Julia Roberts is one of the most popular and sought-after actresses in Hollywood, but her early start in acting was not glamorous at all. In fact, she was bullied in one of her first major projects by a director. Good thing, her co-stars were there to defend her.
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 film starring Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah. Herbert Ross notably helmed the romance-comedy movie that earned multiple accolades.
Sally Field Reveals Steel Magnolias Director Hated Julia Roberts
In an interview with Vulture, actress Sally Field recalled how director Herbert Ross gave Julia Roberts a hard time while filming Steel Magnolias. While he let Field follow her own acting instincts, he was particularly picking on the youngest star.
“He was pretty much giving me the freedom to do whatever. I mean, Herb was very, very, very hard on Julia. If you ever talk to Julia, she’ll tell you. We would all rally around Julia because she was the baby. She was sort of the newcomer.”
Asking why Ross did that to Roberts, Field answered candidly. The rest of the cast were all supportive of the Notting Hill star, and they would stand up for her every time the director felt like torturing her.
“He could be a real son of a b*tch, that’s why. Some people just need to have somebody they pick on. But we all came to her aid, and I remember Dolly once just turned on him — always with humor, but usually the most vulgar humor you ever heard so that it was like, you just literally don’t have a leg to stand on.”
Ross dared not bully other members of the cast because they were more confident and outspoken, and they had been in the industry for a long while.
“I mean, I don’t mind notes, but I will argue if it doesn’t make sense to me. But if you’re gonna be mean to me, then you’re gonna find a warrior. I may be small, but you don’t want to do that.”
Despite Ross’ hatred for Roberts, the actress went on to take home an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe win for the same category.
Sally Field Recalled Defending Julia Roberts
At the Target Presents AFI Night via US Weekly, Sally Field shared her most unforgettable experience while filming Steel Magnolias. She echoed the same dislike for Herbert Ross:
“Our keenest memory was how hard it was to work with our director. We hated him, and we would go after him. The stronger ones of the group who were just older and had been there longer would go after him. That meant Shirley and Dolly.”
The director resented Roberts so much that he even told her to remove the mole under her eye. The actress admitted she also did not enjoy her time on the set. Ross died in 2001 due to heart failure, and Roberts is now one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood.
Steel Magnolias is available to stream via Netflix.
