street. It was at a bookstore party where she met a Polish author who introduced her to Wojciech Frykowski. Wojciech could barely speak English, but like Abigail, he was fluent in French. The two moved in together before deciding to go to California for the summer. Like her mother, Abigail got involved in volunteer work. She registered as a volunteer social worker for the Los Angeles County Welfare Department. In 1968, Abigail attended fundraisers set up by her mother to aid the Haight-Ashbury Medical Clinic. Back in Los Angeles, Abigail spends her days in the ghettos doing volunteer work with children. She is very involved in the civil rights cause, contributing large amounts of money to the campaign of Tom Bradley, a black councilman running for mayor. However, Abigail's job at the Welfare Department begins to take a toll on her; she becomes overwhelmed by lack of change that her work is causing and decides to quit, settling down with Wojciech and exploring the fun of life.

James Franco as Jay Sebring - He was born in Alabama and the last of 4 children. He and his siblings lived a typical middle class life growing up in the suburb outside of Detroit. After high school, Jay joined the Navy and went overseas to serve in the Korean War. Of all of his talents during his serving, hair cuttery was Jay's favorite. Jay moves to California to become a hair stylist and launches the male hair care revolution. He opens one of the first hair salons in Los Angeles and is incredibly skilled at his job. Jay developed a unique style for hair when he went to Los Angeles and it put many famous people on his list of customers. He received Martial Arts lessons from Bruce Lee for a Batman audition. Like most people, Jay would go to Hollywood parties and experiment with psychedelic drugs like LSD. Jay is always fascinated by supernatural subjects, which prompts him to buy a home in Benedict Canyon that has a dark history. He has a suave attitude towards women, but is always there to support them when needed and always gives them the royal treatment that a man of his refinement can. At Kirk Douglas' request, Jay is hired to design a haircut for the slaves in the movie Spartucus. Jay fits in well with Hollywood, with friends, acquaintances and clients remembering him as a kind, thoughtful man with sophisticated taste. Whether it's his fancy clothes or the cars he drives, he always seems to put time and effort into his appearance. Jay is always self-conscious about his short stature, however it is those insecurities that fuel his attention for style. In the summer of 1969, Jay decides to expand his business by opening another salon and starting a corporation that releases hair-care products as well as opening a series of franchised salons.

Connor Price as Steven Parent - He grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of El, Monte and is the first of 4 children. Steven doesn't have a serious girlfriend, but often dates here and there. During his free time, he spends it listening to popular folk music and playing the guitar. Steven's main interest is electronics, which leads to trouble with the law. He has been arrested several times for petty theft and spent some time in a youth correctional facility, where he tested at near-genius level for electronics. Steven is so fascinated by electronics and mechanics that he often steals several radios, brings them home and tears them apart to understand how they work. In June of 1969, Steven graduates from Arroyo High School. He plans to attend Citrus Junior College in Azusa the following September. Most of Steven's time is spent working and raising money for school. After school, Steven has two jobs; In the daytime, he works full time as a delivery boy for Valley City Plumbing Company in Rosemead. And in the evening, he works as a salesman at Jonas Miller Stereo on Wilshire Boulevard.

David Born as Leno LaBianca - He was born in Los Angeles, California and took his name from past relatives as an Italian tradition. Leno was an exceptional high school student, which led to him skipping a grade. As a member of the Benjamin Franklin High School track team, Leno competed in both shot put and discus competitions. Outside of school, Leno worked for his father at Gateway Markets. In his free time, he frequented places like the Hollywood Rollerdrome, the Sycamore Drive-In and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium with his girlfriend, Alice Skolfield. Leno is very quiet, shy and equipped with a subtle sense of humor and has a great capacity for innocently getting himself into all kinds of trouble. In 1940, Leno's father bought a home on Waverly Drive in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles. This put Leno in another school and away from Alice. It wasn't long before Leno forged his father's name on a change of address form and went back to Benjamin Franklin High School to be with his first love. In 1943, Leno was sent to Fort Macarthur in San Pedro California before joining the 524th Military Police Batallion after receiving army introduction papers. In the fall of 1942, Leno started working at State Wholesale as well as enrolling in Los Angeles City College, studying Business Administration. After one semester at city college, Leno transferred to the University of Southern California and went back to work at Gateway. He decided to marry his high school sweetheart Alice in 1943. The following month, Leno was ordered by Europe to serve in World War 2 and was separated from Alice for 18 months as he was on duty in England, France, Holland and Germany. This caused problems between the couple. His parents tried to set out his whole life for him and where he'd live, but instead Leno and Alice bought a house in Los Feliz that was previously owned by Walt Disney. While in Europe, he spent his freetime writing to his wife, gambling and watching movies before returning home, having risen up to technical sergeant. He immediately joined the army reserve where he took rank as Sergeant First Class. In 1950, Leno was elected to the Board of Directors and was named Vice President of both Gateway Markets and State Wholesale. After his father passed away, Leno became president of Gateway and State Wholesale and moved his family back to Waverly Drive. Leno's true dream is to breed and race thoroughbred horses, which he gets to live out in Las Vegas with his new wife, Rosemary due to feeling tired of the responsibilities of Gateway and wanting out.

