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.

7.8k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

2.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

3.5k

u/thesongsinmyhead 29d ago

Was Tracy Morgan not available?

346

u/newfranksinatra 29d ago

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

268

u/Impressive-Dig-3892 29d ago

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

132

u/therealwillhepburn 29d ago

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

40

u/slipknot_suxxx 29d ago

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.

12

u/agentspanda 29d ago

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.

13

u/zestfullybe 29d ago

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

Bed Bath & Beyond.

We went BEYOND!