Julia Roberts had a tragic character arc in the 1989 film, Steel Magnolias. It turns out that the actress was not happy either on set due to mistreatment from director Herbert Ross. Roberts played Shelby, a character based on Susan Harling, the sister of writer Robert Harling, who died in 1985 from Type 1 Diabetes complications. The film had an ensemble cast of talented actresses, including Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, and Daryl Hannah.
Regrettably, the cast had mostly bad memories on the sets of Steel Magnolias due to the difficult working environment created by Ross. The actresses even bonded over their shared frustration with the director, who constantly disrespected them on set.
Herbert Ross Made Julia Roberts’ Life A Hell On Set
According to several accounts, Herbert Ross mistreated most of the actresses, often telling them they couldn’t act. His primary target seemed to be Julia Roberts, who was a relatively new actress and had only recently gained her breakthrough role in Mystic Pizza a year earlier. When Shirley MacLaine and Sally Field met during the AFI Nights in Hollywood, they recalled the events that transpired on the film’s set.
Sally Field shared that Herbert Ross targeted Roberts with a vengeance for even the silliest reasons. MacLaine added that the Ocean’s Eleven actress would visit her every night in tears saying, “I think I’m terrible. What am I doing?”. They further shared that it was very difficult to work with the director and that they all hated him during filming.
Field even recalled that MacLaine and Dolly Parton would confront the director, as they were more experienced actresses. She shared how Ross even suggested that Parton should take acting classes. In her autobiography, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, Parton recounted that Ross always came after Julia Roberts and herself. Parton wrote:
“He didn’t particularly like me or Julia Roberts at the start and was very hard on us. Julia Roberts was not the big star she is now, and I think Herbert Ross resented having to use her. He told me I couldn’t act. This was not news to me, and I told him so.”
Herbert Ross passed away in 2001 due to heart failure. MacLaine mentioned that neither she nor the group attended the director’s funeral, even though they had reconciled after the movie.
Julia Roberts Called The Director “Mean And Out Of Line”
Julia Roberts was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Steel Magnolias. It was her first big film, starring alongside a bunch of veteran actresses. However, in 1993, long after the performance, Herbert Ross once again criticized the Eat Pray Love actress, commenting that Roberts “looked bad and gave a very bad performance” in the movie.
The Gaslit actress fired back and called the director “mean and out of line”. She further added (via Far Out):
“If he thinks he can talk about me in such a condescending way and not have me say something about it, then he’s nuts.”
Ross was mistaken in his assessment of Roberts, as she later won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in and as Erin Brockovich. She went on to become one of the most bankable actresses in Hollywood, with her movies collectively grossing $3.9 billion worldwide. The classic film, Steel Magnolias, is now available for streaming on Netflix.
