Oprah Winfrey Revealed the Real Reason She Didn't Want to Cast Beyoncé and Rihanna in 'The Color Purple'

The Color Purple has already received rave reviews and snagged two Golden Globe nominations (including Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino's nod for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), and the film hasn't even hit theaters yet. But, there was a point when the studio had different people in mind for the leads. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Oprah Winfrey shared why she shut down the company's request to cast Beyoncé and Rihanna.

"To be completely honest about it, if you were doing this film for $30 or $40 million, the interest in the cast would be very different," she explained in the interview which took place alongside stars Brooks, Barrino, and Taraji P. Henson. "Once the film moved to $90 to $100 million, then everybody wants us to bring Beyoncé, 'Can you get Beyoncé or can you get Rihanna?' So, we’re sitting in a room saying, 'Listen, we love Beyoncé. We love Rihanna, but there are other actors who can do this job.'"

Even if they had gone out to Beyoncé, Oprah was pretty sure that the Grammy-winning artist would be a bit hard to nail down this year thanks to her record-breaking RENAISSANCE world tour. "I do remember conversations about, 'Y’all, Beyoncé is going to be busy this year,'" she recalled. "It wasn’t even a negotiation, because you’re not getting Beyoncé." 

Winfrey starred in the original 1985 production (based on the book by Alice Walker) as Sofia, the role that Brooks plays in both the new film and the Broadway version. Winfrey added that she knew Brooks was the right pick for the film as soon as she saw her perform on stage.

"Danielle, my God, I knew from day one," Winfrey gushed. "I felt that one of the most fun moments was being able to call her, because I obviously had watched her on Broadway. There were other people, but she embodied it."