Julia Roberts Explains Why She Turned Down Rom-Com Scripts For 20 Years

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Julia Roberts reveals that this year's Ticket to Paradise is her first romantic comedy in 20 years because before then, none of the rom-com scripts that crossed her desk were interesting enough for her to star in. One of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, Roberts is known for her roles in comedies like Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, and My Best Friend’s Wedding, as well as her more recent dramatic projects like Ben is Back and August: Osage County. In the 1990s and early 2000s, she was the world’s highest-paid actress. Roberts has also gained many accolades over the course of her career; her lead role in Erin Brockovich as the titular character earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001.

 

Roberts has many upcoming projects, several of which are hard-hitting dramas similar to what she’s been exclusively working on for the past two decades. As of this upcoming weekend, she will be seen in Gaslit, a Starz mini-series about the Watergate scandal. But her upcoming movie Ticket to Paradise, in which she’ll be starring alongside George Clooney, is bringing her back to her romantic comedy roots. The film, written and directed by Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) tells the story of a young woman who travels to Bali on a post-graduation vacation and abruptly decides to marry a local. Her divorced parents (Clooney and Roberts) then try to keep their daughter from making the same mistakes they did 25 years before. 

 

In a recent New York Times Magazine interview, Roberts explains that it’s taken her so long to star in another romantic comedy because in 20 years, she didn’t come across any good scripts. Now that she has three kids, she also has been more discerning with which projects she wants to sign onto. In the interview, Roberts states that being a homemaker and a parent is an important part of her life and identity, so a script has to be truly stellar to pull her away from her family. She found that kind of script in Ticket to Paradise, which she compared to Notting Hill and My Best Friend’s Wedding in terms of writing quality. Check out a snippet from her interview, below: 

“Here’s the thing: If I’d thought something was good enough, I would have done it. But I also had three kids in the last 18 years. That raises the bar even more because then it’s not only Is this material good? It’s also the math equation of my husband’s work schedule and the kids’ school schedule and summer vacation. It’s not just, Oh, I think I want to do this. I have a sense of great pride in being home with my family and considering myself a homemaker.” 

 

Ticket to Paradise will reunite Roberts and Clooney, who have acted together in three of the Ocean’s movies. Interestingly, Ocean’s 11 also has Clooney and Roberts playing a divorced couple. Considering Parker’s past directorial work as well as the already-established chemistry between the lead actors, it’s likely Ticket to Paradise will use its tropical setting to tell a fun and emotional story. Bolstering the movie's prospects are Roberts' new comments; clearly, this is a script that spoke to her enough to break her long hiatus from rom-coms, so it must be special. Ticket to Paradise is set to be released in October 2022.

If all goes well with Ticket to Paradise, hopefully Roberts will continue to accept more comedic roles that her fans love to see her in. Perhaps she will reunite with some of her old co-stars like Dermot Mulroney or Hugh Grant. Considering how selective Roberts is, it seems like any project she signs onto will be worth watching. In the meantime, rom-com enthusiasts only have six more months to wait before Roberts’ return to the genre. 

 

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