Julia Roberts reveals she passed on You’ve Got Mail after Meg Ryan couldn’t do Steel Magnolias: ‘I’ve lucked into some good stuff’
Julia Roberts appeared on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live on December 7 and presented some film roles she passed on and others she lucked into.
The Steel Magnolias actress – who admitted to doing magic mushrooms – replied to a fan who asked about the roles she regrets passing on in light of how big the film became.
“Well, none that I regret because I feel like it's all kind of fate,” the 56-year-old admitted.
“But what did I pass on that became wonderful and wonderful and that I thought might not have been so wonderful and wonderful with me?
'You've got mail. Last of the Mohicans,” the Pretty Woman star said.
Julia Roberts appeared on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live on December 7, playing some roles she passed on and others she lucked into
The Erin Brockovich star explained that Meg Ryan, 62, was originally set to play Shelby in Steel Magnolias.
However, she was still filming When Harry Met Sally, so Roberts got that role – one of her early breakthrough roles.
Julia was nominated for an Academy Award for Steel Magnolias, which also starred Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton and Olympia Dukakis.
Another fan asked the Closer star which of her films would she like to see a sequel to?
She didn't hesitate before answering, “My best friend's wedding.”
The 1997 romantic comedy was a big hit. In it, Roberts played Jules, a food critic who realizes she is in love with her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) after he becomes engaged to Kimmy (Cameron Diaz).
Jules spends the wedding weekend trying to win his heart, even going so far as to feign an engagement to her gay boyfriend George (Rupert Everett).
“There are so many people in it,” she said, noting that she “would like to see what they do and how Kimmy and Michael's marriage goes.”
Roberts revealed that she had passed on the role to Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail
Julia can currently be seen in Leave the World Behind on Netflix, opposite Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali
The Steel Magnolias actress replied to a fan who asked about the roles she regrets passing on in light of how big the film became. “Well, none that I regret because I feel like it's all kind of fate,” the 56-year-old admitted
“But what did I pass on that became wonderful and wonderful and that I thought might not have been so wonderful and wonderful with me? 'You've got mail. Last of the Mohicans,” the Pretty Woman star said
The Erin Brockovich star explained that Meg Ryan, 62, was originally set to play Shelby in Steel Magnolias
However, Ryan was still filming When Harry Met Sally, so Roberts got that role – which was one of her early breakthrough roles and led to her first Oscar nomination
Another fan asked her who Michael should have chosen: “Well, I mean Jules of course. But he married Kimmy!' she replied.
Speaking of Closer, that role was originally going to go to Cate Blanchett, but she was pregnant.
So Roberts took on the role of Anna in the 2004 film, which also starred Natalie Portman, Jude Law and Clive Owen.
“I've had some good things happen to me,” she admitted.