Viola Davis is not on board with the fact that Julia Roberts was once reportedly considered to take on the role of Harriet Tubman in the film.
The 54-year-old How to Get Away with Murder actress recently shared her thoughts about her Eat Pray Love co-star, 52, possibly portraying the late slave-turned-abolitionist in Harriet.
“It happens all of the time [in Hollywood],” Viola told MadameNoire. “Here’s the thing, simply put: Julia Roberts as Harriet Tubman is ridiculous. That barely warrants a response. That’s ridiculous. I understand that the film industry very much is about commerce and money, I get it. But that’s ridiculous.”
Viola added that she is “always a little concerned that the people who are questioned about race and diversity and inclusion, are the people in need and not the people in power.”
“You don’t question the people who have not been invited to the party, you question the people who are throwing the party,” she continued. “And the people who are out there who are living in any way, even within this industry, who have the green light vote, who have the power to finance films, who are making those choices to want to cast a Julia Roberts as a Harriet Tubman, this is a better question for them.”
“Why is it that you are not armed with enough information and why you don’t see it as important to cast a Black woman as Harriet Tubman?” Viola Davis questioned. “Why is it that you would want to make this decision? You can go through the history books and see that Harriet Tubman was a Black woman.”
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