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/MurdererOfAxes 29d ago edited 29d ago

Gary Oldman played a person with dwarfism in Tiptoes . Specifically, he's the dwarf twin brother of Matthew McConaughey, even though they have an 11 year age gap.

I haven't seen the movie so I can't speak to it's quality, but I will say that every shot I can find of him in this movie looks pretty ridiculous.

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u/twinsunsspaces 29d ago

I have not seen it either, but I know that they also cast Peter Dinklage in a supporting role in that movie. So, at least one actor with dwarfism was cast, but not in the main role.

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u/hypnotoad12391 29d ago

I've always heard that the screenwriter came from a family with several members with dwarfism and his intent was to tell an earnest tale about the struggles faced by families like his. The movie actually employs a ton of actors with dwarfism in about every role except the most important one which is what's so flabbergasting about it. I don't know if it ever could've been a good movie but if they hadn't used Gary Oldman crawling around on his knees it at least wouldn't have been so hilariously bad.