In 2000, Steven Soderbergh gave us one of the best biopics of the millennium, Erin Brockovich. The Academy Award-winning film gave Julia Roberts one of the most important roles in her box office resume. Although her outfits in the movie weren't that far from her iconic Pretty Woman miniskirt, playing a real person's challenging life as an activist and twice-divorced mother of three was new territory for the actress. Still, she impressed the critics with her commanding screen presence.
It showcased her great talent and range, breaking off from the rom-com tropes that helped make her the highest-paid actress in Hollywood throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. No wonder she was awarded the Oscar for Best Film Actress in a Leading Role in 2001. But did you know that prior to production, a friend of the real Erin Brockovich said they didn't care which actress played her as long as it wasn't Julia Roberts? Here's what the environmental activist really thinks about the Notting Hill star's portrayal of her.
How Much Was Julia Roberts Paid For 'Erin Brockovich'?
Despite not being the first choice of the real Erin Brockovich for the role, Julia Roberts was handsomely paid for the gig. She was the first-ever actress to receive $20 million for a film. The studio wasn't initially on board with that demand since back then, it was the standard amount received only by male movie stars like Adam Sandler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mel Gibson, and Tom Cruise.
Roberts' agent, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas argued that it was an unjust double standard since the Eat Pray Love star already had five movies grossing over $100 million at that point. Goldsmith-Thomas added that DiCaprio and Sandler had only made a single hit of the same scale. That record-breaking paycheck paved the way for Hollywood's next generation of female movie stars.
For instance, Scarlett Johansson recently got $20 million for her standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Black Widow. However, she's suing Disney for more after simultaneously showing the much-awaited movie in theaters and streaming it on Disney+. The actress' contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release. With the film raking in more cash from both platforms, Johansson is fighting to get at least $50 million instead.
The Actress Erin Brockovich Originally Wanted To Play Her
Brockovich was hoping Goldie Hawn would play her in the movie. She wanted "somebody fun, because I’ve got that kind of zany, crazy Goldie Hawn," she told Independent. Her former boss and friend, the late Ed Masry who was also depicted in the screen adaptation, suggested the comedic actress and 2012 presidential candidate, Roseanne Barr. He also said, "I don't care who it is as long as it's not Julia Roberts. She has no tits and no foul mouth, so it wouldn't work."
Of course, the lawyer ate his words when Roberts set out to make an excellent take on Brockovich's persona. But even the real-life heroine thought it would be impossible to reach the Runaway Bride star for the project. During the casting process she said, "I mean, first of all, Julia Roberts is never going to do it. She’s Julia Roberts!" Brockovich was then starstruck when she met the actress in person. "It was a thrill to meet her. Her energy is just fabulous... It was perfect," she gushed.
She also said that the My Best Friend's Wedding star broke the ice by saying, "Hi, I’m Julia and I’m so embarrassed, I don’t even have my boobs in yet." Roberts' pushed-up cleavage was one of the things that drew so much attention to Erin Brockovich. When Roberts sent then-boyfriend Benjamin Pratt a photo of her in full wardrobe, he replied, "You can't go out like that." But Brockovich said the costumes weren't even that skimpy enough. Upon seeing the movie, she said, "The only thing that was inaccurate is that the skirts weren't short enough."
What Did Erin Brockovich Really Think Of Julia Robert's Portrayal Of Her?
Erin Brockovich has zero complaints about Julia Roberts' performance. Rating the biopic as 98% true with "few creative licenses," the former legal clerk was satisfied with how it all turned out. However, the decade following that instant fame became tough for her and her family. "The movie had a much bigger impact on me than I ever thought that it did," she told Oprah: Where Are They Now in 2013.
"I could see my kids going wild because we didn't have any money and suddenly we had money and we could do things," she continued. "We lived in a big house. What happened was it became more important to earn that next paycheck. It became more important 'oh I have to an interview' than it was to see that I had a kid maybe in trouble." Her daughter, Elizabeth suffered from drug addiction in 2004. "I was so busy being Erin Brockovich that I lost Erin the mom. I lost Erin the wife," she said.