“Nah… Her b**bs weren’t big enough”: Julia Roberts Wasn’t the First Choice for the $256M Movie That Won Her Best Actress at the Oscars

SUMMARY

• Actress Julia Roberts reached global popularity for her role in Pretty Woman but her mettle as an artist was proven with Erin Brockovich.
• Roberts won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film that was based on the real-life paralegal and activist.
• The real Brockovich reportedly did not expect Roberts play her in a film and expected someone like Goldie Hawn to be cast in the role.

Julia Roberts was the ‘it girl’ of the ‘90s when she had her breakthrough with the romantic comedy Pretty Woman. The actress became the face of rom-coms for the decade in Hollywood and her signature charm and screen presence made her a star. While she was still making blockbuster films, one drama propelled her to the greats.

Roberts starred in Erin Brockovich as the eponymous heroine who takes on a large corporation for contaminating water. The Runaway Bride star played real-life paralegal and activist Brockovich in the film, which won her an Oscar. However, she was reportedly not the first choice from the real Erin Brockovich herself.

The real Erin Brockovich reportedly did not have Julia Roberts in mind to play her in the $256 million movie

A still from Erin Brockovich | Credits: Universal Pictures/Columbia Pictures

Julia Roberts’ performance as the feisty yet persevering paralegal in Erin Brockovich won her many accolades. For starters, she became the highest-paid actress with a $20 million paycheck for portraying the real-life personality. She also won the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and Oscar for Best Actress for her role.

When asked if she was happy with the film, the real Erin Brockovich mentioned that she was surprised by the casting choice of Julia Roberts and initially imagined comedic actress Goldie Hawn to play her in the film as she felt the actress could perfectly embody her. She said that the Notting Hill star was not exactly who she had in mind.

Goldie Hawn in Cactus Flower | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Brockovich mentioned that she was initially unsure whether Roberts would even consider the role. Her boss Edward L. Masry (played by Albert Finney in the film) reportedly had his opinion about Roberts’ casting. Brockovich said to Vulture,

[I imagined] Goldie Hawn? Somebody fun, because I’ve got that kind of zany, crazy Goldie Hawn [quality]…I mean, first of all, Julia Roberts is never going to do it. She’s Julia Roberts!…[Ed Masry said], ‘Nah… Her b**bs weren’t big enough, her mouth’s not foul enough, it’s never going to happen!’

However, the Cactus Flower star was far from what the producers wanted and Roberts eventually got the role. The film was commercially successful too, earning $256 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).

Director Steven Soderbergh loved Erin Brockovich’s humanized hero

Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich | Credits: Universal Pictures/Columbia Pictures

Actress Julia Roberts became attached to the role in Erin Brockovich despite three big-name directors reportedly passing on the job. However, executive producer Carla Shamberg was enthusiastic about Steven Soderbergh as the director as he had experience with handling women characters with respect and agency.

Soderbergh reportedly took the job because of the chance to work with the Pretty Woman star in an interesting role and the story of Erin Brockovich herself. He said to the LA Times,

It’s rare to find human-sized heroes and I was just captivated by her and her relationship with Ed and the fact that it was a story about people who made certain sacrifices and stood on certain principles without being a screed.

Soderbergh was also nominated for a Best Director Oscar but ended up winning for his other film Traffic instead. He went on to work with Julia Roberts again on the Oceans trilogy.

Erin Brockovich is available to rent on Apple TV.

Written by Nishanth A

Articles Published: 1719

Nishanth A is a Media, English and Psychology graduate from Bangalore. He is an avid DC fanboy and loves the films of Christopher Nolan. He has published over 1,000 articles on FandomWire. When he's not fixating on the entire filmography of a director, he tries to write and direct films.