Julia Roberts 'was first choice' to play black abolitionist Harriet Tubman news.sky.com

Screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard says a Hollywood executive said it was so long ago "no one will know" Harriet was black.
Julia Roberts was the first actress to be suggested to play the role of slavery abolitionist Harriet Tubman, according to the scriptwriter of a film about her life.

Harriet creator Gregory Allen Howard says an unnamed studio president who discussed making the biopic back in 1994 said: "This is a great script. Let's get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman."