Kate Mulgrewis opening up about reportedly turning down the role of Katharine Hepburn inTea at Five— the same Broadway-bound playFaye Dunawaywasfired from.
TheOrange Is the New Blackactress, 64, had a good reason: she’d already played Hepburn in 2002.
Mulgrew continued, “But to play her at that time and to have her die while I was playing her — there was a moment of silence that night in the theater.”
To get into character — and Hepburn’s distinctive accent — Mulgrew “watched every movie, I read every book. I went over and over and over, what I thought she may have felt at a certain point in her life, her inflections.”
Mulgrew then pointed out the play was returning to theaters, asking Ogunnaike, “Guess who’s playing it? It’s unbelievable, I think.”
“They wanted me to play it but I said no,” the actress claimed, adding, “Faye Dunaway is doing it.”
Gary Gershoff/Getty; Jon Kopaloff/WireImage
Ogunnaike asked, “What do you make of that choice?”
Laughing, Mulgrew said, “I don’t know, I’m glad I played it when I did. I’m glad. I’m glad, glad, glad.”
“Plans are in development for the play to have its West End debut early next year with a new actress to play the role of Katharine Hepburn,” the statement continued.
A rep for Dunaway did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Tea at Fiveis a one-woman play that follows the story of Hepburn as she embarks on her acting career, winning her first Oscar and surviving a car crash. Dunaway was set to play Hepburn.
Matthew Lombardo, the playwright ofTea at Five, shared the article on hisFacebook pagewith the caption, “Ummm. Yup.”
He did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
