Studio head wanted to cast Julia Roberts as Harriet Tubman in the biopic

Screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard has revealed that a studio executive wanted to cast Hollywood star Julia Roberts for the role of African-American abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman

by Abhivyakti Seshanand | November 21, 2019 18:51 IST

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Studio head wanted to cast Julia Roberts as Harriet Tubman in the biopic

In an interview, which the film's production house called Film company published on its official website, Howard commented that "The climate in Hollywood, however, was very different back then. I was telling how one studio head said in a meeting, 'This script is fantastic. Let's get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman.' 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'," the screenwriter said.

This statement was not received well. Harriet's great-great-great-grandniece, Tina Wyatt, told TMZ that the movie would have got blacklisted in the black community because it would have been a slap in the face, and disrespectful if Julia Roberts, a white actress were cast to play the black woman who helped free countless slaves.