Julia Roberts is easily one of the biggest actresses Hollywood has ever seen. With her films collectively grossing more than $3.9 billion worldwide, Roberts is one of the most bankable names. In her career, she has also rejected several films one of them being ‘Shakespeare In Love’.
Edward Zwick, the film’s producer, recently revealed how the role eventually went to Gwyneth Paltrow who won the Academy Award for best actress for it. So let’s find out what Zwick said and what exactly happened with the film’s casting. Keep on reading to know more.
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Julia Roberts Was Supposed To Star In ‘Shakespeare In Love’
Julia Roberts was originally cast in the role of Viola de Lesseps in the period romantic comedy film ‘Shakespeare in Love‘. However, the role eventually went to Gwyneth Paltrow who won an Oscar for best actress.
Edward Zwick, the producer of the film, recently published an essay for Air Mail in which he talked about its making. “The mere possibility of having the ‘Pretty Woman’ wearing a corseted gown got the studio excited enough to cough up the dough“, he wrote.
The two then went to London to do script readings. However, Roberts wanted Daniel Day-Lewis to play William Shakespeare in the film. Zwick recalls that Roberts asked her assistant “for two dozen roses to be sent to Daniel Day-Lewis, along with a card that read: ‘Be my Romeo.’”
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She Was Later Replaced By Gwyneth Paltrow
Later that night at dinner, Zwick said Roberts “received a message and leaped to her feet, grabbed her purse, made a quick garbled apology about having forgotten plans to see an old friend, and hurried away.”
She did not show up for the chemistry read with actors. He later met her in her hotel room where Roberts “proceeded to tell me that Daniel was going to do the movie and I should cancel today’s casting.”
Zwick met Day-Lewis who told him that he was committed to other projects, including ‘In the Name of the Father.’ Roberts was paired with Ralph Fiennes but she “barely acknowledged him.” The actress eventually left the film and was replaced by Paltrow.
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