Kelly Rutherford as Rosemary LaBianca - She was born in Mexico to parents who disappeared or died prematurely. Rosemary grew up in an Arizona orphanage until the age of 12, when a California family adopted her. Rosemary meets Frank Struthers while working as a carhop at the Brown Derby Drive-In in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles, and they have 2 children. After getting divorced, Rosemary gets a job as a waitress at the Los Feliz Inn and meets Leno, and the two fall in love. One weekend, Leno and Rosemary decide to rush down to Las Vegas and get married. Rosemary gets along well with Leno's children and spends a lot of time with his daughter, showing her new ways to wear her hair. She has a sophisticated style and fashion sense, which hits it off with her new husband's children. Rosemary eventually enters the business world, going into dress shops and Gateways. She opens up her own shop, which does very well and she begins to make smart investments in stocks and commodities. Rosemary's business takes off after she converts a Gateway Markets truck into a mobile dress shop under the name Boutique Carriage. With the help of a partner, Rosemary opens a dress shop/gift store within a Gateway shopping plaza on 2625 North Figueroa St. While her business flourishes, Rosemary soon enough becomes a millionaire. In 1968, Leno, Rosemary and her son, Frank move into Leno's childhood home on Waverly Drive.

Chris Hemsworth as Donald Shea - He was born in Massachusetts. Donald moved to California to pursue a career in acting, but ended up spending most of his time working at Spahn Movie Ranch. George Spahn hired Donald to help with the horses at the ranch, however he continues to pursue his dream of working in Hollywood. A bunch of friends let Donald use their phone numbers as an answering service; when acting opportunities come up, he will leave the ranch, returning weeks later after filming is complete. Donald, who is big and stocky, works long days at the ranch, gets along well with the other ranch hands and always looks after George Spahn's interests. He doesn't mind Charlie and the family when they first move onto the ranch, but as time goes by, Donald grows to dislike Charlie immensely. Donald marries a black stripper that he meets in Las Vegas. Although they separate, they still get along, and Charlie, who detests black people, looks down on Donald because of it. Donald knows that the family, and specifically Charlie, are up to no good and strongly wants to get them off of the ranch.

Ian Somerhalder as Gary Hinman - He was born in Colorado on Christmas Eve. Gary graduated school with a degree in chemistry, but decided to continue at UCLA where he received his P.H.D. in Sociology. Gary is a talented musician who works at a music shop teaching the bagpipes, piano, trombone and the drums. Sometime in 1968, he becomes interested in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. In the summer of 1969, Gary begins planning a religious pilgrimage to Japan. His house in Topanga Canyon is a regular crash pad for anyone needing a place to stay. Gary befriends the Manson family and often lets various members live at his home. Gary has a kind, gentle soul and is an intellect. He is always willing to help out those he is or isn't close with, but just wants a person to be happy. Gary is also a pacifist and doesn't believe in violence of any kind. Even if it goes against his better judgment, he'll supply drugs for friends or just let someone in trouble crash at his house.

Deaths
Gary Hinman - Bobby, Susan and Mary arrive at Gary's home and confront him on the money he owes them. Gary explains to the trio that he has no money to give them, but they don't believe him. Bobby demands Gary to search his entire house to find the money, but Gary promises that he has no money to give the family. Bobby becomes angrier and hits Gary over the head with a dumbell, knocking him unconsious. Bobby calls Charlie and tells him that Gary hasn't given him the money. Bobby and Susan then tie Gary to a chair with rope. Charlie enters the home and slices Gary's ear off with a sword, leaving him to bleed and scream in pain. Since Gary is a pacifist, he only pleads with Charlie and the others to leave his house, but they refuse. Charlie orders the girls to tend to Gary's wounds, so Susan and Mary stitch his ear back onto his head with dental floss. While Gary chants his faith, Charlie forces him to sign over his merchandise to him and his family. Once he does so, Charlie and Bruce fear that Gary will tell the police, and they order Bobby to kill him, before driving off. Gary screams for help and Bobby walks back into the house and stabs him twice in the chest with his hunting knife, causing Gary to gurgle on his blood as he slowly dies on the chair.

Steven Parent - While Steven drives out of Sharon's driveway after visiting the caretaker of her house, Tex, who is wearing a hood over his head, confronts him at his car window and aims a gun at Steven. Steven pleads for his life and promises he won't say anything, but Tex ignores his pleas and shoots him once in the forearm, once in the upper chest, once in the cheek and throughout his mouth, and once in the lower chest with a .22 caliber revolver handgun, before Steven slumps dead over the seat of his car.

Jay Sebring - After Tex, Susan and Patricia gather Sharon, Jay, Abigail and Wojciech in the living room, Tex orders everyone to lay on their stomachs on the floor. Jay argues with Tex to let Sharon sit down because she is pregnant, and Tex shoots him in the armpit with the .22 caliber revolver handgun, causing him to collapse onto the carpet. Tex later kicks Jay in the face repeatedly, breaking the bridge of his nose. Jay moans and struggles to crawl away, and Tex kneels down and stabs him 7 times in the back with his hunting knife.

