Julia Roberts left the film Oscaritarian after obtaining an accent: "There was no magic"

Shakespeare in Love producer said "something was wrong" when Roberts read his lines.


Julia Robert is known for her emblematic smile and she featuring roles In some of the greatest superproductions in Hollywood. She also obtained her fair share of prize recognition: Roberts was nominated for the best support actress and the best actress twice - and in 2001, she won the Oscar for her leading role in Erin Brockovich . Although it does not lack distinctions, Roberts missed the best winner of 1998 Shakespeare in love and a role that won Gwyneth Paltrow An Oscar to him.

According to one of the film producers, Edward Zwick , Roberts was involved in the project in the early 90s, but abandoned after having got heat for his British accent. Read the rest to learn more about the sudden departure of Roberts from the project.

Read this then: The real reason why Julia Roberts and George Clooney have never been released .

Roberts loved the script - and had a particular co -star in mind.

daniel day-lewis
Newmakers / Getty Images

Shakespeare in love , which tells the story of William Shakespeare Romance with the Fictional Viola de Lesseps, won seven Academy prizes, including the best actress for Paltrow, who played Viola. But before Paltrow participated in this role, the part of Viola belonged to Roberts, according to an extract from the new Memoirs of Zwick.

On March 4, Zwick released the first chapter In Air Mail, which documents his work experience on the film. Zwick describes her first interactions with Roberts, who told her that she loved the script - and that she wanted Daniel Day-Lewis To play in front of her. She even sent days to Lewis a bouquet of roses asking her to "be my romeo". However, the winner of an Oscar engaged in another film, making people know in Zwick personally that he was not available.

The rejection of Day-Lewis apparently did not suit Roberts, said Zwick, and when it was time to read chemistry with other potential co-stars, things went wrong.

"Something was not going" when Roberts read his lines.

julia roberts in 1998
Featureflash photo agency / shutterstock

According to Zwick, several major players were ready to audition for Shakespeare, and it was very excited to have Roberts read with Ralph Fiennes . But even if Fiennes tried to "provoke the famous smile", Roberts did not play ball.

"Julia has barely recognized him," writes Zwick. "I do not suggest that she sabothed deliberately, but it was nevertheless a disaster. I tried to catch Ralph's eye to apologize when he left but he could not get out of there quickly enough."

The model continued with other British actors, in particular Hugh grant ,, Rippert ,, Colin Firth ,, Sean Bean , And Jeremy Northam . According to Zwick, Roberts "found the fault with everyone: one was stiff, another was not romantic, etc.". However, she was ready to read with an actor, Paul McGann . A screen test was quickly organized and the hopes were high.

"On the morning of the test, Julia emerged from makeup, looking radiant in full suit," writes Zwick. "But once she started to say the words, something was wrong. There was no magic."

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Roberts left the film shortly after reading.

julia roberts and kiefer sutherland in 1991
Bart Sherkow / Shutterstock

Zwick states that it was not a problem with the script or with McGann, but with Roberts. "From the moment she started talking, it was clear that she had not worked on accent," he wrote. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

The producer notes that he "tried to encourage" about the British accent of Roberts, but says that at the end of the day ", she must have intuated my discomfort, and I made the mistake tragic to underestimate your insecurity. "

Zwick suggests that Roberts "should be terrified about failure", as she recently became a Hollywood superstar and had experienced very public romantic rifles. As the producer tells, she had just left her fiancé Kiefer Sutherland "More or less ... at the altar."

Although the exact reasons for the departure of Roberts were not clear, the damage was caused and Zwick never had the chance to respond to any of his concerns. "The next morning, when I called her room, I was told that she had checked," he wrote.

Later in the day, the director of Roberts informed her that she had returned to the United States, after the production had already invested $ 6 million in the film. The universal image chief at the time, Tom Pollock , swore to recover Roberts on board, but failed to do so.

Zwick says it was the last time he spoke to Roberts. "I observed from afar while her work increased in depth and in stature. I did not bear any bad will. She had a young woman frightened," he wrote, adding that he was not much older at the time. However, he was trying to "play the adult" with the future of the film in the limbo.

Better life contacted the representatives of Roberts to comment, but has not yet heard.

Everything is fine that ends well (a little).

gwyneth paltrow and ralph fiennes in shakespeare in love
Miramax Filmss

Years later, the film reached the big screen, with Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes (Ralph's brother) in the main roles. In addition to the Oscars, the film won three Golden Globes and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, among others.

But the film was also produced by a producer now undressed Harvey Weinstein . Weinstein was guilty sexual assault and rape in the courts of New York and Los Angeles and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Weinstein denied allegations.

In his test, Zwick does not hold back with regard to Weinstein, calling him "a villain worthy of Shakespeare".


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