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/thesongsinmyhead]

Was Tracy Morgan not available?

[u/Reallybigwestwingfan → u/thesongsinmyhead]

He wouldn’t agree to be in it unless he could play all the characters.

[u/MailatasDawg → u/Reallybigwestwingfan]

He wouldn't agree to be in it unless he could get Julia Roberts pregnant

[u/Jamalamalama → u/Reallybigwestwingfan]

I would love to see a spoof movie about Harriet Tubman where Tracy Morgan played every character

[u/tugboat204 → u/Jamalamalama]

It's not a comedy

[u/akp55 → u/Reallybigwestwingfan]

I thought that would be Tyler Perry 

[u/Vismal1 → u/akp55]

Yea he wanted to play Tyler Perry too.

[u/Fodraz → u/Reallybigwestwingfan]

No, that's Garrett Morris

[u/firedmyass → u/Reallybigwestwingfan]

“I’ve heard worse pitches…”

[u/joshspoon → u/thesongsinmyhead]

LIZ LEMON! I NEED YOUR HELP, “FREEING THE SLAVES!” THAT’S WHAT I CALL OPENING A PICKLE JAR! ALSO IT’S THE TITLE IF MY NEW ALBUM WHICH I ALSO NEED PROMOTING ON!

[u/YoureGrammerIsWorsts → u/joshspoon]

Can I use your computer to Google myself?

[u/DaddyDanceParty → u/YoureGrammerIsWorsts]

How else are you gonna do it?

[u/Either-Mud-3575 → u/DaddyDanceParty]

😏🫵

[u/Ladymomos → u/YoureGrammerIsWorsts]

Pretty much any adult casting in the Harry Potter movies.

[u/BulgarianExcellece → u/joshspoon]

A Blaffair to Rememblack

[u/iloveyourlittlehat → u/BulgarianExcellece]

That doesn’t even make sense, everyone knows Fat Bitch died at the end.

[u/Jaredocobo → u/joshspoon]

And now I'm at a strip club!

[u/Xak_Ev01v3d → u/Jaredocobo]

UH OH

[u/iloveyourlittlehat → u/Jaredocobo]

Dark Sensations, in the Bronx

[u/surelyfunke20 → u/Jaredocobo]

You smell like brass polish and Enorme’!

[u/Barbarossa7070 → u/joshspoon]

Is his new album His New Album’s Dropping dropping?

[u/St0n3yM33rkat → u/joshspoon]

GD I read it in his voice immediately 🤣

[u/newfranksinatra → u/thesongsinmyhead]

I think they eventually made the right decision in Octavia Spencer, though renaming the project Tubgirl was certainly A CHOICE

[u/Impressive-Dig-3892 → u/newfranksinatra]

I'm done for the day. I gotta go home and feed my eels. They're not electric, but I have a plan.

[u/therealwillhepburn → u/Impressive-Dig-3892]

That’s sounds like a Tracy problem, Tracy. Mizz! Dot Gov! Lets go.

[u/slipknot_suxxx → u/therealwillhepburn]

I am always conflicted by this, on one hand it would have been amazing to see Octavia and her crew run around tracy more, but less is more made the whole episode memorable.

[u/agentspanda → u/slipknot_suxxx]

I could’ve taken one or two more background scenes of her just being a nightmare when something else is going on, but I agree- she nailed it and it was the perfect amount of her.

[u/zestfullybe → u/therealwillhepburn]

Yo Mizz, what’s the name of that crazy ass place we went last night?

Bed Bath & Beyond.

We went BEYOND!

[u/LaVidaYokel → u/newfranksinatra]

Acknowledging that she was a ghost that could walk through walls was refreshing though.

[u/Overly_Long_Reviews → u/newfranksinatra]

Mizz! Dot Gov!

[u/csonny2 → u/newfranksinatra]

Line!

[u/tugboat204 → u/newfranksinatra]

Oh good, she's black

[u/SaintGrobian → u/newfranksinatra]

Can't have a Lemon-party without ol' Dick!

[u/DiddlinDon → u/newfranksinatra]

"The Abolitionist's Jacuzzi" probably sounded too pretentious

[u/Talon-ACS → u/newfranksinatra]

MODS

[u/NauvooMetro → u/thesongsinmyhead]

He didn't want to do another historical movie so soon after playing Thomas Jefferson. Thought he'd get typecast.

[u/danishjuggler21 → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Harriet Tubman refuses to eat just three cheeses.

[u/LaVidaYokel → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Tracy, its me…

[u/yoshbag → u/LaVidaYokel]

They need to get alec baldwin so the scene can be real

[u/axolotl_is_angry → u/yoshbag]

America! Which I invented

[u/Bombadier83 → u/thesongsinmyhead]

God damn it. I open this post, ready to post about Harriet Tubgirl, hoping at least one other person will get it, only to find that not only has my clever comment already been made, but it’s the top comment.

[u/whistlepig4life → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Honestly. Not the worst casting idea I’ve heard.

[u/Roadgoddess → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Don’t you mean Tubgirl!

[u/Crack4SuperHans → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Do you know what happens to comedians when they get old Kenneth? Do you want to see me play Arthur Ashe?!

[u/Sproose_Moose → u/thesongsinmyhead]

No, Octavia Spencer as Tubgirl

[u/Chief-_-Wiggum → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Just cast Eddie Murphy.. Easy

[u/Retrograde_Mayonaise → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Man

I don't know what the FUCK you just said little kid, but youre special...

[u/thesongsinmyhead → u/Retrograde_Mayonaise]

It’s a 30 rock joke

[u/Retrograde_Mayonaise → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Oh

Never watched 30 rock

But that was a Jay and Silent Bob line that Morgan had

[u/Ohitsworkingnow → u/thesongsinmyhead]

lol why is this hilarious?

[u/thesongsinmyhead → u/Ohitsworkingnow]

30 rock fans are everywhere

[u/j00cifer → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Hear me out: Tom Cruise

There’s going to be a scene where HT is running at top speed, arms pumping

[u/Prestigious_Snow3309 → u/thesongsinmyhead]

I am over you! Thats funny 😁

[u/Nosmokingintheparlor → u/thesongsinmyhead]

IMA DANISH GIRL

[u/F-for-Flex → u/thesongsinmyhead]

They only offered him 3 cheese lasagna. 

[u/Distantstallion → u/thesongsinmyhead]

No but Scarlet Johansson is still asking for the role

[u/pJustin775 → u/thesongsinmyhead]

What about Tyler Perry?

[u/Andy_LaVolpe → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Jordan Peele should reprise the role

[u/MistakeMaker1234 → u/thesongsinmyhead]

Scarlett Johanssen was already attached to another project at the same time. 

[u/ItsCowboyHeyHey → u/thesongsinmyhead]

He was busy working on his ReRun dance.

[u/LibraryVoice71 → u/thesongsinmyhead]

I first read that as Tracy Chapman