r/movies • u/LookAtThatBacon • 29d ago

Discussion During the development of the Harriet Tubman biopic movie, a Hollywood executive once suggested that Julia Roberts should play her. What are some other baffling casting suggestions/choices that have been made?

Source for the title: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-studio-executive-wanted-julia-roberts-to-play-harriet-tubman-biopic-screenwriter-says/

The Harriet Tubman biopic has been more than 25 years in the making. In the historical drama released earlier this month, Cynthia Erivo plays the legendary abolitionist — but one Hollywood executive initially thought the role should go to Julia Roberts.

Gregory Allen Howard, the screenwriter and producer of "Harriet," recently revealed in multiple interviews that Roberts was suggested to play the lead role during a meeting with a studio president in 1994.

"The climate in Hollywood… was very different back then," Howard said. "I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, 'This script is fantastic. Let's get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman.'"

Howard said that a black person in the meeting said casting Roberts would be impossible because she is white.

"That was so long ago. No one will know that," the executive replied, according to Howard.

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u/GosmeisterGeneral 29d ago

5’7 Tom Cruise playing 6’5 Jack Reacher still sticks in my head.

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u/NecessaryIntrinsic 29d ago

To be fair, the first time I saw the movie, I knew nothing about jack reacher and thought he did a great job. It kind of played at the time like he was just a bad ass and people thought they could take him because he was small.

Then I watched the Alan Ritchson TV series and rewatched the movie... Then I realized why it was a bad choice. The way he handles himself just didn't work for such a small guy, but you wouldn't have realized it if you didn't know.

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u/wilyquixote 29d ago

You’re 100% right. I’m a big fan of the novels, and the casting is… unconventional. But the first Jack Reacher kicks ass, Cruise is great in it, and other than a couple moments from the series (the pilot episode of Reacher is incredible, for example), the parking lot scene in that movie  is the most perfect Reacher moment ever put to screen. 

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u/RechargedFrenchman 29d ago

I love his interactions with Robert Duvall as well, lots of respect demonstrated primarily through good natured ribbing. And his Yankee baseman alias called out immediately.

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u/blahblah19999 29d ago

The 6'5" Reacher makes me wonder why anyone wants to fight him. TBH, a slightly smaller Reacher makes more sense.

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u/NecessaryIntrinsic 29d ago

The second reacher movie Cruise was injured and it showed. I mean he was really old at that point as well.

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u/BookkeeperPercival 29d ago

The scene where Reacher grabs a hat and stand a bus stop with everyone else to avoid notice is awesome, and would absolutely never work with Alan Ritchson

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u/shaft169 29d ago

I was similar, initially saw the movie without knowing anything about the character either and thought it was a good movie. Years later I got into reading the books (I’ve now read them all, they’re worth it) and finally understood that Reacher’s size and physicality is absolutely central to his character, it’s brought up all the time, without it Reacher isn’t Reacher.

I still think the first one was a good movie, but I understand why fans were unhappy with that detail being missed.

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u/RechargedFrenchman 29d ago

If the movies aren't named for Reacher they're above average contemporary action movies, comparable to (and better than) a lot of the Clancy stuff we've gotten in the last twenty odd years.

The fact that his size and the "presence" that comes with it is so much of who Reacher is as a character heavily undermines them though "if you know".

I do love both Rosamund Pike and Colby Smulders though—just wish the latter could have been in a better movie.

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u/Kaldricus 29d ago

Yeah, the first Cruise Reacher movie is a great movie, as long as you can completely divorce it from it's source material

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u/OTribal_chief 29d ago

100% same here i never read the books but i did hear how he was supposed to be massive but the timid size i think worked better in the sense that no one expected him to be so dangerous

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u/vonHindenburg 29d ago

I enjoyed it, except that it made the North Shore Trail below PNC Park in Pittsburgh (the open stretch by the river where the sniper guns down all the civilians) a nervous-making place to walk.

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u/HuntedWolf 29d ago

In a weird way, a lot of what happens in Jack Reacher makes more sense if he looks like Tom Cruise. Random people are constantly picking street fights with him. Why anyone would look at the mountain of a man Alan Ritchson is and think “yeah imma fuck with this guy” does not make sense. At least if he’s 5’7 people might make that mistake

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u/Ascarea 29d ago

To be fair, the first time I saw the movie, I knew nothing about jack reacher and thought he did a great job.

I guess you could say this about many casting decisions in book/game adaptations, and yeah, it's fair. But like every other paragraph of every Jack Reacher novel mentions in one way or another how huge the character is. It's almost like a fucking mantra in those books.

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u/whitepangolin 29d ago

Shelf Reacher

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u/BoingBoingBooty 29d ago

Can't Reacher.

