Charlize Theron Was Cast as Roxie
The casting process for Chicago was a fascinating one, with various stars being rumored for the leading roles and some even being cast before later being replaced. The lead role of Roxie Hart, for example, originally went to Charlize Theron.
Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere in ‘Chicago,’ 2002. Photo by Miramax / Producers Circle / Storyline / Kobal / Shutterstock
Theron was attached to the project for a while and had a successful dancing background, so he seemed a good fit for the role, but when director Rob Marshall got involved, he decided to kick Theron from the project and replace her. Theron was disappointed but admits that Zellweger did a great job, saying, “I’m fully envious of what she did” after seeing the movie.