Julia Fox’s newly released memoir Down the Drain details the actress’s experiences growing up in New York City and nabbing her first acting role in the Safdie brothers’ drama Uncut Gems.

According to Fox, Josh Safdie had been telling her for years that she was perfect for the role of Julia De Fiore, Adam Sandler‘s lover in the film. But he also claimed the studio was skeptical of casting her because they wanted “someone with a big name, like Lady Gaga or Jennifer Lawrence,” per People.

She knew her chances were slim, but she eventually landed the role after acing her screen test with Sandler. She said getting the news felt like she had won the lottery.

Safdie has previously claimed that all similarities between Fox and her character were “purely coincidental,” according to The New York Times. That is, until she read the script.

“When she finished, Julia asked me if I had been spying on her because she thought that there were so many strange similarities with the character,” he recalled.

He also said he would call her whenever he had writer’s block because she gave “good feedback.”

“I would ask her for advice. The character was just kind of constantly evolving to become more specific to her,” he said.

The character so closely resembled Fox, she claimed other actresses who auditioned for the role began to notice, as well. By their count, approximately 200 actresses auditioned for the coveted role.

“Pretty much every single girl in New York auditioned for the role of Julia,” she told The New York Times soon after the movie premiered. “And they all knew that it was my role. It was so awkward to run into these girls: ‘Hey, I think I just auditioned for this movie that’s based on you.’ They thought it was a movie about my life.”

Uncut Gems would become her first ever role in a feature-length film. She has since appeared in various television series and films, including the 2021 Steven Soderbergh drama No Sudden Move.