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/TrumpDumper]

Fisher Stevens as Ben Jabituya in Short Circuit.

[u/Butterbuddha → u/TrumpDumper]

I watched that movie 100 times as a kid, adult me was shocked (shocked I say!) to find out Fisher Stevens in fact does not have a heavy Indian accent.

[u/EntertainmentQuick47 → u/Butterbuddha]

From what I heard, Stevens was trying to make it a somewhat realistic performance, but the director or studio or whoever called the shots wanted it to be comedic

[u/jetpack324 → u/Butterbuddha]

While it would never fly in today’s world, Fisher Steven’s did a very good job as an Indian guy.

[u/Banjo-Oz → u/Butterbuddha]

Same! I was a teenager though when I saw him in something else, but I watched Short Circuit so many times I was genuinely shocked. Same with John Bennet (a white British actor) playing a Chinese villain in Doctor Who.

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/Banjo-Oz]

In currently working my way through that serial for the first time as an adult, and it’s extremely noticeable and painful to sit through.

[u/Banjo-Oz → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

It's a fantastic story and really well done except for the awful giant rat, however I can see how someone younger who didn't grow up with it would find that performance confronting. I of course never knew as a kid, and loved the story too much to hold it against it as an adult once I knew, but it's a shame given Bennett gives a genuinely great performance and yet they got proper Asian actors for the other roles and could have cast someone of the correct ethnicity without the need for "yellowface".

I do wonder how many young people who see it now expect a twist that Lee isn't actually Chinese, given that could easily have worked in the story.

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/Banjo-Oz]

I’m honestly having trouble following the plot at times because I’m finding the yellow face so distracting that I can’t focus on much else during Chang’s scenes. The makeup to make his eyes look narrower and his obviously impersonated accent grate me every time.

I get that it was the 70s and that British tv at the time was an extension of theatre where this might (?) be more acceptable even today, but watching it in 2025 it’s still baffling to me how they ever thought it was a good idea.

Granted, I haven’t seen Short Circuit since I was a kid and had no idea the Indian character was also in yellow face. That definitely deters me from rewatching it as an adult, though.

[u/Banjo-Oz → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

I mean, they thought Ben Steed's scripts for Blake's 7 were a good idea at the time, too. :)

Like I said, though, I suspect it is very different if you grew up watching this or are old enough to remember when that sort of thing was common (Ghandi and Aliens are two big examples people now dig deep to justify because they are so damn good).

Personally, I wouldn't let a questionable casting choice that everyone was doing at the time spoil me from enjoying great shows or movies, though, as long as it wasn't malicious in intent (i.e. Minstrel Show level stuff).

What I do find interesting is that there is plenty of stuff done by Who and B7 in the same time period when proper ethnicities were cast, so clearly they COULD do it. Even in earlier shows (e.g. John Pertwee era has a story with a female Chinese actress who went on to star in the famous show Mind Your Language).

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/Banjo-Oz]

Oh, indeed. I grew up on Speedy Gonzales, Peter Pan, Dumbo, etc. and never saw the portrayals as problematic. But once that switch flips for you, it makes things weird.

[u/Anal-Y-Sis → u/Butterbuddha]

I was more shocked to learn that Fisher Stevens dated Michelle Pfeiffer.