Hollywood icon Julia Roberts has made a surprising confession about one of her most beloved films, admitting she came very close to rejecting the starring role in the classic British rom-com Notting Hill.
The 'Dumbest Idea' That Became a Classic
The actress, now 58, told Deadline that when her agent first pitched the 1999 movie to her, her immediate reaction was deeply sceptical. 'Gosh, I just remember when my agent called me about Notting Hill and I thought, "Well, that sounds like the dumbest idea of any movie I could ever do,"' Roberts recalled. The plot, which sees her character—global movie star Anna Scott—fall for an unassuming London bookshop owner played by Hugh Grant, initially struck her as implausible. 'I’m going to play the world’s biggest movie star and I do what? And then what happens? This sounds so f****** stupid,' she thought.
Her opinion shifted dramatically, however, the moment she read the script by Richard Curtis. 'And then I read the script, and I was like, "Oh. This is so charming. It’s so funny. Oh, sh**",' she said. Despite being enchanted by the writing, Roberts still intended to formally decline the part during a lunch meeting with the film's creative team.
The Lunch That Changed Everything
That pivotal meal included screenwriter Richard Curtis, producer Duncan Kenworthy, and the late director Roger Michell. Roberts confessed she went in planning to say no, but the trio's collective charm and vision completely won her over. 'They were just so charming and sweet and fun. And I thought, "wow, this is really going to happen",' she said. The Pretty Woman star has since praised Michell for the film's success and stated she had the best time making it.
In a separate interview with Vogue last year, Roberts elaborated on why accepting the part was so difficult, explaining to Michell, 'Honestly, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was your movie, playing a movie actress. I was so uncomfortable! 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.'
A Lasting Legacy and Personal Milestones
Roberts's initial doubts were proven spectacularly wrong. Notting Hill was a massive box office hit, grossing $363 million worldwide, and has endured as one of the most cherished romantic comedies of all time. The film's release in 1999 also coincided with a significant period in the actress's personal life.
It was shortly after filming that she met her future husband, cinematographer Danny Moder, 55, on the set of The Mexican in 2000. Both were in other relationships at the time—Roberts with actor Benjamin Bratt and Moder married to makeup artist Vera Steimberg. After their respective splits in 2001, they began dating. Roberts reflected on their early friendship to Oprah in 2003, noting how the intensity of a film set reveals a person's true character.
The couple, who tied the knot over two decades ago and fiercely protect their privacy, have three children: twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, 21, and son Henry, 18. Their long-lasting union stands in stark contrast to the fleeting fame of her Notting Hill character, a role she so nearly let slip away.
