Julia Roberts Nearly Rejected Her Iconic $364 Million Movie From 25 Years Ago For A Wild Reason

Summary Julia Roberts almost turned down iconic role in Notting Hill due to thinking it would be "boring" to play an actress.

Despite initial hesitation, Roberts' portrayal of Anna Scott became one of her most beloved and iconic film roles.

Notting Hill remains a standout romantic comedy with Roberts' chemistry with Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis' charm.

Julia Roberts is arguably the queen of romantic comedies, but 25 years ago she almost rejected one of her most famous rom-com roles, for a surprising reason. Over the course of her career, Julia Roberts has played a range of roles across a wide variety of genres. However, the genre Roberts has returned to more than any other is the romantic comedy. The actress has starred in over a dozen rom-coms over the years, with almost every Jullia Roberts romantic comedy proving to be a hit. Nevertheless, one of Roberts' best-known rom-com roles rarely happened.

After making her first film appearance in the late eighties, Julia Roberts went on to dominate cinema screens throughout the 1990s, starring in a string of commercial successes that included Pretty Woman and My Best Friend's Wedding. The Hollywood star's popularity continued into the 2000s, and she has continued to have success with recent movies such as Netflix's Leave The World Behind and Ol Parker's Ticket to Paradise. Amazingly, Roberts was almost deterred from starring in a '90s classic that went on to make $364 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo).

Related Julia Roberts' 56% RT Movie Proves It's Time For This Long-Awaited Rom-Com Reunion Julia Roberts returned to rom-coms in 2022, proving that now it's the time for a long-awaited rom-com reunion with one of her best co-stars.

Julia Roberts Thought It Would Be "Boring" To Play An Actress In Notting Hill

The Movie Would've Been Very Different Without Her

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Widely regarded to be one of the best romantic comedies of all time, 1999's Notting Hill sees Julia Roberts starring alongside fellow rom-com connoisseur Hugh Grant. In the movie, which was directed by Roger Michell from a script by Richard Curtis, Roberts plays Anna Scott, a famous Hollywood actress who finds herself falling for hapless London bookshop owner, Will Thacker (Grant), after a chance encounter brings the pair together. As well as being a box office hit, Notting Hill garnered rave reviews from critics, who praised the script and the chemistry between the two leads.

Notting Hill received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Julia Roberts.

Despite its subsequent success, Roberts was initially hesitant to star in the movie. After reading the script in 1997, she objected to the idea of playing an actress, believing the role wouldn't be exciting enough. In fact, in an interview with Vanity Fair shortly after the film's release, Roberts recalled saying to her agent, "How boring. How tedious — what a stupid thing for me to do.” Of course, Roberts was eventually persuaded to star in the movie, which ended up being the right decision. After all, the character of Anna Scott is among Roberts' most iconic and beloved film roles.

Why Notting Hill Is Still Considered One Of Julia Roberts' Best Rom-Coms

It's One Of The Many Highlights In A Long And Diverse Career

At the time of its release, few actresses had the same level of worldwide fame as Roberts did.

If anything, Roberts' status as a Hollywood star benefited both her performance and Notting Hill as a whole. At the time of its release, few actresses had the same level of worldwide fame as Roberts did. The character of Anna Scott is, similarly, supposed to be one of the most recognizable faces in the world. It therefore only makes sense that Roberts, someone who understands that level of attention and focus better than most, would thrive in the role. Notting Hill cleverly explores the downsides of fame, and Roberts clearly channeled her own experiences into the character.

As well as that, Notting Hill is just a well-made romantic comedy, the likes of which are proving harder and harder to come by. Roberts' chemistry with Grant is palpable, and Cutis imbues the script with the same levels of charm, soppiness, and self-depreciation as his previous hit, 1994's Four Weddings and a Funeral. Furthermore, while Julia Roberts has found herself starring in some truly great rom-coms over the years, she's also appeared in more than her fair share of duds, many of which have lacked the sophistication and wit of Notting Hill.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Vanity Fair