Julianne Moore isn’t exactly hurting for awards recognition, but in a different universe she might have gotten another shot at Oscars glory.
The actress in no uncertain terms said she was fired from “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” the 2018 biopic about famous forger Lee Israel, after clashing with screenwriter Nicole Holofcener.
Moore was replaced before production began by Melissa McCarthy, who received immense critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance. At the time, reports said the “Still Alice” star exited the project due to “creative differences” with Holofcener, who was initially tapped to direct from her own script.
Moore, however, clearly was in no mood to forgive as she set the record straight about the film during an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” Thursday night.
“I didn’t leave that movie, I was fired,” Moore told the talk show host rather bluntly. “Yeah, yeah, Nicole fired me.”
When pressed by Cohen why anyone wouldn’t want Julianne Moore in their movie, the actress said she and Holofcener had different visions for the character.
“I think she didn’t like what I was doing,” Moore said, noting that she still hasn’t seen the finished film. “I think that her idea of where the character was was different from my idea of where the character was, and so she fired me.”
Still, Moore said she holds no resentment toward McCarthy for taking the role, but admitted the ordeal was “still kind of painful.”
“I worship her. I think she’s fantastic,” she said of the “Bridesmaids” star. “So, I’m sure she’s great.”
Holofcener, who eventually dropped out as director and handed the reins to Marielle Heller, hinted at a behind-the-scenes dustup in an interview with HuffPost’s Matthew Jacobs last year. When asked if she had planned to direct “Can You Forgive Me?” herself, she turned to her publicist and said, “Should I just lie?”
Then she added: “I just did the script, and Marielle directed it beautifully. And that’s how it was meant to be ... It’s a beautiful movie.”
And to think, this awards season could’ve been even messier had Moore not stayed quiet for so long.
