Julia Roberts had a tragic character in the 1989 film, steel magnolias, It was revealed that the actress was also unhappy on the set due to director Herbert Ross’s misbehavior. Roberts played Shelby, a character based on author Robert Harling’s sister Susan Harling, who died of Type 1 diabetes complications in 1985. The film starred an ensemble cast of talented actresses, including Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah.
Sadly, most of the cast’s memories on set were bad steel magnolias Because of the difficult working environment created by Ross. The actresses also shared their common frustration with the director, who constantly insulted them on the set.
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Herbert Ross made Julia Roberts’ life hell on set
According to multiple accounts, Herbert Ross mistreated most of the actresses, often telling them they could not act. His primary target appeared to be Julia Roberts, a relatively new actress who had recently received her breakthrough role. Mystic Pizza one year ago. When Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field met during AFI Nights in Hollywood, they recalled events that occurred on the film set.
Sally Field shared that Herbert Ross targeted Roberts out of vengeance for even the most foolish reasons. McLane said that Ocean’s Eleven The actress would come to meet him every night and cry and say, “I think I’m terrible. What am I doing?”, He further explained that the director was very difficult to work with and they all hated him during filming.
Field also recalled that MacLaine and Dolly Parton would confront the director because they were more experienced actresses. She shared how Ross also suggested that Parton take acting classes. In his autobiography, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, Parton explained that Ross always came after Julia Roberts and her. Parton wrote:
“In the beginning he didn’t particularly like me or Julia Roberts and it was very difficult for us. Julia Roberts was not as big a star as she is now, and I think Herbert Ross resented using her. They told me I couldn’t act. This was no news to me and I told him so.
Herbert Ross died of heart failure in 2001. MacLaine noted that neither he nor the group attended the director’s funeral, even though they had reconciled after the film.
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Julia Roberts calls the director “Low and out of line”
Julia Roberts was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role steel magnolias, This was his first big film, in which he acted with many veteran actresses. However, in 1993, not long after the performance, Herbert Ross once again criticized eat Pray Love The actress commented that Roberts “Looked bad and performed very poorly.” In the movie.
gaslit The actress hit back and called the director “Low and out of line”, He further said (via Far Out):
“If he thinks he can talk about me in such a condescending way and he doesn’t have to tell me anything about it, he’s crazy.”
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Ross was mistaken in his assessment of Roberts, as she later won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in And erin brockovich, She became one of Hollywood’s most bankable actresses, with her films grossing a total of $3.9 billion worldwide. classic movie, steel magnoliasNow available for streaming on Netflix.
Sources: US Weekly, Far Out, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business