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Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant were once the treasured icons of romantic comedy. They joined forces in Roger Michell’s 1999 romcom Notting Hill. The film explored the romance between a British bookseller and a famous American actress. Roberts found it very uncomfortable to play the role of an actress as she revealed to her director Curtis.
Julia Roberts in a still from Notting Hill | Credits: Universal PicturesRoberts shared that she never felt like she was playing herself in her other roles but the role of Anna in Notting Hill was too close to her real life. Roberts was already a star, having been in Pretty Woman in 1990 and My Best Friend’s Wedding in 1997.
Julia Roberts Loathed One Thing About Her Role In Notting Hill
Julia Roberts as Anna Scott in Notting Hill | Credits: Universal PicturesJulia Roberts sat down for an interview with Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis for the British Vogue magazine, where they spoke about their film together. Roberts’ Anna in the film was a movie star, an aspect of the role that the actress was uncomfortable with while filming.
She told Curtis that playing an actress was one of the hardest things she had to ever do in a film. She shared that she almost didn’t take the part since it felt too awkward. She felt like she didn’t know how to play the role of a Hollywood actress. Roberts shared with British Vogue:
Honestly, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was your movie, playing a movie actress. I was so uncomfortable! 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.
When Curtis recalled that they had issues with Roberts’ costumes in the film, she shared that she loathed the fact that she had to be dressed as an actress. She also recalled how she wore one of her own clothes in the famous scene where she said the line, “I’m just a girl…”. She shared that she sent back her driver to get her flip-flops, cute little blue velvet skirt, T-shirt, and cardigan.
Julia Roberts Explained Why She Never Did Vulnerable Physical Portrayals In Her Films
Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman | Credits: Walt Disney PicturesDuring the interview, Richard Curtis also delved into the topic of Julia Roberts’ “feminist face”, asking her whether she saw herself as a representation of women in cinema. Roberts responded that her choices, particularly what she opts not to do, are reflective of her representation. She elaborated by pointing to her preference for G-rated movies.
She stated that she chose not to take off her clothes or engage in vulnerable physical portrayals on screen. Roberts added that it was a choice she made for herself, without judging the decisions made by other actors. The Eat Pray Love actress explained to Curtis for British Vogue:
You know, not to be criticizing others’ choices, but for me to not take off my clothes in a movie or be vulnerable in physical ways is a choice that I guess I make for myself. But in effect, I’m choosing not to do something as opposed to choosing to do something.
Roberts also shared that she loved the romantic comedy genre and felt incredibly lucky to have acted in romcoms. She shared:
I never realised the windfall of good fortune I had until it was well behind me. Like, to have made Pretty Woman, Notting Hill and My Best Friend’s Wedding. They just don’t come one after another [normally]. So I think I got lucky.
Notting Hill is now available for rent on AppleTV.
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