photo credit: Heidi Besen // Shutterstock

The movie, Harriet has gotten nothing but good reviews since being released in theaters. The screenwriter behind the film, Gregory Allen Howard, is sharing the production history behind the film. Apparently, a Hollywood studio exec suggested that Juila Roberts play Harriet.

“I wanted to turn Harriet Tubman’s life, which I’d studied in college, into an action-adventure movie. The climate in Hollywood, however, was very different back then. I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, ‘This script is fantastic. Let’s get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman.’” When pointed out that, Juila could not play Harriet, the exec responded with, “It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.”

Needless to say, the suggestion of the Hollywood exec was not used. “Harriet” stars British actress Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman and tells her story about how she rescued people born into slavery using the Underground Railroad. Also starring Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Clarke Peters and Vanessa Bell Calloway.

Howard also added that Harriet would not have been possible without the recently success of other black lead films like “The Black Panther” and ’12 Years a Slave.”

Source: The Shaderoom