After providing the voice of hen Ginger in the 2000 hit “Chicken Run”, Julia Sawalha is “devastated and furious” that she isn’t being invited back to reprise the role in the upcoming sequel — because, she claims, producers told that she’s too old.
Sawalha, also known for the role of Saffron Monsoon in iconic Britcom “Absolutely Fabulous”, wrote an open letter that she shared on social media, revealing she received an email from her agent informing her she wasn’t being cast in the “Chicken Run” sequel being produced for Netflix.
Chicken Run 2 announcement!
I have officially been plucked, stuffed & roasted.
If you are interested, do read what I have to say about it.#ageism @actforchangehqhttps://t.co/MqUCOLWuPZ— Julia Sawalha (@JuliaSawalha1) July 9, 2020
“The reason they gave is that my voice now sounds ‘too old’ and they want a younger actress to reprise the role,” wrote Sawalha, 51.
“Usually in these circumstances, an actress would be given the chance to do a voice test in order to determine the suitability of their pitch and tone,” she continued. “I however was not given this opportunity.”
In fact, Sawalha noted that she recorded her own voice test (which can be viewed here), claiming a member of the production team agreed that she didn’t sound any older than she did when she voiced the role 20 years earlier.
“However, they stated, ‘We will be going ahead to re-cast the voice of Ginger,'” she wrote, pointing out that she learned the news before it was announced that Mel Gibson — who voiced fellow chicken Rocky — would also not be returning, because “his voice is now too old” for the role.
“I went to great lengths to prove to the production that my voice is nigh on the same as it was in the original film. If they will be using some of the original cast members… let’s be frank, I feel I have been unfairly dismissed,” she added.
RELATED: Julia Roberts Slams Ageism In Hollywood, Talks Development Of Equal Pay For Women
“To say I am devastated and furious would be an understatement,” said Sawalha. “I feel totally powerless, something in all of this doesn’t quite ring true. I trust my instincts and they are waving red flags. I am saddened that I have lost the chance to work with Nick Park and Peter Lord from whom I learnt so much. The three of us, together, created Ginger.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aardman Animations, which produced “Chicken Run”, had not responded to a request for comment.
