# In 1987, Julia Roberts “auditioned eight times” to play Marlon Brando’s daughter. He quit the movie days before the start of shooting

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1987-julia-roberts-auditioned-eight-times-to-play-marlon-brandos-daughter-he-quit-the-movie-days-before-the-start-of-shooting/
- Published: 2026-10-28T21:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T22:20:47+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/julia-roberts-auditioned-eight-times-play-marlon-brando-daughter/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Roberts auditioned eight times for Brando’s *Jericho*.
- She took a role in *Steel Magnolias* instead.
- Brando quit days before filming began.

## Summary

In 1987, Julia Roberts auditioned eight times for *Jericho*, a film Marlon Brando wrote and planned to star in, but she was cast in *Steel Magnolias* instead. The project collapsed when Brando withdrew days before filming, leaving Roberts’ missed role as a “what if” in her early career.

Casting director Pamela Guest recalled that Roberts stood out for the part of Brando’s daughter, but her casting in *Steel Magnolias* made her unavailable. Cathy Moriarty was chosen instead, though she also never worked with Brando. He reportedly blamed an insurance dispute for leaving the production; Roberts went on to earn an Oscar nomination for *Steel Magnolias* and later became a star.

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