Sometimes casting directors want big names for their films but end up casting not-so-big actors. Something similar happened with Julia Fox for the role of Julia De Fiore in the 2019 critically acclaimed crime/dark comedy, Uncut Gems.
As it turns out, before she was finalized for the role, several other top-rated actresses and reality stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, and even Kim Kardashian had contested for the role that ultimately went to her.
Julia Fox’s Almost Didn’t Bag Uncut Gems As The Studio Wanted ‘A Big Name’
Julia Fox made her film industry debut after being a model for years with the role of Julia De Fiore, the girlfriend of Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner: a former jeweler who loses everything because of his gambling addiction in Uncut Gems.
Years before the film’s release, screenwriters and directors Josh and Benny Safdie sent Fox the script of the film. Recalling in an interview with The Guardian, the model cum actress shared how much she familiarized herself with the character in question.
“There were a lot of similarities,” Fox said. “Even in the character description, I was kind of like: ‘This is a little familiar.’ It was pretty spot-on.”
However, while the Safdie Brothers wanted the PVT Chat actress for the role, the studio had a bigger vision and insisted on having “someone with a big name, like Lady Gaga or Jennifer Lawrence” instead (via People).
“They auditioned about 300 girls,” Fox said. “I heard Lady Gaga’s name thrown around. I heard Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson. I think at one point I even heard Kim Kardashian, though I never asked because I didn’t want to put myself in an uncomfortable position where I would be obsessing over it and doing the compare-and-contrast thing.”
But then Julia Fox ended up acing the audition with Adam Sandler, and the studio realized that no one except her could be a better match for the role.
Julia Fox Was A Nervous Wreck On The Sets Of Uncut Gems
Jumping into the details about her audition process and how she surpassed Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, and even Kim Kardashian with it, Julia Fox then went on to share how nervous she was about performing karaoke for one scene during the audition.
“I was really nervous about that,” Fox recalled. “Singing in public is already kind of nerve-racking. But I do love karaoke and Josh thought I would really shine.”
Turns out she did shine, but that wasn’t the end of her nervous wreckedness.
“I was nervous the first day because I was like: what if I tricked all these people into thinking I can do this, and then they yell ‘action!’, and I have no idea how to act? I only slept one hour the night before, but it kind of helped, because in the scene Julia hasn’t slept – she went out partying and didn’t come to work on time – and everyone loved it. After that, I felt so much better.”
Since they wanted to make it feel ‘real and believable,’ the cast was allowed to freestyle a bit to add their own touch to their characters. Just like that, despite it being her first film ever, Julia Fox aced her role in Uncut Gems which earned worldwide critical appraisal from critics.
