Julia had known Uncut Gems producers Joshua and Benjamin Safdie for years, and Josh felt adamant that Julia was perfect for the role long before the movie was produced. However, executives were sceptical, and they pushed for the Safdie brothers to cast an A-list actress with name recognition rather than a unknown woman with no acting experience. "Essentially I was nobody in this world, in Hollywood," Julia told Vanity Fair. "So they really had to fight for me, and then I, obviously, had to fight for it as well."
Luckily, she and Adam Sandler had great chemistry during her screen test, and executives were finally convinced. "We just totally clicked onscreen and the studio couldn't deny it," she continued. "But I mean, 300 people auditioned for it. I guess that Josh Safdie was right."