Julia Roberts’ ‘disaster’ audition for Oscar-winning movie revealed

Julia Roberts was supposed to star in a renowned Oscar-winning film, but abruptly left the production after bad chemistry reads, it’s been revealed.

Julia Roberts was supposed to star in Shakespeare in Love.

Hollywood star Julia Roberts was supposed to star in the Oscar-winning blockbuster Shakespeare In Love, it’s been revealed.

US filmmaker Edward Zwick, who played a key role in making the 1998 romantic period drama, which streams on Binge, has shared a rather telling story about the mega movie star in his upcoming memoir, which was published by Air Mail.

He claimed that Roberts, now 55, was locked in to play the lead role that was later handed to Gwyneth Paltrow (who ultimately won an Oscar for her performance).

After signing on, Roberts was determined to get UK actor Daniel Day-Lewis to star opposite her in the film. When that failed, and when she struggled in rehearsals and chemistry readings, the US actress stepped away from the film, costing the studio a whopping $US6 million in production costs.

Daniel Day-Lewis was not available to co-star. Picture: Joe Klamar/AFP

Julia Roberts originally signed on to the role. Picture: Rich Fury/Getty Images

According to Zwick, Roberts was attached to the movie early in its development, which persuaded Universal Studios to finance the film.

“The mere possibility of having the Pretty Woman wearing a corsetted gown got the studio excited enough to cough up the dough,” he wrote. But the rest of the filmmaking process did not go as smoothly.”

The director claimed Roberts told him the first time they met that she already “decided who should play Shakespeare”.

According to his account, the actress became transfixed with getting Day-Lewis to star opposite her in the film. Zwick, who already had his own list of actors in mind for the role, already knew that Day-Lewis was not available, but Roberts was sure she could convince him.

She reportedly asked for two dozen roses to be sent to the actor, along with a card that read, “Be my Romeo.”

Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow ended up starring in Shakespeare In Love.

Zwick explained that it didn’t end there. He organised a series of chemistry readings for Roberts with a “wonderful crop of actors” he met in London that included Colin Firth, Hugh Grant and more.

But she told him to cancel that day of casting because Day-Lewis was going to do the movie.

The only chemistry readings Roberts did participate in were with Ralph Fiennes – which Zwick described as “awkward” – and Paul McGann.

“There was no magic. The problem wasn’t the script. Or Paul McGann. It was Julia,” he said. “From the moment she began to speak it was clear she hadn’t been working on the [British] accent.”

Roberts reportedly flew back to the US very soon after, as Zwick was unable to get a hold of her the next day.

The studio had already sunk $US6 million in building sets, securing locations and making costumes.

But with Roberts off the production, Shakespeare In Love was dead in the water.

That is, until years later, when Paltrow expressed interest in taking the lead role, rekindling Miramax and Harvey Weinstein’s interest in the movie.

Paltrow went on to win a Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Viola de Lesseps at the 1999 awards.

Gwyneth Paltrow won an Oscar for her performance. Picture: Timothy A. Clary/AFP

Regarding Roberts and her controversial decision to leave the movie, Zwick acknowledged that this was a particularly sensitive time for the actress since she was fresh off her success in Pretty Woman.

But, he wrote, “I bear her no ill will. She was a frightened 24-year-old.”

Meanwhile, although Paltrow got the Oscar for her performance in the role which originally belonged to Roberts, the actress didn’t go without. Roberts won the same award two years later for her titular role in Erin Brockovich.

This story originally appeared on Decider and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Julia Roberts’ ‘disaster’ audition for Oscar-winning movie revealed