“Harriet” film screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard says a Hollywood executive once suggested that white actress Julia Roberts play Harriet Tubman.
The recently released film tells the story of Harriet Tubman the iconic African-American abolitionist and activist.
Tubman escaped from slavery and helped hundreds of slaves find freedom during the U.S. Civil War era through the Underground Railroad.
In a recent interview with Focus Features Howard says about twenty years ago, an unnamed executive at Disney suggested Roberts be cast in the role of Tubman.
Howard says when someone suggested Roberts could not play the role, the executive responded, “It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.”
Actress Cynthia Erivo ended up getting the part in the film.
There’s no word whether anyone actually approached Julia Roberts about the role of Harriet Tubman.
But many on social media reacted to news about Roberts, upset that a white actress would be considered to portray Tubman.
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