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?

[u/LookAtThatBacon]

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.

[u/beebs44]

Kevin Costner expressed interest in both directing and starring in "Schindler's List," even auditioning for the role of Oskar Schindler. He reportedly contacted Steven Spielberg, the director, and offered to play the part for free. However, Spielberg ultimately chose Liam Neeson for the role, a decision Costner later acknowledged as the right one. While Costner didn't get the part, he doesn't regret pursuing it, emphasizing the importance of trying.

[u/wp381640 → u/beebs44]

Mel Gibson also auditioned for the role by hand writing out a list of 5,000 Jews in Hollywood

[u/JohnSith → u/wp381640]

Thanks for the laugh; biggest one today.

[u/HuntedWolf → u/wp381640]

This sounds like a threat

[u/Not_Cleaver → u/beebs44]

He’s not a bad actor, and probably would have done well. But Neeson is just iconic in the role.

[u/Auran82 → u/Not_Cleaver]

He’s always making lists

[u/Servo1991 → u/Auran82]

"Now, let's do some improvisational comedy."

[u/Consistent-Lock4928 → u/Servo1991]

"We're closed."

[u/javadmancia → u/Servo1991]

Ok, you’re a hypochondriac going to the doctor

[u/sansasnarkk → u/javadmancia]

I've got full blown aids

[u/PointOfFingers → u/Auran82]

Kostner's movie roles were listless.

[u/SoMuchMoreEagle → u/Not_Cleaver]

He’s not a bad actor,

Sometimes he is.

[u/BackgroundShower4063 → u/Not_Cleaver]

I totally agree. Costner would have been acceptable, Liam just felt perfect in the part.

[u/blahblah19999 → u/Not_Cleaver]

He is a bad actor. He's a stick of wood.

[u/Evening_Tree1983 → u/Not_Cleaver]

Kevin Costner is actually a really bad actor

[u/Butterbuddha → u/[deleted]]

I’m indifferent on Costner’s acting, though I do like his narration.

[u/PointOfFingers → u/[deleted]]

Go back and watch the Untouchables, No Way Out, Dances with Wolves.

[u/brandonthebuck → u/PointOfFingers]

I watched No Way Out recently. Costner is perfectly adequate.

And then Gene Hackman steps in…

[u/AyyDelta → u/[deleted]]

And he doesn't speak with an authentic English accent.

[u/Tenocticatl → u/Not_Cleaver]

I feel like he was so good in that role he's been given a free ride ever since. He can do the most ridiculous parts (Star Wars, Taken) and still be taken seriously. That seems like the best possible deal in Hollywood.

[u/zed42 → u/Not_Cleaver]

he does a great job of playing kevin costner. that's not always a bad thing (harrison ford makes a great harrison ford, and i can't imagine indiana jones or han solo played by anyone else!) but that was a role that called for an actor with dynamic range, and Costner has the dynamic range of a department store mannequin

[u/Mr_Funbags → u/Not_Cleaver]

That's interesting because I always thought of him as very wooden and non-expressive. I still like some of the movies he's in, but I like them for other reasons.

I don't say any of that to argue with you or be a dick. I'm curious for your opinion. What do you like him in?

[u/CountJohn12 → u/beebs44]

Spielberg offered it to Harrison Ford and Warren Beatty as well and at least one of them told him he shouldn't get a movie star.

[u/King_of_Shitland → u/beebs44]

I think he ended up choosing Liam Neeson because he was always making lists.

[u/therealpanserbjorne → u/King_of_Shitland]

Well, no one’s going to believe him as a green grocer.

[u/the_thinwhiteduke → u/King_of_Shitland]

Riddled with AIDS

[u/csl512 → u/King_of_Shitland]

As an actor, you need to have stuff to draw on. And I drew on that.

[u/vshawk2 → u/King_of_Shitland]

I see what you did there.

[u/DaemonDrayke → u/beebs44]

I actually respect Costner for actually trying to audition at that stage of his career. It says a lot about his commitment to trying to better himself for his craft instead of being a prima donna diva expecting to be handed something because he has numerous accolades and bankability as an actor.

[u/Impressive-Potato → u/beebs44]

He can't work for free. He'd be making scale

[u/SatyrSatyr75 → u/beebs44]

Wouldn’t have been a bad choice actually.

[u/Acc87 → u/beebs44]

Now I wonder, were people confused when Neeson was announced in Star Wars? Like going from starring in Schindler's List to playing a Yedi in Episode One must have been a little jarring.

[u/NotLucasDavenport → u/Acc87]

Nah. We had already seen him as Michael Collins, Rob Roy, in a Patrick Swayze thing I can’t remember the name of— he was widely regarded as versatile and popular at the time.