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Uma Thurman is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Though she has worked on a number of extremely notable projects likeRed, White and Royal Blue, Batman and Robin, My Super Ex-Girlfriend,andDangerous Liaisons, her most iconic works have to be those with the legendary director, Quentin Tarantino, including TheKill Billfilm series, andPulp Fiction.She has also been awarded a number of accolades, including being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in the 1994 film,Pulp Fiction.
One would expect, as famous and successful as the actress is, she would have no trouble getting a role in any film based on her skills. This, however, hasn’t always been the case as the actress was rejected from a part because of the immensely respected actor, Tom Hanks, who thought her acting skills weren’t good enough.
Also Read:“You’re going to agree to it right now”: Quentin Tarantino’s Adamance Nearly Shelved ‘Pulp Fiction’ After Daniel Day-Lewis Wanted to Replace Another Actor
Uma Thurman Stunned Tom Hanks
Uma Thurmanauditioned for the role of Maria Ruskin in the 1990 film,The Bonfire of the Vanities, starring A-list stars like Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Kirsten Dunst. The actress was asked to audition for this role by director, Brian De Palma, who thought that she was perfect for the role. While he was extremely confident about her capabilities, the same could not have been said for Hanks, who was concerned about the actress’s age, with her being 19 at the time.
“She’s quite attractive, almost erotic. She certainly had a sense of play.”
Despite this, De Palma had the two do a screen test with each other, performing a scene from the film where her character had to seduce Hanks after an accident. Journalist Julie Salamon, revealed this information in her 2002 book,The Devil’s Candy: The Anatomy of a Hollywood Fiasco, talking about the fact that the actress was so good that she left the Oscar-winning actor stunned, feeling hot and bothered after her performance.
Also Read:“I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the movie”: Uma Thurman Hesitated to Join Quentin Tarantino’s $213M Movie With Bruce Willis For One Horrifying Scene
Tom Hanks Had A Change Of Heart
One would wonder that if Uma Thurman was so perfect to play the role of Maria Ruskin, why was she not cast in it? The reason for this had everything to do with Tom Hanks. After her audition, it seemed that she had the role on lock, only requiring her to do a formal screen test with the pair for the director, Brian De Palma. However, when this time came, Hanks had a complete change of heart.
“I just can’t act with Uma,”he said about the actress, adding that her acting was better suited for a“high school play”
The Oscar-winning actor confessed that all of a sudden, he found Thurman’s acting skills only fit for a high school play, which can be easily one of the biggest insults to give an actor. He then stated that he could not work with her anymore, reinforcing this in the screen test, where he gave a below-average performance. The role ended up going to Melanie Griffith after this, best known for her work in projects likeLolita, Working Girl,andMilk Money.
Also Read:“I was a little housebound”: Stranger Things Star Maya Hawke Made Uma Thurman Lose One of Her Biggest Ever Roles That She Considers Her Worst Regret
Ananya Godboley
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2219
Ananya Godboley is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 2,000 articles published. She has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology from K.R. Mangalam University, Ananya also likes to fangirl as a full-time job. She covers news and analyses on anything from Rick and Morty to Hannibal and even Arcane. In between these lines, she also enjoys superheroes and Taylor Swift.A philosophy enthusiast, Ananya enjoys digging deeper into the media she consumes, trying to understand the root of her favorite characters' behavior.
