Can you comprehend the idea of classic romantic-comedy Notting Hill without Julia Roberts? Nope, it doesn’t make sense. Well, incredibly, the actress almost decided not to pursue the job upon first hearing what the movie would be about. Released in 1999, the action centers on an unlikely relationship between travel bookshop owner Will Thacker (Hugh Grant) and internationally famous star Anna Scott (Roberts), whose meet-cute unfolds in the eponymous London district.
Asked by Deadline whether she knew Notting Hill would stand the test of time like few others, the 58-year-old replied: “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. I’m going to play the world’s biggest movie star and I do what? And then what happens? This sounds so f*cking stupid.’ And then I read the script, and I was like, ‘Oh. This is so charming. It’s so funny. Oh, sh*t.’ And then I went to lunch with Richard [Curtis] and [producer] Duncan [Kenworthy] and beloved Roger Michell, may he rest in peace.”
Prior to meeting the trio, Roberts had fully intended to turn them down, as she further remembered:
“They were just so charming and sweet and funny. And I thought, ‘Wow, this is really going to happen.’ And we had a beautiful time doing it. It was cast to perfection, all the friends, everybody. It was so great. And we had a beautiful time. And I think Roger, he just created the film in a way that it just, at every turn, it succeeded.”
‘Shakespeare in Love’ Originally Cast Julia Roberts in Oscar-Winning Part
What close followers of Roberts’ career may also not know is that she was originally cast as Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love. Writing for AirMail, producer Edward Zwick (who directed Denzel Washington to Oscar glory in a movie literally titled Glory) reflected on how behind-the-scenes issues resulted in Gwyneth Paltrow eventually replacing her.
“Even as Ralph [Fiennes, who auditioned] did his best to elicit the famous smile, Julia barely acknowledged him. I’m not suggesting she was deliberately sabotaging, but it was a disaster nonetheless. I tried to catch Ralph’s eye to apologize as he left, but he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. After he was gone, I turned to Julia, awaiting her reaction. ‘He isn’t funny,’ is all she said.”
Rupert Graves, Colin Firth, and future Notting Hill co-star Hugh Grant had their own moments reading opposite Roberts, but the only actor she was “willing to test” alongside was Withnail and I favorite Paul McGann. Zwick added, “On the morning of the test, Julia emerged from makeup, looking radiant in full period costume. But once she began to say the words, something was wrong. There was no magic. The problem wasn’t the script. Or Paul McGann. It was Julia. From the moment she began to speak, it was clear she hadn’t been working on the accent.”
In the end, Roberts simply checked out of her London hotel and swiftly left the country. The rest is history.