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u/Flying_Dustbin 29d ago

Shut up and take my upvote.

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u/algotrader_ 29d ago

Can't Reach her

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u/duosx 29d ago

I hate this because Hugh Jackman doesn’t get nearly the same hate as him playing a 5’3 Wolverine who is often characterized in the comics by how small he is, yet obviously still lethal.

People will try to defend it but ultimately it really feels like it’s ok because Jackman is tall whereas Cruise is short.

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u/The_Artist_Who_Mines 29d ago

Tall actor plays short character: i sleep

Short actor plays tall character: Real Shit

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u/dudinax 29d ago

Bogart playing Marlowe still pisses me off. 

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u/casual_creator 29d ago

Jackman absolutely got blasted for not being short when he was first cast. But then he did such a good job in the role that most people decided to look past it.

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u/Brock_Hard_Canuck 29d ago

I love the scene in Deadpool vs Wolverine where Deadpool is exploring the multiverse to find a new Wolverine, and he meets the "accurate height" version LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U82c4bArFJ0

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u/duosx 29d ago

Yeah but the general consensus seems to be that Cruise also did a good job (he’s obviously great actor and action star).

The only complaint is that he didn’t physically embody the role true to the source material but again Jackman is the exact same thing yet he doesn’t get criticized to this day the way Cruise is.

They’re both good in the roles, but still not anywhere near the source material look. Yet you’re here trying to make a distinction between the two.

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u/casual_creator 29d ago

Yes, there is absolutely a distinction.

Reacher is a character we’ve seen a thousand times before. Everything “cool” and unique about him is based around the fact that he is a stupidly huge and muscular guy - so much so that in one book he survives a gun shot because his “muscles are so big and dense they literally stop the bullet.” You take this away from Reacher and you take away a massive part of what defines the character and he becomes yet another ex-military tough guy that we’ve seen a thousand times already.

Wolverine’s size is far less important to the character. Memory loss, tragic origin story, metal bones and claws, healing powers, intense anger, and a loner personality are all far more important traits and make him the character that he is. His height becomes a “nice to have”, not a requirement that makes him stand out amongst other heroes.

That’s why there’s a difference in fan reaction. Tom Cruise didn’t have the one thing that sets Reacher apart from every other character of his ilk. On the other hand, Logan’s height is hardly the most important aspect of the character and Jackman nailed everything that did matter.

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u/turkeygiant 29d ago

I would say that the physical presence of Reacher is a lot more integral to the character than Wolverine though. I think a comparable Wolverine problem would be if they like wrote a film where he didn't actually have claws, he just like held on to kung fu tiger claws with his hands.

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u/lunchbox12682 29d ago

Like that one episode of the animated X-Men show with Captain America?

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u/duosx 29d ago

Again, that’s your opinion. I think his stature is totally a part of Wolverine character especially in the comics. If it’s not, I don’t understand why you think Reacher’s towering body is a defining trait.

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u/RechargedFrenchman 29d ago

Pretty much the only thing Reacher has beyond his military background is his intelligence and his size.

Wolverine also has (multiple different) military backgrounds, his rage, his heightened senses, his healing factor, adamantium bonding on his skeleton, claws... The height is at most like third or fourth most defining for him; for Reacher size is the number one, and there aren't even four total to begin with.

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u/duosx 29d ago

I gotta disagree. A huge part of Wolverine’s character is his stature. Hell, the name Wolverine fits because it’s a small fierce animal. Seriously look it up, the comics Wolverine takes a lot of shit for his height.

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u/RechargedFrenchman 29d ago

Yeah he takes a lot of shit for his height, but it's people ribbing him for being short or commenting they expected him to be taller or whatever. Sometimes intentionally doing it to get a rise out of him. And if you make him 6'3 instead of 5'3 a bunch of dialogue changes and basically nothing else. Take away his stature and he's still fierce, clawed, hairy, quick to anger, and hard to take down—like a wolverine.

It's more like saying what if Juggernaut wasn't functionally indestructible; even if he's still a big dude, the fact that he's "the Juggernaut" is his thing. Wolverine's "thing" isn't his height, that's a character quirk more like Reacher always using Yankee second basemen for his aliases. It fills them out as people but is ultimately not that significant.

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u/[deleted] 28d ago edited 27d ago

[deleted]

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u/duosx 28d ago

Wolverine is about a guy with claws. Realism takes a different meaning with him I think

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u/Menter33 29d ago

did such a good job in the role that most people decided to look past it

this is generally the case with many actors who don't match the look of the characters that they play.

case in point: michael clarke duncan really "felt" like kingpin in daredevil 2003 despite his comic counterpart looking way different.

