Twitter condemns Julia Roberts being considered to play role of African-American slavery hero
The idea was floated 25 years ago for the star to narrate Harriet Tubman, who is considered a 19th century icon
PHOTO: REUTERS
Twitter is screaming that Hollywood has come a long way in the last quarter decade.
This is proven by the industry's attempt to represent and include minorities in blockbuster films, such as Black Panther, which was the highest grossing film of 2018.
Wind back 25 years, Hollywood star Julia Roberts, who is of Caucasian decent, was considered by a Hollywood executive to play abolitionist Harriet Tubman in biopic Harriet, reported InStyle. The woman was a 19th century African-American anti-slavery icon.
In a Focus Features Q&A with Gregory Allen Howard, the Harriet screenwriter revealed that the project has been in development for 26 years. “The climate in Hollywood, however, was very different back then,” he explained. “I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, ‘This script is fantastic. Let's get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman.’
I was hyper-sexualised as a teenager in Hollywood: Scarlett Johansson
When someone pointed out that Roberts couldn’t be Harriet, the executive responded, ‘It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.’”
Naturally, Twitter had thoughts. "If you’re chasing a Hollywood dream and feel doubtful you’ll ever make it, remember there are executives getting paid loads of money to suggest JULIA ROBERTS should play Harriet Tubman. A jar of cockroaches is more qualified than some of these people so DON’T GIVE UP," one user wrote.
"Julia Roberts couldn’t do Harriet Tubman, but Harriet Tubman could do The Pelican Brief," another mused. "Top-5 most White Privilegy things I’ve ever heard," another quipped.
The film, which opened earlier this month, features a critically acclaimed performance from its non-white, non-Julia Roberts title lead, Cynthia Erivo.
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
This is proven by the industry's attempt to represent and include minorities in blockbuster films, such as Black Panther, which was the highest grossing film of 2018.
Wind back 25 years, Hollywood star Julia Roberts, who is of Caucasian decent, was considered by a Hollywood executive to play abolitionist Harriet Tubman in biopic Harriet, reported InStyle. The woman was a 19th century African-American anti-slavery icon.
In a Focus Features Q&A with Gregory Allen Howard, the Harriet screenwriter revealed that the project has been in development for 26 years. “The climate in Hollywood, however, was very different back then,” he explained. “I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, ‘This script is fantastic. Let's get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman.’
I was hyper-sexualised as a teenager in Hollywood: Scarlett Johansson
When someone pointed out that Roberts couldn’t be Harriet, the executive responded, ‘It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.’”
Naturally, Twitter had thoughts. "If you’re chasing a Hollywood dream and feel doubtful you’ll ever make it, remember there are executives getting paid loads of money to suggest JULIA ROBERTS should play Harriet Tubman. A jar of cockroaches is more qualified than some of these people so DON’T GIVE UP," one user wrote.
"Julia Roberts couldn’t do Harriet Tubman, but Harriet Tubman could do The Pelican Brief," another mused. "Top-5 most White Privilegy things I’ve ever heard," another quipped.
The film, which opened earlier this month, features a critically acclaimed performance from its non-white, non-Julia Roberts title lead, Cynthia Erivo.
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.