By the late 1990s, everyone in Hollywood had their eyes out for Angelina Jolie. Fresh off her acclaimed performances in ‘Gia’, ‘Girl, Interrupted’, and ‘The Bone Collector’, she was attracting attention from every major studio.
Jolie had the range and definitive star quality. Naturally, big-budget blockbuster offers followed. But while many actors would have jumped at the opportunity, Jolie had very different priorities.
Angelina Jolie Had One Major Problem With ‘Charlie’s Angels’
When Columbia Pictures approached Jolie about joining ‘Charlie’s Angels’, the studio believed they had the perfect pitch. Recalling the conversation in an interview with the Calgary Sun, Jolie revealed how. “When they sent me the script for ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ they said there were three reasons I should do it.” She stated, “They said there hadn’t been really good, strong roles for women; that it would make me a big star; and that I would have a fun time doing it.”
Related: 10 Most Underrated Angelina Jolie Movies Every Fan Should Watch
But the actress wasn’t convinced at all. She totally disagreed with the suggestion that Hollywood lacked strong female roles. “All my roles so far in ‘Gia’, ‘Playing by Heart’, and ‘The Bone Collector’ have been strong female roles,” Jolie explained. “The idea of being a big star has absolutely no appeal to me.”
Fame just wasn’t the deciding factor for Jolie. Rather than chasing celebrity status, she was focused on finding roles that challenged her as an actress. She also felt that ‘Charlie’s Angels’ relied heavily on the image and sex appeal of its stars, something she wasn’t going to welcome into her career at that point.
Jolie noted that Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, who were cast in the movie already, were established celebrities who could have fun playing with their public personas. “They’re going to have great fun spoofing their images with ‘Charlie’s Angels’. I’m not at that point in my career, so audiences won’t have as much fun watching me run around in high heels chasing bad guys and flipping my hair” she added.
The Search For The 3rd Charlie’s Angel Was Very Long
Jolie’s rejection created an unexpected challenge for the studio. Despite the project’s high profile, finding the third Angel proved surprisingly difficult. Several other actors were considered, including Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek. Eventually, Thandiwe Newton was cast. But she also withdrew from the project shortly before production began.
In Case You Missed It: Angelina Jolie Turned Down ‘The Aviator’ With Leonardo DiCaprio for One Powerful Reason
Newton didn’t shy away from revealing why. Her decision stemmed from concerns about how women were being presented in the film. In an interview with Vulture, she revealed her interaction with the director while discussing the opening shot.
“The director said to me, ‘I can’t wait for this. The first shot is going to be… You’re going to think it’s like yellow lines down a road, and you pull back and you realize it’s the stitching, because the denim is so tight on your a– it’s going to look like tarmac.’” She recalled, “I was like, “Oh, I don’t think we’re going to go down this road together.’”
The filmmakers finally found their third Angel in Lucy Liu. The casting proved to be a winning choice. After its release in 2000, ‘Charlie’s Angels’ became a major box-office success and cemented Liu, Diaz, and Barrymore as the era’s most memorable trio. The film’s popularity not only led to sequel but a full-fledged franchise.
You Might Also Like To Read: 10 Great Period Dramas Powered By Unstoppable Women
