“Behind the Scenes Drama: Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts’ Explosive Clash on the Set of Notting Hill!”
Two years before Hugh Grant shot to stardom with his winning lead performance in Four Weddings and a Funeral, he was one among many British actors to audition for the male lead in a historical romantic comedy called Shakespeare in Love, then set to star Julia Roberts, who had not long since become the world’s most famous actress with 1990 blockbuster Pretty Woman.
Grant recalls that he was “a very, very unemployed, pathetic actor at the time. I remember being so intimidated by the fact that [Roberts] was in the room that I got myself in a sort of kerfuffle, and missed the chair when I sat down.” Not only did Grant fail to land the role, but the whole project fell apart when first-choice leading man Daniel Day-Lewis dropped out. (Shakespeare in Love would ultimately be made in 1998, landing Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actress for Gwyneth Paltrow.)
After Four Weddings and a Funeral proved a worldwide smash and made Grant a star, screenwriter Richard Curtis came up with an intriguing premise for another rom-com: what if love blossomed between an average, everyday man and the most famous actress in the world? Being the biggest female movie star around at the time, Julia Roberts was the obvious choice to play Anna Scott.
Credit: Tom Smart/Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Although Roberts was the most bankable leading lady of the era, she did have a bit of history when it came to on-set clashes. When asked about this by Vanity Fair in 1999, Roberts was diplomatic. âCertainly there have been plenty of people, in the course of making 20 movies, that I didnât get along with. But I have gotten along swimmingly with 95 percent of the people Iâve worked with.â
