Superstar Julia Roberts revealed that she was left ‘out of breath’ when she was told that epic Irish movie ‘Michael Collins’ wouldn’t have been made without her.
The film, which came out in 1996, starred Liam Neeson as Collins and Roberts as Collins’ fiancé Kitty Kiernan.
The movie follows Collins’ time as Commander of the IRA following the Easter Rising, and also focuses on his relationship with Eamon de Valera, played by Alan Rickman.
While the cast was highly impressive, it was Roberts who stood out as the superstar among them.
Director Neil Jordan revealed how grateful he was for Roberts for signing up to star in the movie. He said that the film wouldn’t have been made without her star status helping to get the project off the ground.
He said: Although she (Julia) was in a secondary role as Kitty Kiernan, the truth is Michael Collins wouldn’t have been made without Julia. She was the biggest star in the world.
“She was really important, and had been very interested in the script. She did it for the best reasons. She looked like Kitty Kiernan.”
However, Roberts remained modest about her impact on the movie and said that it was a joy to be a part of the project as she ‘loved in it so much’.
Roberts told the Irish Sun: “Neil is lying and please just don’t tell anyone I said that — he’s a liar but I love him.
“Hearing Neil said that makes me feel out of breath. There is something that makes me really joyful when I believe in something, and love it so much, and if it’s in a place of not being able to get over the hump.
“If I can push that, it makes me really proud. Cause if I want to do it, it has to get to that next level.”
