Julia Roberts has explained why she almost turned down her role in Notting Hill.
The Oscar-winning actress notably starred alongside Hugh Grant in the iconic rom-com, where she played an American starlet who falls for a British bookseller.
Speaking to the film's writer Richard Curtis for British Vogue, Roberts revealed that she nearly refused the part because of how "awkward" it seemed.
Related: Julia Roberts' Netflix movie lands excellent Rotten Tomatoes rating following first reviews
"And honestly, one of the hardest things I've ever had to do was your movie, playing a movie actress. I was so uncomfortable!" she said.
"I mean, we've talked about this so many times, but I almost didn't take the part because it just seemed — oh, it just seemed so awkward. I didn't even know how to play that person."
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In an interview with the Have You Seen? Podcast, Curtis confirmed he recently worked on a Notting Hill sequel — but not as a movie.
"I was going to do it for Comic Relief... I wrote Notting Hill 2, which was going to be a 10-minute special set in the divorce lawyer's office with Hugh and Julia splitting up, and then they both realised they loved each other again," he explained.
Related: Julia Roberts reflects on ex Matthew Perry's death on Friends on-set experience
Whilst Roberts hasn't yet been involved in a Notting Hill sequel, she did recently star in Netflix's psychological thriller Leave the World Behind. The actress reunited with the film's director Sam Esmail, after previously working together on the first season of Homecoming.
In a Digital Spy exclusive, Roberts explained how it felt to work with the filmmaker again, saying: "I think I knew going into it that I understand Sam's approach, which is so great and he's so smart.
"His idea of setting tone and where he comes from musically. He would play music on the set for us and he creates an entire universe, so it really is a fun place to get to go to work because he supplies everything.
"It's like ... all the tools in the toolbox are just open and available to you every day."
Leave the World Behind is available to watch now on Netflix.
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Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
