Looking for Hugh Grant? Julia Roberts returns to Notting Hill 26 years on from iconic movie… and she’s still sporting the same look

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In the 1999 film Notting Hill, Julia Roberts famously said, ‘I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her’ while in a bookstore.

And two decades later the Hollywood star was back in her West London stomping ground.

The popular romantic comedy actress visited a high-end skincare clinic in London on Wednesday evening, likely to get a glow-up before her appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

In the film *Julia*, the famous actress Anna Scott tries to disguise herself with a hat and sunglasses while shopping in Hugh Grant’s character’s travel bookshop.

Julia recently copied Anna’s style when she was spotted in Notting Hill, pairing a camel sweater with a beanie and sunglasses.

Julia was in London recently, but it’s unlikely she’ll be filming another movie with Hugh Grant anytime soon.

Last year, writer Richard Curtis shared that Julia Roberts didn’t want to appear in a follow-up to the 1999 romantic comedy because the script called for her character to go through a divorce.

The director explained that he first suggested a plot where Anna and William Thacker would split up, but Julia Roberts didn’t like that direction for the story.

Oh my gosh, Richard Curtis actually *considered* a Notting Hill storyline where William and Anna were getting divorced! Can you believe it? He told me himself! But thankfully, Julia Roberts – *Julia Roberts!* – thought it was a terrible idea. Honestly, she saved the movie. I mean, a divorce plot? That would have ruined everything! I’m so glad she spoke up; she *gets* the magic of that film!

This news comes after Julia Roberts shared that she originally hesitated to take the part, and nearly didn’t accept it.

In a 2024 interview with Vogue, Julia revealed she found the role of the fiery Hollywood actress challenging.

Julia told Curtis that playing a movie actress in ‘Notting Hill’ was one of the most difficult and uncomfortable experiences of her career.

We’ve discussed this a lot, but I almost turned down the role because it felt really uncomfortable. I honestly didn’t know how to portray that character.

Julia wasn’t just struggling with *playing* the character; she also didn’t like her costume.

She strongly disliked having to play a glamorous movie star and actually changed her own costume for an important scene.

You know, one of my favorite behind-the-scenes details from that incredibly moving scene where Anna runs back to William and says, ‘I’m just a girl’? The actress actually wore her *own* clothes for that take, not anything the costume department picked out. It just felt more real to her, and honestly, I think it really comes across on screen – that raw vulnerability felt so much more authentic because it was her, not a character, in that moment.

‘My driver, lovely Tommy, I sent him back to my flat that morning,’ she recalled. 

I asked someone to get a few things from my closet: my flip-flops, a blue velvet skirt, a T-shirt, and my cardigan.

Even though they faced some early challenges, both Roberts and Hugh Grant were nominated for Golden Globes thanks to their acting.

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2025-10-14 11:50