While the book hits shelves in December, the NY Post spoke with Rudin this week, who revealed the strange celebrity requests she received while working at Disney.
“William Shatner always needed fresh sushi, Kiefer Sutherland needed a cigarette and In-N-Out Burger,” she told the Post. “Rosie O’Donnell needed chicken of some sort. Elaine Stritch, she had to have hard-boiled eggs and skimmed cappuccino. Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, one of them were vegan or macrobiotic. It was unique.”
But Rudin says that casting for 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog” — Disney’s first animated film centered around a Black princess — was an especially difficult task given the divas who wanted the role.
“Beyoncé expected an offer, but wouldn’t audition and so she didn’t get one,” Rudin admits. “Tyra Banks, Jennifer Hudson wanted it. Alicia Keys auditioned three times . . . They had to sing, so we made it clear they needed sheet music. Tyra came in with a CD, but it didn’t matter because she was so pretty and nice.”
But ultimately, Rudin says the role went to Beyoncé’s “Dreamgirls” co-star Anika Noni Rose, because she was “the most qualified.”
While the film went on to bring in $267,045,765 at the box office, it’s peanuts compared to other recent Disney hits such as “Tangled,” which earned $592 million worldwide or “Wreck It Ralph’s” $471 million worldwide.
Beyoncé may have lost out on the Princess role, but in true fashion she went on to voice Queen Tarain the 3D animated flick “Epic.”
Too bad it came in even lower than “Princess and the Frog” at the box office, bringing in just $260,767,396 worldwide.
