10 Movie Roles Originally Intended For Other Actors
6. Julia Roberts – Leigh Anne Tuohy In The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock is one of the best actresses working in Hollywood today, and she has certainly had a ton of iconic roles over the years. From starring in Speed to Demolition Man to Oceans 8, it seems like she has a new movie coming out every other week.
Of all her many accomplishments and brilliant performances over the years, the one that many consider to be the best (to include the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) was Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. Bullock won the coveted Best Actress award for her performance, but she wasn't the first choice.
Julia Roberts would have been amazing in the role (What role doesn't she utterly kill?), but she wasn't interested and passed on the project. Instead, she joined forces with Garry Marshall for the film Valentine's Day, which utterly bombed with critics and fans alike.
Marshall was the director who first recognized Roberts' talent, but she might have fared better had she taken the role Bullock made her own. Ultimately, Roberts' career wasn't harmed by skipping out on the part, while Bullock's only skyrocketed further. It's hard to imagine anyone other than Bullock in the part, but it would have been interesting to see Roberts play it.