In a candid appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Julia Roberts disclosed that she felt genuinely intimidated meeting co-star Chloë Sevigny during rehearsals for their upcoming film After the Hunt.
Roberts, 57, told Colbert that although she is a veteran of Hollywood’s highest ranks, the reputation and aura of Sevigny—whom she had never previously met—evoked real nerves. “I looked up and my eyes just happened to catch Ayo’s,” Roberts recalled, referring to co-star Ayo Edebiri, “and I said, ‘I’m scared.’”
The moment came during a rehearsal at Roberts’s home. The producer entered the room and announced Sevigny’s imminent arrival. Roberts and Edebiri exchanged anxious glances, both admitting they felt nervous. Even Roberts’s daughter Hazel, who was present, decided to leave the room.
Roberts elaborated that when the director, Luca Guadagnino, reminded her that she lived in the rehearsal space and must answer the door, she playfully pinched her cheeks to look more “fetching and appealing”—a gesture she said was part nerves, part self-presentation. Sevigny responded with an understated “Hi,” Roberts recalled, which only heightened her sense of awe.
While Roberts emphasized that the feeling was fleeting and rooted more in admiration than fear, the disclosure offers a rare glimpse at vulnerability from an actress accustomed to commanding roles. It also underscores the chemistry and tension inherent in After the Hunt, a psychological drama that grapples with reputation, trust, and moral ambiguity set in an academic milieu.
Sevigny plays Dr. Kim Sayers, a colleague and friend to Roberts’s character. The film also stars Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield, and centers on the fallout when a student levels an accusation against a faculty member.
Industry observers note that Roberts’s revelation may recalibrate how audiences approach star dynamics on set—highlighting that even the most seasoned performers can feel uncertainty in unfamiliar creative partnerships. As After the Hunt gears up for its October 10 limited release (expanding wide on October 17), fans and critics alike may view Roberts’s admission as a refreshing humanizing moment amid the film’s intense subject matter.