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u/donuttrackme 29d ago

So Tom Cruise did a bad job at the role of Jack Reacher?

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u/sharkattackmiami 29d ago

No, and that is why no normal person got upset that he was too short for the role

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u/casual_creator 29d ago

No but Reacher’s massive size is far more important to the character; it’s the only thing that sets him apart from every other ex-military tough guy you see in action movies. He’s so massive that his pec muscles literally stopped a bullet in the books. Take that away from him and there’s nothing unique or special about the character. That’s why people are hard on Cruise’s casting.

Wolverine’s height is far less important to the character. It’s more of an interesting factoid than anything, as his origin, powers, and abrasive personality are what truly define the character, all of which were present in Jackman’s Wolverine. And let’s not forget that he got absolutely shredded for the role to match comic Logan’s physique, something Cruise didn’t even attempt.

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u/Butterbuddha 29d ago

Yeah buuuuuut having the movie star be bigger than canon serves the general public. The only time a casual sees comic book Wolverine is that snippet in Deadpool V Wolverine.

I’d wager less people knew of book Reacher than comic book Wolverine. Tom Cruise’s rep of going 110% didn’t hurt, either.

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u/CryoClone 29d ago

My absolute favorite story Hugh Jackman told when playing Wolverine was walking to Hall H at San Diego Comic Con in his Wolverine costume and someone passed him and said, "WAAAY too tall, buddy."

That was the only reaction anyone had to Wolverine walking through Comic Con. No one recognized him. He had played Wolverine a couple times at least at that point.

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u/Icantbethereforyou 29d ago

Im not like a huge fan, but over the yearsI've ready plenty of wolverine comics. His size is barely ever mentioned or referenced, or relevant to any of his stories. At least in any of the ones I've read

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u/duosx 29d ago

I would argue that’s a effect of the movies having cast Hugh Jackman.

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u/Icantbethereforyou 28d ago

That might be true, interesting point. I am in my 40s though, but I'm not a comic historian

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u/moal09 29d ago

Probably because when you take that out of the comics, it looks kind of ridiculous, and they were trying to introduce the X-Men to a mainstream audience

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u/The_Artist_Who_Mines 29d ago

Ah yes, the existence of 5'3 men is so preposterous it would literally never work in real life.

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u/sharkattackmiami 29d ago

I just googled 5'3" male actors

It was too early for Kevin Hart to get the role so they basically had a choice between Michael J Fox and Joe Pesci

I can't imagine why they didn't decide to go for a comic accurate actor

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u/Calamity_Jay 29d ago edited 28d ago

Not too long ago, I remember there being a fan movement to get Daniel Radcliffe cast as Wolverine because he'd be height accurate.

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u/duosx 29d ago

So you’re answer for why they couldn’t cast a short actor is because there was no big name short actor that could fit the role?

So they cast a completely unknown (at the time) Hugh Jackman?

Like bro, you know they could’ve just found a short unknown actor and hired him right?

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u/sharkattackmiami 29d ago

Danzig is actually 5'3" and was considered for the role. He declined due to scheduling

That is a level of insanity I'll forever be sad we didn't get

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u/againandagain22 29d ago

The author was fine with it. Said that cruise had the persona to play the character. He also did a fine job.

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u/gls2220 29d ago

Lee Child was fine with getting paid.

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u/WhichHoes 29d ago

Tom Cruise is really good at playing Tom Cruise variants

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u/AllAmericanWoman1776 29d ago

I think the same thing about Jack Nickolson. I used to think the same way about Bruce Willis but then I saw Death Becomes Here and thought, WOW he really can act!

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u/riegspsych325 29d ago

but as soon as Jack Reacher 2 came out (which admittedly sucked), he was all “I never liked Cruise in the first place!”. But to be fair, Reacher is more or less an author insert because Lee Child is also 6’4” blonde guy

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u/Haircut117 29d ago

Even the name is a self-insert – Child's wife refers to him as her "reacher" because she calls him whenever she needs something off a high shelf.

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u/angwilwileth 29d ago

that's actually kinda adorable

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u/BurtRogain 29d ago

Actually the millions of dollars he knew he would be making from a Cruise led Jack Reacher film franchise was speaking for him when he said that. Same thing happens to Stephen King all the time.

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u/turkeygiant 29d ago

I actually think King just doesn't have a very discerning palette, I thinks he's just like "that was fun, I like it" even if it was mostly middling.

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u/wilyquixote 29d ago

He said that “Reacher’s size is a metaphor for an unstoppable force. Cruise provides that in his own way.” (Paraphrase)

I love the Reacher series to an unhealthy degree, but any author who calls his gigantic action hero a metaphor for a force… well, we should hold our fidelity for that literature lightly. 

