An AI version of Julia Roberts would be doomed from the start. No computer programme could replicate that signature gleaming smile or the nuanced inner turmoil she brings to Alma, the Yale philosophy professor in Luca Guadagnino’s riveting new drama, After the Hunt.
In what is arguably her most powerful performance since her Oscar-winning turn in Erin Brockovich, Roberts has secured a Golden Globe nomination for Best Dramatic Actress. Speaking to deadline.com, the star dismissed the notion that technology could ever truly replace the human element in storytelling.
“I don’t believe it’s possible,” Roberts insists. “At the root of every book, play, and movie is someone’s heart and soul, and those are not manufacturable.”
While acknowledging the benefits of AI in fields like medicine, Roberts admits she maintains a strict distance from the technology in her personal life. “I’ve never used ChatGPT because I think it’s a slippery slope,” she says. “Anytime you find a shortcut, you initially think it’s great. But is it?”
Her concerns extend to the future of the theatrical experience. Recalling a moment of despair during the pandemic when she feared cinemas might vanish, Roberts grew emotional. “The idea of that part of our culture being gone was heartbreaking. Where else do you sit with a group of people where everyone has their heads up, sharing the same story? It’s unique.”
In the film, Roberts stars alongside Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield in a story that tackles “cancel culture” and institutional accountability within academia. Roberts credits director Luca Guadagnino for creating an environment of intense intellectual curiosity.
“I’ve never really encountered a person like him,” she says. “I was constantly making notes, thinking, ‘I have to look up who this person is.’ We wanted to create the academic world as its own universe.”
The actress also formed a deep bond with co-star Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays her husband. Despite their different methods – Stuhlbarg’s script was pristine while Roberts’ looked like it had “spent the night in a hamster cage” – the two found a physical and emotional rhythm that anchors the film’s domestic scenes.
The conversation inevitably turned to Roberts’ iconic past. When asked if the philosopher Alma would approve of Vivian Ward, her character in Pretty Woman, Roberts laughed. “That is food for thought for the day!”
However, she acknowledges that the industry and culture have moved on. “Times change, people change, ideas change,” she muses. “It would be impossible to play someone who was that innocent today. I have too many years of the weight of the world inside me now.”
Fans of the Ocean’s franchise have reason to be optimistic. Roberts confirmed that George Clooney is keen to reassemble the team for Ocean’s 14. “That’s what George says. I’m on his team. When George gets a bee in his bonnet, things happen.”
Beyond the big screen, a return to the stage is also on the cards. “It’s been a long-held dream,” she says, mentioning a desire to perform in London or a small “workshop” style space in New York. “Fingers crossed. It would be so great.”
