„I’ve Never Spoken to Julia Again”. The Sudden Departure of Julia Roberts from the Movie, in Which $6 Million Was Reportedly Invested at the Time, Shocked the Crew

As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for behind-the-scenes Hollywood drama, I find the story of Julia Roberts and Shakespeare in Love to be an intriguing tale of ambition, ego, and the pressures that come with stardom.


At the pinnacle of her professional success, Julia Roberts was undeniably a queen on the silver screen, yet she encountered challenges in her collaborations with filmmakers. The strife between Roberts and Steven Spielberg is well-known and continues to be a topic of discussion today. However, it seems that Roberts’ difficulties extended beyond the renowned director, also affecting her interactions with a producer who shared their experiences working with the actress.

In a piece for Air Mail, Edward Zwick (the producer of ‘Shakespeare in Love’) recounted his time on set and his challenging collaboration with Roberts. As it turned out, despite no early signs, their communication proved tricky due to contrasting visions they had for the film.

Despite the initial plan to have Roberts and potential Shakespeares read chemistry scenes, the actress adamantly requested that Daniel Day-Lewis be her screen partner instead. This was confirmed by the producer in his written piece.

He’s brilliant – he’s handsome and intense. And so funny! Did you see his performance in A Room with a View? He’s done Shakespeare, too. Don’t you think he’d be perfect? I can get him to do it.

The producer asserted that Roberts failed to attend planned rehearsals intended for her to interact with other actors and gauge their compatibility. In an attempt to secure Daniel Day-Lewis for the film, she persistently argued in favor of his casting and suggested canceling auditions instead. Despite this, the producer held firm with his original plan, eventually leading Roberts to participate in a rehearsal with Ralph Fiennes. Unfortunately, this encounter was disastrous, as reported by the producer.

During later practice sessions, Zwick discovered that Roberts hadn’t been focusing on her accent, causing an uncomfortable situation to arise. The producer inadvertently addressed this issue with her, which, according to Zwick, unsettled the actress who was already dealing with a high level of stress.

The issue wasn’t with the script or Paul McGann. It was more about Julia and her accent. Right from the start, it was apparent that she hadn’t practiced enough for her role. Trying to boost her confidence, I offered words of encouragement, but she seemed to read my apprehension. Perhaps she sensed my unease and felt even more insecure. Given that she had just reached the peak of Hollywood, she was probably petrified of messing up. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help her overcome her fear.

It was revealed that Julia Roberts had withdrawn from the project due to an error made by the producer, which created a significant predicament since the film’s funding largely relied on Roberts’ involvement. According to Zwick, $6 million had already been invested in the production. Despite Universal’s efforts to re-sign Roberts, they were unsuccessful.

After our initial encounter, I didn’t have another conversation with Julia. Instead, I admired her work from a distance, noticing how it evolved in complexity and significance. I harbor no resentment towards her. At that time, she was a young woman filled with fear, just as I was, trying to act mature amidst the demolition of the Globe Theatre. And with its destruction, so went my dreams of grandeur.

The film titled Shakespeare in Love was remade by a different production company, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes as the main actors.

Read More

2024-09-09 20:01