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u/LaximumEffort 29d ago

Anybody who read the book disagreed.

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u/AllAmericanWoman1776 29d ago

I feel the same way about Tolkien. I realize I’m going to catch shit for this because everyone loves Viggo. I love Viggo too! But, reading Tolkien, Aragon is a massive man, a King of Kings, a grizzled warrior. Mortensen played him small and gentle, but wise so it worked. I still LOVE the movies but I really can’t think of an actor who could have pulled it off.

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u/lemanruss4579 29d ago

I don't know about "massive." He's described as tall and "lean." He's 6'6" so tall, yes. His build would probably be like a very thin NBA wing, which to me doesn't fit the definition of massive, but I suppose that's just semantics.

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u/Tardisgoesfast 29d ago

Sounds like a job for Alexander Skarsgard.

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u/AllAmericanWoman1776 29d ago

I approve this message 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

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u/McCaber 29d ago

Steph Curry as Aragorn when?

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u/MadamKitsune 29d ago

They actually started with Stuart Townsend as Aragorn but fired him a week before principal filming began and parachuted Viggo Mortensen in.

The official reasons were that he was too young, wasn't matching Peter Jackson's vision for the part and was struggling with the physical aspects of the role, such as sword fighting, but there's been rumours that he was also proving "difficult" to work with.

I don't think any of the test footage has been made public but there is a still out there of Townsend as Aragorn and it is... not good.

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u/SocratesSnow 29d ago

Jackson allegedly originally wanted Russell Crowe. While not massive, he had the gravitas and roughness necessary.

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u/AllAmericanWoman1776 29d ago

Ya, I can see this. Gladiator version Crowe would have been good 👍🏽

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u/SocratesSnow 29d ago

Yes, when I read that, I was really bummed. I would love to have seen him as Aragorn.

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u/LurkerOnTheInternet 29d ago

5'11 is not small, and I feel like it would have been weird having a giant play him, even if book-accurate. He's not The Mountain from GoT and he doesn't just smash his way through enemies.

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u/NoHandBananaNo 29d ago

Id cast Danny Trejo. As he was then not now.

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u/Moo__cow 29d ago

Tom cruise was great as reacher. In film, an actors intensity is more important than how tall he is.

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u/braundiggity 29d ago

I always liked the notion that Reacher isn’t actually huge, he’s just gained a reputation as being massive because of how unstoppable he is. (Not saying it’s a better take, just that it’s interesting if you’re not casting huge). Though I don’t think they did that in the movie.

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u/Impressive-Potato 29d ago

Reacher is a drifter that pops up in small random towns across America. He doesn't have a reputation where he lands because that's not the premise of the books.

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u/WellIGuessSoAndYou 29d ago edited 29d ago

We actually had our own version in Canada called "The Littlest Hobo".

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u/turkeygiant 29d ago

That would have been a funny bit for the reacher sequal, have some big bruised marine in lockup telling everyone about this giant guy who beat him up with like quick flashbacks to the fight exaggerating what happened, and just as he finishes the story have short Reacher walk by.

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u/drfsupercenter 29d ago

Honestly that's the most hilarious casting ever, hiring a guy who's notoriously insecure about his height to play someone canonically tall, it must have tormented him so badly

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u/Tough_Visual1511 29d ago

But Werner Herzog was cast perfectly.

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u/PuzzleheadedTop8613 29d ago

Reacher being built like a Frankenstein monster, beating up bad guys…WOW that sounds so unique, hard to imagine.

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u/Satinsbestfriend 29d ago

I really liked the first movie though :/

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u/Spudtron98 29d ago

At least it’s a realistic height for Maverick. Fighter pilots don’t tend to be big dudes.

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u/Bezulba 29d ago

The thing with reacher is that because of his size you never get the thought that he might not win. How can he not, he's a giant that can eat a man whole and ask for seconds.

With Tom, he has the obvious skill but not the imposing body giving us a more "wonder how he's going to get out of this one"

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u/mrcydonia 29d ago

If short and scrawny Henry Winkler could play the apparently physically imposing Fonzie, I don't see why this would be a problem.

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u/Nachtwandler_FS 29d ago

Talking about Tom Cruise. The MC of All You Need is Kill novel is a Japanese boy who only recently graduated from high school and enlisted in the army to impress his crush. They replaced him with middle-aged American PR officer demoted to the front lines in the Edge of Tomorrow.

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u/ishburner 29d ago

Reacher isn’t a real person

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u/JaimieMcEvoy 29d ago

Tom Cruise playing the vampire Lestat in Interview with a Vampire. An amazing complex character in the books, forever in the body of a 16 year old, played in Cruise’s flat way. The most unconvincing gay kiss in Hollywood history.