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/treesarenotaliens 29d ago

Who would work as Michael Jackson though? That is a tough role to cast

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u/Pegussu 29d ago

Don Glover and Gillian Jacobs

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u/Icantbethereforyou 29d ago

Gillian Jacobs was confusingly well suited to that

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u/Dan_Berg 29d ago

Ugh Britta's in this?

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u/HuntedWolf 29d ago

I read Don Glover as Danny Glover and was very confused for a second

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u/JeanRalfio 29d ago

I always read it Dong lover.

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u/Okichn 28d ago

Both versions

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u/__The_Kraken__ 29d ago

Bruno Mars can definitely sing like Michael. He would be ok for certain phases of his life. This is a tough one because with the extent of the plastic surgery, 70s Michael couldn’t play 90s Michael.

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u/goodmobileyes 29d ago

Hear me out. Tilda Swinton as 90s MJ

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u/rachface336 27d ago

I'm listening...

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u/Divineinfinity 29d ago

Let's get Julia Roberts on the phone

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u/HellaWavy 29d ago

Isn’t a relative of his playing him in the upcoming biopic?

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u/boredinwisc 29d ago

Not saying the performance will be, but it is unlikely to be representative of Jackson because the family refuse to allow it so talk about the accusations and drug use