If you look at Julia Roberts' resume, you'll see the actress has starred in some of the most well-known romantic comedies of the last couple decades, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding and Notting Hill. But moving forward, it's unlikely you'll see Roberts star in such movies, as she believes she's reached an age where she can't convincingly play a rom-com lead. In Roberts' words:
There came a point in my career where people thought I had turned on romantic comedies, which I love them, I love to be in them, I love to watch them. But sometimes, they just don't work at a certain point of life experience.
Julia Roberts clarified that she could still show up down the line in a romantic comedy as the parent of someone who is "rom-com-ing," but she thinks her days as one of the main subjects in such a story are behind her. As Roberts sees it, once the audience doesn't believe that the actors in a rom-com aren't "naive and emotionally juvenile," thus allowing for various shenanigans to unfold, that presents a problem. Roberts continued:
It's not about age, it's just about what people know that you know.
While romantic comedies usually center on younger people, every now and then one of these stories center on middle-aged or older characters, and Julia Roberts recognizes this. Nevertheless, she believes that because of her collective experiences, she just wouldn't be able to play a rom-com lead as effectively as she did earlier in her career. It's maturation at work, as she noted while speaking with ET.
Julia Roberts' last romantic comedy appearance was in 2016's Mother's Day, although in that movie, her storyline revolved around her character reconnecting with her daughter rather than falling in love. Perhaps Roberts will change her mind about rom-coms if the right opportunity reaches her, but for now, she sounds comfortable with leaving this particular genre behind.
Needless to say that just because Julia Roberts doesn't plan on starring in romantic comedies doesn't mean her acting career is winding down. Last year, she appeared alongside Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay in Wonder and lent her vocal talents to Smurfs: The Lost Village. Her next big screen appearance will be in December's Ben Is Back, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
But if you're really eager for a new Julia Roberts project, she can next be seen in the TV realm playing caseworker Heidi Bergman in Amazon's psychological thriller series Homecoming, which premieres on November 2 and sees the actress reuniting with her My Best Friend's Wedding's costar, Dermot Mulroney. As for what's coming up for the rest of the year cinematically, look through our 2018 release schedule to plan your trips to the theater accordingly.
