Michelle Phillips, a former vocalist in The Mamas and the Papas who had made her major feature film debut in "Dillinger" (1973), was cast as Natacha Rambova, Valentino's lover and eventual wife. Russell had been impressed by Phillips's performance in the aforementioned film, and felt she embodied both the sexuality and toughness that he envisioned for his version of Rambova. "I asked to dinner at a Mexican restaurant," Phillips recalled. "When he arrived I had my hair done up in braids as I thought Rambova would have been. I didn't want to leave everything to chance." To prepare for the role, Phillips contacted Rambova's sister, Katherine Peterson, who resided in California, and spoke with her on the phone for several hours about Rambova's life. Phillips approached the role under the supposition that Rambova was a lesbian, but "about as asexual as you can get; [I think her real turn-ons were artistic." She also read Valentino's own autobiography, "My Private Diary", in order to glean an understanding of Rambova from his point of view.