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Julia Roberts Says She Nearly Rejected 'Notting Hill' After Calling Premise 'The Dumbest Idea'

A new Deadline interview describes a reversal sparked by Richard Curtis' script followed by a convincing lunch with the filmmakers.

Overview

  • Roberts recalls initially dismissing the concept as "so f---ing stupid" and "the dumbest idea of any movie I could ever do."
  • After reading Richard Curtis' screenplay, she found it "so charming" and "so funny" yet still planned to pass.
  • A lunch with Curtis, producer Duncan Kenworthy, and the late director Roger Michell convinced her to sign on.
  • She now calls the shoot "a beautiful time," praising Mary Selway's casting and the ensemble's chemistry.
  • She previously told British Vogue in 2024 that playing a movie star felt unusually difficult, and the film went on to be a 1999 box-office hit with a Golden Globe nomination for her.