• According to “Harriet” screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard, when the Harriet Tubman biopic was first in talks in 1994, a studio head suggested that Julia Roberts, who is white, to play the black American abolitionist.
  • “Harriet” retells the tale of African-American political activist Harriet Tubman, who led over a dozen missions to rescue enslaved people and deliver them to safe houses via the Underground Railroad.
  • Despite Howard beginning to work on the biopic in the 90s, the film came out earlier this month, ultimately casting Cynthia Erivo as Harriet in the movie.
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Hollywood has undergone a public struggle to align with the times over recent years and continues to lurch along when considering issues of racial and gender equality. One stunning anecdote repeated by Harriet Tubman biopic creator Gregory Allen Howard illustrates just how bad problems of racism in the industry used to be.

According to Howard, when the Harriet Tubman biopic was first in talks in 1994, a studio head suggested that Julia Roberts play the American abolitionist.

“I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, ‘This script is fantastic. Let’s get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman,'” Howard said in a Q&A with Focus Features. “When someone pointed out that Roberts couldn’t be Harriet, the executive responded, ‘It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.'”

“Harriet” retells the tale of African-American political activist Harriet Tubman, who was born into slavery and escaped. She subsequently led over a dozen missions to rescue enslaved people and deliver them to safe houses via the Underground Railroad.

Despite Howard beginning to work on the biopic in the 90s, the film came out earlier this month, ultimately casting Cynthia Erivo as Harriet in the movie. Howard said he knew the Hollywood's climate was primed for the Harriet release following the success of "Black Panther" and "12 Years a Slave."

"Two films really changed the climate in Hollywood to allow Harriet to be made," Howard said. "When 12 Years a Slave became a hit and did a couple hundred million dollars worldwide, I told my agent, 'You can't say this kind of story won't make money now.' Then Black Panther really blew the doors open."