Wojciech Frykowski - While Susan is tying Wojciech's hands with a towel, he manages to break free and fights her off. Wojciech pulls Susan's hair repeatedly, and Susan stabs him in the leg 4 times with a pocket knife. He attempts to run away, but Tex shoots him twice in the back with the .22 caliber revolver handgun, knocking him down onto the floor. Tex then runs over and stabs Wojciech in the back and chest 51 times with his hunting knife, but he manages to escape. Wojciech escapes outside and runs into Linda, and the two stare at eachother in tears while Linda apologizes and cries out in sorrow. Wojciech is then chased by Tex, who tackles him onto the lawn and beats Wojciech's head with the butt of the gun until his skull cracks.

Abigail Folger - Abigail unloosens her ties and makes a run for the back door. She manages to escape out to the backyard, and Patricia drops her ropes and chases after Abigail with an up-raised knife and tackles her onto the lawn. Patricia holds Abigail down onto the ground and stabs her 28 times in the chest with the hunting knife, covering her white night gown in blood. Abigail uses her last bit of strength to plead for her life, before slowly dying on the grass.

Sharon Tate - While Sharon is tied to the couch in her living room, she cries and pleads hysterically for her life and for the life of her unborn baby to Susan. But Susan becomes annoyed with Sharon's whining and tries to settle her down, telling Sharon that she doesn't have any mercy for her. Sharon continues to sob and beg for mercy, but Susan ignores her pleas and stabs Sharon 16 times in the chest and stomach with her hunting knife, causing her to die slowly and fall blood-soaked onto her carpet.

Leno LaBianca - Charlie breaks into the LaBianca home and wakes Leno up on the couch and ties his hands behind his back with his leather thong, along with Rosemary. Charlie then leaves and orders Tex, Patricia and Leslie to go inside the home and murder the couple, before driving off with Linda, Susan and Steve. Tex guards Leno in the living room and promises Leno that he is just going to rob him. But after Leno attempts to escape, Tex pushes him back onto the couch, rips open Leno's pajama shirt and stabs him 12 times in the stomach with a kitchen knife. While Leno is struggling, he falls off of the couch and onto the coffee table, and Tex slashes his throat 4 times before placing a pillowcase over his head. Later, Tex carves the word "war" into Leno's stomach with his hunting knife and Patricia stabs Leno in the stomach with a carving fork and the throat with a steak knife, and leaves the utensils protruding from his body.

Rosemary LaBianca - Charlie breaks into the LaBianca home and wakes Rosemary up in her bed, walks her downstairs and ties her to the couch next to Leno with his leather thong. Charlie calms the couple down and tells them to remain quiet. He then leaves the home and orders Tex, Patricia and Leslie to go inside and murder the couple, before driving off with Linda, Susan and Steve. Patricia and Leslie untie Rosemary and drag her into her bedroom as she screams in agony for Leno. Patricia and Leslie throw Rosemary onto her bed, then place a pillowcase over her head and wrap a lamp wire around her neck. Rosemary then swings the lamp at the duo, and Leslie holds her down on her bed, while Patricia tries to stab Rosemary with a dull kitchen knife. But the blade bends on Rosemary's collarbone, so Patricia screams for Tex's help. Tex walks into the room and stabs Rosemary 25 times in the chest with a bayonet, before she collapses onto her bed. Rosemary then attempts to crawl off of her bed, but dies suddenly. Leslie starts to feel remorse and goes to cry shamefully in another room, but Tex turns her around and tells her to participate because Charlie told him to make sure that they all get their hands dirty. Tex hands Leslie the bloody kitchen knife and pressures her to stab as he taught them, and she walks back into the bedroom, kneels down and reluctantly stabs Rosemary in her back. Tex tells Leslie to keep doing it longer and deeper, but she is very hesitant. Tex continues to insist and demands that she follows his orders, and Leslie begins to feel more joy and stabs Rosemary 15 more times in the lower back with the kitchen knife.

Donald Shea - Tex, Bruce and Steve take Donald on a ride through the ranch to look for car parts. While they are driving, Tex signals Steve to start the killing, and Steve hits Donald over the head with a pipe wrench, knocking him unconsious. Tex pulls over and drags Donald out of the car, before Charlie and Larry arrive. The 5 gather around Donald and Charlie orders Bruce to participate, and Bruce reluctantly stabs Donald in the shoulder with a machete. Tex then ties a rope around Donald's neck and drags him into the desert, where he awakens and screams in pain. Donald pleads for his life, but Charlie ignores him and kicks Donald in the side of the head. Steve holds Donald up in his arms and Tex begins to slowly torture him by punching and kicking him in the face and stomach repeatedly. As Donald slowly dies in Steve's arms, Tex stabs him 3 times in the stomach with the machete. The 5 then take Donald's body and bury him under the ground.