Only the best: The bizarre reason Julia Roberts turned down ‘Shakespeare in Love’
Although we might put them on a pedestal, the truth is that actors are not clairvoyants who can predict the future and choose the most successful movie projects accordingly. Throughout the years, countless stars have turned down chances to appear in Oscar-winning movies or box office hits, with Will Smith saying “no” to The Matrix, Matt Damon refusing to star in Avatar, and Julia Roberts walking away from Shakespeare in Love.
While the heartache of both Smith and Damon turning down their respective roles has been well-publicised over the years, the tale of Roberts and Shakespeare in Love is rarely discussed. Released in 1998, when Roberts was at the very height of her fame, Shakespeare in Love would have given the actor a ‘Best Leading Actress’ Oscar and a part in a ‘Best Picture’ winning movie.
Thanks to the release of Pretty Woman in 1990, Roberts had become one of Hollywood’s most successful and sought-after talents, charming the world with her endearing performance in the movie. Collaborations with the likes of Steven Spielberg and Robert Altman in the following years would only consolidate her stardom further, and if there were any doubt, an appearance in the sitcom Friends would make her an A-lister.
Such primed her to claim the role in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love with ease, yet, despite being attached to the project for years, she ultimately turned down the chance to appear as Viola De Lesseps. The reason for the baffling decision to step down from the destined Oscar contender was due to the casting of the movie, which she had some control over, thanks to her contract.
As the title of the film suggests, the movie is about one of the most iconic literary figures in history, William Shakespeare, with Roberts wishing for the individual to be played by someone with real acting clout. With the role still being open at that point, Roberts wanted Daniel Day-Lewis to take the role, holding the belief that only he could play the iconic playwright in the roster of contemporary actors.
Yet, Day-Lewis isn’t the kind of actor who can be pressured into taking a certain role, and he much preferred the idea of appearing in Jim Sheridan’s crime drama In the Name of the Father instead. So, despite Roberts flying to the UK to personally try and convince him to take the part, Day-Lewis refused, resulting in Roberts stepping down from the role shortly before production was set to take place.
Shakespeare in Love went on to claim seven Oscars when it was finally released in 1998, while In the Name of the Father received seven Oscar nominations, including ‘Best Leading Actor’ for Day-Lewis in 1993. Meanwhile, in the late ‘90s, Roberts took a fateful role in the beloved rom-com Notting Hill, so it appears as though each party lived happily ever after.
