Julia Roberts 'was first choice' to play black abolitionist Harriet Tubman

[snoop1130]

Julia Roberts 'was first choice' to play black abolitionist Harriet Tubman

By Bethany Minelle

 

Julia Roberts was floated as an idea to play American abolitionist leader Harriet Tubman

 

Julia Roberts was the first actress to be suggested to play the role of slavery abolitionist Harriet Tubman, according to the scriptwriter of a film about her life.

 

Harriet creator Gregory Allen Howard says an unnamed studio president who discussed making the biopic back in 1994 said: "This is a great script. Let's get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman."

 

When it was pointed out to him that Tubman was black he reportedly responded: "It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference."

 

The film took 20 years to bring to the screen.

 

Full Story: https://news.sky.com/story/julia-roberts-was-first-choice-to-play-abolitionist-harriet-tubman-11865490

[bluesofa]

14 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

When it was pointed out to him that Tubman was black he reportedly responded: "It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference."

Could be true. There were no colour films then. Everything was just...black and white.

 

[daoyai]

I can see the resemblance, a wig and make up and she would be good to go...  what could be the problem?

[impulse]

The Color Purple actress Cynthia Erivo was eventually cast in the lead role, but faced a backlash herself due to her British origins and Nigerian heritage.

 

Damned if you do, screwed if you don't...

[car720]

14 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Could be true. There were no colour films then. Everything was just...black and white.

 

a bit like today.

 

[car720]

actually, I can see the resemblance.

 

[saminoz]

In 20 years time will she be harassed for a "black face" incident?

[schweizer]

one odd thing

in the cinema these days we are expected to ignore movies set a thousand or more years ago where knights of the round table, Norse gods etc are played by black actors and I have no problem with that.

but god forbid a white actor plays a role that is associated with a black person, because that's cultural appropriation, as usual the rules confuse me

[thaibeachlovers]

24 minutes ago, schweizer said:

one odd thing

in the cinema these days we are expected to ignore movies set a thousand or more years ago where knights of the round table, Norse gods etc are played by black actors and I have no problem with that.

but god forbid a white actor plays a role that is associated with a black person, because that's cultural appropriation, as usual the rules confuse me

I'd love to get the casting director that uses black actors in white roles, and suggest a white actor to play a black person from history. I'd love to see them try to explain why they couldn't.