Jessica Simpson unimpressive to 'Dallas' director Chadha

By Stone Martindale Oct 17, 2006, 1:57 GMT

10/07/2006 - Jessica Simpson - © Photorazzi

Chanteuse Jessica Simpson was allegedly embarrassed when the results of her screen-test for key roles in the big screen re-make of the classic TV show Dallas  got a "no thanks" from director Gurinder Chadha, of Bend it Like Beckham fame.

Gurinder Chadha was responsible for firing everyone with the exception of John Travolta and Katie Cassidy. Chadha has not decided if she would like to continue directing, but will decide once a new cast has been found.

To be taken seriously as a film actress, Simpson has "a ways to go," says Entertainment Weekly executive editor Lori Majewski. "She doesn't have a movie career," Majewski says. "She has had two very supporting roles, but she needs a really good supporting role to make her an actress."

USA Today reported Simpson was in line to land the role of sexy Lucy Ewing, but the Dukes Of Hazzard star failed to impress the powers that be.

Simpson claims singing comes naturally to her, but acting is another story saying, "I never thought I would see myself on the big screen. That, to me, was something so unreachable."

She says she auditioned for the part but "couldn't really pull it off... They wanted me to come back for Pam (Ewing). They saw me as something more mature, and as a woman.

"I really thought I nailed it and had a chemistry read with Luke Wilson, who was playing Bobby.  MSNBC reports that Jessica Simpson jumped the gun by telling people that she was to be working with Luke Wilson.

Simpson told chat show host Jimmy Kimmel that she was “preparing herself” for the inevitable tabloid covers that would link her to Luke Wilson when she starts filming a role as his love interest in “Blonde Ambition.”  But a rep for Wilson told Star magazine, “This project is in talks.” What’s more, a source told the tab, “Luke Wilson will never do a movie with Jessica Simpson.”

The Star magazine insider suggests that the star’s manager dad Joe Simpson has been exaggerating. “Joe is telling Jessica he’s getting big stars,” says the source. “Joe’s been working on it for months. It’ll end up having a bunch of nobodies if it happens... It’s such a joke. He’s been sending out half-written scripts with personal letters to stars asking them to be in it.”

In the USA Today article, Jessica Simpson lamented: "All of a sudden I get a call: not Pam. Everyone was saying I was going to be in Dallas, and I didn't get the part. I did not get it. How embarrassing is that?"