Julia Roberts is the latest actor to be tempted over to television, playing the lead role in ‘Mr Robot’ creator Sam Esmail’s upcoming new drama, ‘Homecoming’. The actress spoke about the “joy” of her new role, despite the “relentless” work involved.
Julia Roberts has said she has learned “TV is not for the faint of heart” as she discussed her first leading role in a series.
The Pretty Woman star last appeared on the small screen in the HBO movie The Normal Heart but has not had a role in a show since Law & Order in 1999.
Appearing at Amazon’s Prime Video Presents event in London, Roberts said she was inspired to take on the role in Homecoming after listening to the fiction podcast on which it is based.
Although the line between film and TV actor seems to be diminishing, Roberts suggested it never really existed.
“I don’t know a lot of creative people that would compartmentalise their places to be creative in that way,” Roberts said. “We’re all just looking for that thing we think we can bring something of value to. It’s not really the medium so much that is pursued, I don’t think.”
In Homecoming, she will play a caseworker named Heidi Bergman at a secret government facility where young military veterans are rehabilitated back into society.
“When the whole script in a binder was handed to me I shed a couple of tears: “What’s in there? What!
“I don’t have less time to prepare than a film but in the evenings when my kids are doing their homework I’m doing my homework. Then they finish and I’m still doing my homework. It was kind of a 24-hour-a-day job because there are pages and page and pages. Even my husband was like ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you work so hard in your life’.”
She added: “TV is not for the faint of heart for sure but we were very efficient and aligned and we had great momentum.”
Homecoming arrives on Amazon Prime Video on November 2.
