Entertainment

Julia Roberts: I take joy in being able to get projects over the hump

The actress takes on her first leading role in television in new Amazon drama Homecoming.
The actress takes on her first leading role in television in new Amazon drama Homecoming. The actress takes on her first leading role in television in new Amazon drama Homecoming.

Julia Roberts has spoken about how important it is to use her star power to get projects off the ground.

The actress takes on her first leading role on television in the new Amazon Prime series Homecoming, based on the podcast of the same name, in which she plays a caseworker at a secret government facility.

She said: “There’s something that makes me really joyful when I believe in something and I love it so much, if it is in a place of not being able to get over that hump to go, that if I can push that.

“It makes me feel really proud, because if I want to do it, it has to get to that next level.

“I think in terms of my pride, my proudest, happiest moment of feeling that way was doing a play on Broadway a number of years ago.

“When I was a young person my dad took me to the theatre all the time, and I thought it was so special and how many people came up to me after the play and said ‘I’ve never seen a play on Broadway before and I never would have come if it weren’t for you’.

“That was when I felt the happiest, that I had brought people to something that I thought was so special.”

Asked about making the move to television, she said: “I’ve never called myself a film actor, I’m just an actor.

“So I think for me, I go where the parts compel me and I don’t know a lot of creative people who would compartmentalise their places to be creative in that way.

“We are all just looking for the thing we can bring something of value to. It’s not so much the medium that is pursued.”

Homecoming will be released on Amazon Prime Video on November 2.