It's based on the complicated saga of Peg Entwistle, a real aspiring starlet in Los Angeles in the 1930s. In Hollywood, the characters simplify and rewrite Peg's story (and eventually rename the script and film Meg) and imagine what happens if she lived.

There's much more to Peg's life and tragic death than Netflix shares. Get to know the real Peg Entwistle and what led to her untimely death.

Peg's parents died when she was young.

Peg was born in Wales in 1908, per IMDB, and her real name was Lillian Millicent Entwistle. Her mother died in 1910. She and her father immigrated to New York City, where he was hired to manage stages, in 1913.

Peg's father remarried and had two sons. Peg and her half-brothers were adopted by their Uncle Charles and Aunt Jane after their parents died in 1921 and 1922. Her aunt was an actress, but gave up her career to care for the children. Her uncle managed actors and theaters, but retired so he could be home as a "father" figure.

Peg developed an interest in acting and enrolled in the Jewett Repertory.

She was a successful theater actress in New York City.

Peg was the youngest actress recruited by the New York Theatre Guild, per IMDB . She worked as an actress on Broadway, and her many plays were well-reviewed. She had roles in The Man from Toronto, The Uninvited Guest, and Tommy. She and actor Robert Keith wed in 1927, but their relationship was short-lived. Peg filed for divorce in 1929, citing abuse and domestic cruelty.

She moved to Hollywood to become a movie star.

Following success on Broadway stages, Peg traveled across the country to Los Angeles to co-star opposite Billie Burke and Humphrey Bogart in a tryout stage production of The Mad Hopes. It was a hit, and scored her a screen test for the movie Thirteen Women.

The aspiring screen actress moved back in with her uncle on Beachwood Drive and waited for her big break, according to HollywoodSign.org . Her new home was basically in the shadow of the Hollywood Sign.

But, she only landed one small film role.

Peg struggled to stand out or land roles her first summer in LA. The worst year of the Great Depression didn't help, and Peg didn't have enough money to return to New York City, per IMDB .

Her only movie appearance was a supporting role in Thirteen Women, which flopped. Unfortunately, her scenes largely ended up on the cutting room floor due to censorship.

Peg died by suicide at age 24.

On September 16, she lied to her uncle about meeting friends. Instead, she hiked up the steep canyon hill to the Hollywood Sign. Depressed and reportedly intoxicated, she climbed up a maintenance ladder to the top of the "H" and jumped to her death. She was 24 years old.

The following day, a hiker found her body, shoes, and purse with a suicide note inside. It read: "I am afraid, I am a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain. P.E."

Peg's death made the Hollywood sign an icon.

From that point on, she was known as "The Hollywood Sign Girl" and became part of Hollywood folklore. Some said the day after Peg's death, the Beverly Hills Playhouse unknowingly reached out to offer her the lead role in a play about a woman driven to suicide.

The ghost stories started popping up in the 1940s, according to Vanity Fair . The "H" mysteriously toppled over and multiple reports of paranormal happenings matched Peg's description, right down to her preferred gardenia-scented perfume. A blond ghostly figure wearing 1930s clothing has appeared to a variety of people, including those with no knowledge of her tragic death.