Julia Roberts was the victim of intimidation by the director of "Steel Magnolias": "We hate him," says Sally Field

The cast defended their young co-star during the production of the 1989 film.


The 1989 Tearjerker Steel Magnolias is still loved today, thanks largely to its distribution of women: Sally Field ,, Dolly Parton ,, Olympia Dukakis ,, Shirley Maclaine ,, Daryl Hannah , And Julia Robert , among them. But, apparently, the director of the film, Herbert Ross , did not like stars than the public. Over the years, the casting Steel Magnolias Talked about their tense relationship with the filmmaker, in particular by saying that he had "intimidated" Roberts, who was not yet the familiar name she would soon become. In fact, Field said once she and her co-stars "hated" Ross, while Maclaine said they hadn't attended her funeral. Continue reading to learn more.

In relation: Why Denzel Washington refused to film love scenes with Julia Roberts .

Maclaine said Ross said to Steel Magnolias Break they "couldn't act".

Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacClaine, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah in a promotional photo for
Aaron Rapoport / Corbis / Getty Images

As indicated by US Weekly , Maclaine and Field attended the night of AFI at the cinema in 2013, where they opened How Ross treated the casting .

"Herb Ross was essentially a choreographer," said Maclaine. (She literally thought it. Ross was an accomplished choreographer, as well as a director. He received a nomination for Tony Award for the best choreography for Anyone can whistle In 1964.) The actor continued: "This means that he could sometimes be very severe and sometimes very hard. My deepest memories of the film were how we got linked after having said to one of us or all that we could not act. "

Field said the actors who were more seasonal defended others. "Our most lively memory was to know how difficult it was to work with our director. We hate it and we would continue," she said. "The strongest in the group who were just older and who were going there longer. It meant Shirley and Dolly."

Field said he "went after" Roberts "with revenge".

Herbert Ross at the premiere of
Ron Galella Collection / Ron Galella via Getty Images

Field said that Ross "had seriously chosen one of the [casts]": Roberts. She explained that even if the director "never told her [that she] could not act ... He continued Julia with a revenge. It was roughly her first great film." THE Forrest Gump Star said that her bullying of Roberts understood to ask her to "cut a small wart or a mole she had before her eyes".

Maclaine said Roberts, who was 22, when the film was released, came to her house every night during the shooting because she was so upset. "I think I'm terrible. What do I do? And she was really in tears, " Terms of affection actor recalled.

As reported by TCM, in its 1995 memories My lucky stars ,, Maclaine wrote about Ross and Roberts "He wanted her to dye her hair, gets her beauty marks withdrawn and never eat more than a thousand calories per day. He said he could detect the effects of a more salty cracker on the face of An actress. Julia supported Herbert's well -Méaning dictates very well. "

In relation: Dolly Parton reveals what she said to Kenny Rogers after her sloping lift .

Ross ransacked Roberts' performance publicly.

Julia Roberts at the premiere of
S. Granitz / Wireimage via Getty Images

According to Far Out, in 1993, Ross said that Roberts "looked bad and gave a very bad performance" Steel Magnolias . In response to his bad review, the A pretty woman Star retaliated: "If he thinks he can talk about me in such a condescending way and not make me say something about it, then he's crazy." She would also have described the director as "nasty and offline".

Ross would also have been rude on Parton.

Sally Field, Dolly Parton, and Julia Roberts at the premiere of
Ron Galella Collection / Ron Galella via Getty Images

During the same AFI event, Maclaine and Field also said that their Steel Magnolias Missing director of sharing. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"I remember the day Herb said to Dolly Parton:" Why don't you take actor lessons? "", Recalls Maclaine. Field sounded: "You don't say that to Dolly Parton! Dolly Parton is absolutely the funniest, the most spiritual and the dirtiest, and she will cut you in ribbons."

In his 1994 memories, Dolly: My life and other unfinished things , the singer-songwriter and singer-interpreter called Ross the "only person who made [ Steel Magnolias ] Less than a wonderful moment for [it]. ""

The country singer continued (via TCM): "He did not particularly like me or Julia Roberts at the beginning and was very hard for us ... Julia Roberts was not the big star that she is now, and I think that Herbert Ross did not do her. He told me that I could not act. It was not a news for me, and I told her. "I am not an actress , I am Dolly Parton. I am a personality who was hired to make that film. You are the director. It's your job to make me look like. At the end of the film, we all made peace and became friends. ""

The casting remained close, but they jumped a special opportunity to come together.

Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field at AFI's Night at the Movies in 2013
Michael Kovac / Wireimage via Getty Images

During the AFI event, Field said Steel Magnolias , "For me, this is the story of the power of friendship." Maclaine added the real distribution relationships ", and we stayed friends after the film. We never went to the director's funeral, but ..." Ross died in 2001 at the age of 74. He and Maclaine had already worked together the 1977 Turning .

Despite Ross 'feelings about it, the film had a huge impact on Roberts' career. Steel Magnolias was one of her major first roles, and she was nominated for the Academy Award for best support actress for her performance. It was the only Oscar appointment that the film received. She won the Oscar for the best actress in 2001 for Erin Brockovich .

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