Julia Roberts Wore Her Own Clothes in 'Notting Hill'

Notting Hill may be one of the greatest rom-coms of all time and one that cemented Julia Roberts as a rom-com queen (well, along with Pretty Woman and My Best Friend's Wedding), but the actress wasn't always so fond of the movie. In fact, Roberts just revealed that she almost didn't take the role in the 1999 flick — and she wasn't a fan of one specific costume.

In a new (and rare) interview with friend and Notting Hill screenwriter Richard Curtis for British Vogue, the actress recalled the difficulties that came with portraying an on-screen movie star.

"Honestly, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was your movie [Notting Hill, 1999], playing a movie actress," she said. "I was so uncomfortable! I mean, we’ve talked about this so many times, but I almost didn’t take the part because it just seemed — oh, it just seemed so awkward. I didn’t even know how to play that person."

Obviously, we all know the star ended up taking the role, but that didn't stop her from making adjustments to the part along the way. For example, Roberts "loathed" the costume she was supposed to wear during one of the film's most famous scenes (I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."), so she decided to wear her own clothes.

"My driver, lovely Tommy, I sent him back to my flat that morning," she remembered. "I said, 'Go into my bedroom and grab this, this and this out of my closet.' And it was my own flip-flops and my cute little blue velvet skirt and a T-shirt and my cardigan."

She also insisted on changing one of the lines in the movie that referred to her character's salary. "You lowballed my answer," she said to Curtis, who added that she made him change the number so that she could receive a higher offer on her next movie IRL. "Because I am a feminist," she stated.

Roberts would go on to star in Erin Brokovich (for which she won an Oscar), Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and Ticket to Paradise, adding more beloved films to her rom-com résumé. Elsewhere in the interview, she spoke about why she was so drawn to the genre.

"Well, I love the genre. I never realised the windfall of good fortune I had until it was well behind me. Like, to have made Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. They just don’t come one after another [normally]. So, I think I got lucky."

"I love to make people laugh," she added. "It brings me so much joy, it’s almost stupid."

More in Celeb News