Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis has revealed that Julia Roberts refused to take part in a sequel to the beloved 1999 rom-com because her character was going through a divorce.
The Four Weddings and a Funeral filmmaker, 68, shared that he initially envisioned a storyline where her character, Anna Scott, and Hugh Grant’s character, William Thacker, were separated, but Roberts wasn’t thrilled with the idea.
“I tried to do one with Notting Hill, where they got divorced,” Richard said.
‘Julia [Roberts] thought that was a very bad idea.’
When asked if he would revisit any of his previous films, the About Time director said he was pleased with his work on Red Nose Day and Comic Relief, where he wrote mini-sequels to Love Actually.
Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis has revealed that Julia Roberts refused to take part in a sequel to the beloved 1999 rom-com because her character was going to get divorced
The actress said she was initially reluctant to accept the role because she felt “uncomfortable” in the role of irascible American film star Anna Scott.
“I don’t think so,” he told IndieWire. “We did those mini sequels to Love Actually, and they satisfied me.”
The revelation follows the Pretty Woman star’s admission that she was initially uncomfortable with the role of Anna Scott and almost turned it down entirely.
Earlier this year, the Eat, Pray, Love actress shared her initial reluctance to take on the iconic role in Notting Hill, admitting she almost turned down the role due to discomfort with playing a famous movie star.
The Oscar winner, 57, told Vogue that she struggled with the character, a hot-tempered Hollywood actress.
Speaking to Curtis for the February issue of Vogue, Julia said: ‘Honestly, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was [Notting Hill]play a movie actress. I felt so uncomfortable!
“I mean, we’ve talked about this so many times, but I almost didn’t take the role because it just… oh, it just seemed so awkward. I didn’t even know how to play that person.”
Her discomfort with the character went beyond just the acting, as Roberts also had issues with her costume.
She said she “hated” being dressed as a glamorous movie star and even took matters into her own hands for one key scene.
The writer behind the beloved 1999 rom-com explained that Roberts wasn’t fond of the original sequel script, which split her character from Hugh Grant’s character, William Thacker.
Julia Roberts revealed she even asked her driver to go back to her flat and pick out an outfit from her own wardrobe to wear in the iconic ‘I’m Just A Girl’ scene (pictured)
In the iconic moment when Anna rushes back to William and confesses, “I’m just a girl,” the mother of three wore her own clothes instead of the film’s wardrobe.
“My driver, dear Tommy, I sent him back to my flat that morning,” she remembers.
“I said, ‘Go into my bedroom and get this, this and this from my closet.’ It was my own slippers, my cute little blue velvet skirt, a T-shirt and my cardigan.”
Despite these initial problems, both Roberts and her co-star Hugh Grant received Golden Globe nominations for their performances.
Nicole Kidman, who was also keen to take on the role of Anna Scott, admitted in 2021 that she was devastated at losing to Roberts.
“I really wanted the role that Julia Roberts played in Notting Hill,” Kidman revealed in an interview with Marie Claire.
“But I wasn’t famous enough and I didn’t have enough talent.”