> At a Glance
> – Julia Roberts thought the Notting Hill premise was “the dumbest idea”
> – She changed her mind after reading Richard Curtis’s script
> – The 1999 rom-com became a global hit
> – Why it matters: Shows even A-listers doubt projects that become classics
Julia Roberts almost said no to Notting Hill. In a Deadline interview published Jan. 6, the Oscar winner revealed her initial reaction to the 1999 romantic comedy.
The Rejection That Almost Was
Roberts told Deadline that when her agent pitched the film, she laughed it off.
> “I thought, ‘Well, that sounds like the dumbest idea of any movie I could ever do.’“
The plot-a movie star falls for a London bookseller-felt absurd to her at first glance.
The Script That Changed Everything
After reading Richard Curtis’s screenplay, Roberts reversed course.
> “I was like, ‘Oh. This is so charming. It’s so funny. Oh, s—.’“
She then met Curtis, producer Duncan Kenworthy, and director Roger Michell (who died in 2021) for lunch-still planning to decline.
From Doubt to Delight
The creative team won her over.
> “They were just so charming and sweet and funny. And I thought, ‘Wow, this is really going to happen.’“
Filming became “a beautiful time,” Roberts said, praising the perfect cast and Michell’s direction.
She also highlighted Alec Baldwin’s cameo as “brilliant casting.”
Family First, Fame Second
In a CBS Sunday Morning preview, Roberts added that acting never “consumed” her; family remains her top priority.
Key Takeaways
- Roberts initially mocked the Notting Hill concept
- Curtis’s script flipped her opinion
- The film’s charm began with its creators, not just its pages
- Roberts values family over fame
One lunch turned skepticism into cinema history.
