Roberts stars alongside Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, and Susan Sarandon in the new film.
When it comes to rom-com stars, they don’t come much bigger than Julia Roberts – and so perhaps it’s no surprise that the Notting Hill star served as inspiration for her niece Emma’s performance in new film Maybe I Do.
Emma Roberts leads the star-studded cast of the film – which has just arrived on Amazon Prime Video – alongside Hollywood heavyweights including Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, and Susan Sarandon.
And although she says she was able to relate to her character Michelle on a personal level, she also revealed that rewatching some of her favourite rom-coms helped inform her performance.
“Michelle to me more than anything… like I just felt like I related to her in some ways,” she said during an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com. “I felt like a lot of my friends inspired me for the role.
“But I mean, I rewatch old romantic comedies all the time – like I love anything my aunt’s done, I love Cameron Diaz. Like My Best Friend’s wedding, actually, the movie they did together, is like one of my all-time favourites. I watch that movie all the time!”
Speaking about why the film appealed to her, Robert explained that she “loved every second” of writer/director Michael Jacobs’ script when she first got her hands on it.
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“I feel like I got teary-eyed, I laughed, I cringed, I just really saw myself and people I know in these characters,” she said. “And I liked that it’s kind of this fresh twist on an old-school kind of romantic comedy idea.
“[And] the cast, when I was reading it, to have in your head like Diane Keaton and Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon – like it’s a dream.”
And it sounds like the experience of working with Keaton and Gere – who play her character’s parents – very much lived up to her expectations.
“They’re obviously such pros and so amazing, and they were just so funny and sweet,” she said. “And I mean, I could just watch Diane Keaton exist every day – like she’s just so funny and cool. I was having such a fun time with her!”
Maybe I Do is now available on Amazon Prime Video – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days.
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