Current Events > Hollywood exec once suggested that Julia Roberts play Harriet Tubman

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/studio-executive-wanted-julia-roberts-play-harriet-tubman/story?id=67162700

When screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard was trying to get his biopic on Harriet Tubman produced, he heard that a Hollywood studio executive suggested Julia Roberts portray the African American activist.
Howard was discussing how the film "Harriet" came to be over the last 26 years in a recent Q&A with Focus Features, the production company that released it, when he made the claim.

"I wanted to turn Harriet Tubman's life, which Id studied in college, into an action-adventure movie. The climate in Hollywood, however, was very different back then," Howard said in the interview. "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 says he heard that when someone explained that Roberts could not play Tubman, the unnamed executive allegedly replied, "It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference."
The role of Tubman, a former slave who escaped and turned into a famed abolitionist, eventually went to Cynthia Erivo. The film opened in theaters Nov. 1.

Howard said the film was his "valentine to black women."

"I wanted them to be able to go to the movies on Saturday and see this young black woman take on this incredible power structure and triumph over it," he said.

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It matters if the actor/actress can act well

or something people say in support of race swapping

But for real I want to see this done one day. Like legitimately just have all the producers and actors/actresses just be like "listen she/he can act so the skin colour doesn't matter"

I wonder if it would sell still
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Underground Railroad? Let's see if we can get a promo deal worked out with Subway.

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I saw this on FB and laughed my ass off thinking it was satire
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The idea of changing her into a white savior helping the slaves makes me chuckle.

Nowadays it would be ScarJo
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eston posted...

Nowadays it would be ScarJo

Nah, Margot Robbie
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Hollywood execs are so damn racist and stupid
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Blue_Inigo posted...

Hollywood execs are so damn racist and stupid

And out-of-touch.

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waiting for some dumbass to say this is ok because they made MJ black

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You guys remember that episode of South Park where Cartman "blows a funny fuse" and thinks he'll never be able to laugh again...
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weren't there plenty of white abolitionists? why not have her play one of those?

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I still want Michael Cera as Shaft damnit!

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Jim Carry as MLK

We need a folk hero cross over, the rock as John Henry, or playing a half of John Henry and Julia Roberts are Harriet Tubman using the tunnels the rock used as the railroad.
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I see no problem portraying Tubman as she was always meant to be portrayed, by an ugly, obnoxious, white woman.
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bump

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