Director Sam Esmail gets candid about his work with Julia Roberts in his new psychological thriller ‘Leave the World Behind’
Photo: ‘Mr. Robot’ director Sam Esmail gushes over Julia Roberts: “America’s sweetheart”
Sam Esmail seemingly loved Julia Roberts for playing the main character in Netflix’s new thriller Leave The World Behind.
In his latest sit-down with Sharp, the well-esteemed director Sam Esmail touched on his experience with Julia Roberts.
During their conversation, the interviewer asked Esmail about the prime reason for casting Julia Roberts, who is also dubbed as “America’s sweetheart”, to play the enigmatic character of Amanda in his new psychological thriller.
In response to this, Sam gushed, “It’s precisely because of what you just said, because she is America’s sweetheart. “
The director also explained, “That’s the reason why I thought she could play this part. Not only does [she] subvert your expectations on what you’re going to see [with] her portrayal of this character, but she has the range and the likability to find the humanity in such a flawed character like Amanda.”
Elaborating further on the intricate details of Julia’s role, Sam Esmail unveiled that he wanted to ensure that the audience could relate to almost every aspect of Amanda’s complex personality.,
Prior to signing off the 46-year-old filmmaker observed, “At every moment, we just wanted to make sure we were aligned with that relatability. ‘Does the audience understand in this moment why Amanda’s making this choice?’ I think that’s how you make a person feel human and real, as opposed to just a character.”