Julia Fox Landed ‘Uncut Gems’ Despite the Studio Wanting Someone Like Lady Gaga or Jennifer Lawrence
Actor Julia Fox wasn’t originally seen as the ideal choice to star alongside Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems. But Fox had one person behind the scenes who knew she’d be the perfect choice for the movie.
Bigger stars were originally wanted for ‘Uncut Gems’ instead of Julia Fox
The 2019 crime thriller Uncut Gems was Julia Fox’s onscreen debut. It featured Adam Sandler as a former jeweler who falls on hard times thanks to a gambling addiction. Fox ended up playing Sandler’s girlfriend in the film. The movie’s directors and screenwriters, Josh and Benny Safdie, met Fox years prior to Uncut Gem’s release. After sending Fox the script, what struck her was how similar she was to her Uncut Gems character.
“There were a lot of similarities,” Fox once told The Guardian. “Even in the character description, I was kind of like: ‘This is a little familiar.’ It was pretty spot-on.”
But it would take several years for the Safdies’ script to reach the big screen. After so much time passed, the studio behind Uncut Gems wanted other A-list actors in the role that was initially meant for Fox. According to People, the studio told Safdie they wanted “someone with a big name, like Lady Gaga or Jennifer Lawrence.” But Fox asserted those two weren’t the only names on the studio’s wish list.
“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.”
Julia Fox was afraid that she couldn’t act after being cast in ‘Uncut Gems
Fox would beat out the other actors and earn herself her original spot in the movie. The Safdies had her audition with Sandler to show the studio she was the perfect candidate. One of their scenes was about an argument over her wanting a specific dress. In the second scene, Fox had to perform karaoke, which she wasn’t too thrilled about.
“I was really nervous about that,” she recalled. “Singing in public is already kind of nerve-racking. But I do love karaoke and Josh thought I would really shine.”
But after she finally got the role, she worried that her acting might not have been good enough after all for the film. But her anxiety actually helped her performance.
“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,” she said.
It helped that the Safdies had a lot of faith in the former model, and allowed the actor to ad-lib certain scenes.
“They really wanted it to feel real and believable, so everyone was allowed to freestyle a bit,” she said.
How Adam Sandler helped Julia Fox’s nerves
Sandler also personally helped Fox ease into her role. He may have been a veteran, but Sandler starred in far fewer dramas than he did comedies. A film like Uncut Gems was unexplored territory for the comedian, and he and Fox bonded over their insecurities.
“So we were both nervous,” she said. “He just really lightened the mood and made the experience so fun and not intimidating. He has a very warm, welcoming energy.”
