Chile, I was minding my business, getting ready for bed last night when I saw THIS article come across my timeline from Entertainment Weekly:
My initial reaction:
According to Gregory Allen Howard, the screenwriter and producer for the current Harriet biopic, an unnamed studio executive suggested Julia Roberts play Harriet Tubman in 1994, when the film was in early production.
Gregory recalled with the outlet, "I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, 'This script is fantastic. Let’s get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman'."
Gregory continued, saying, "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.'"
Luckily, that horrible idea was never considered and the part went to the talented and decorated Broadway actress Cynthia Erivo.
However, that didn't stop Twitter from eviscerating the mere thought of suggesting Julia Roberts to play Harriet. Here are some of the best reactions:
@EW This gif is obligatory...
@EW Was Scarlett Johansson unavaible for the role?
“Do you think Julia Roberts was walking around with a f****** nice shiny f****** dress on with a f****** crown on her head when she was taking slaves??? 💣 TO FREEDOM!!!” https://t.co/ij3VS0NUZC
Julia Roberts was really just minding her business and then boom, she's trending alongside Harriet Tubman
Even Sophia Turner weighed in:
Pardon? https://t.co/sDvr3c9nY5
Gonna tell my kids this is Julia Roberts
https://t.co/h2VVP2CIwF
This person joked that a photo of Julia Roberts will appear on the $20, standing in for Harriet, if/when she does replace Andrew Jackson:
@jemelehill I give you **drum roll** the new Harriet Tubman Twenty. #HarrietTubman #JuliaRoberts
Others assumed Julia Roberts wanted nothing to do with this mess:
#JuliaRoberts is probably sitting somewhere like...
Julia Roberts is somewhere minding her damn business....
@EW Hollywood execs: hey Julia, gotta role for you... Harriet Tubman. Julia Roberts:
Someone find Julia Roberts I really want a comment !
Me running to see why Julia Roberts is trending on Twitter. Also me running away after finding out why Julia Roberts is trending.
They really was going to try to push Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman because it was “so long ago” and “know one would notice.”
@EW We deserve to know their name. Anyone this egregious needs to be named publicly
Thinking about Julia Roberts as Harriet Tubman like
@EW https://t.co/HuZrGR7mug
@EW
The biggest lesson for studio exes here? Historical black figures should be played by black people — and yes, we will notice if not. K, Bye.
