julia roberts george clooney kissing© Photo: Getty Images

Julia Roberts jokes about struggle with kissing George Clooney in latest film

It didn't come easy to the pair

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
September 6, 2022

Julia Roberts is gearing up for her grand return to romantic-comedies with the release of the long-awaited Ticket to Paradise opposite George Clooney.

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In the run up to the film making its way to theaters in the United States on 21 October, the two spoke to The New York Times about their dynamic and working with each other, this marking their fifth time being on-screen together.

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One of the most memorable parts of the interview, however, was when they got candid about pulling off their one kiss for the film, which incidentally, proved to be easier said than done.

It turned out that it was their close friendship and default to playfully ribbing each other that got in the way of creating a bit of movie magic.

MORE: Julia Roberts waves goodbye to the summer holidays alongside rare selfie

When asked about whether the movie would feature a kiss, George answered: "We kiss in this. But I don’t want to give the whole shop away."

However, when pressed further on it, the two shared that the moment definitely did not come easy, with Julia adding: "One kiss. And we did it for, like, six months."

© Photo: Getty Images

Julia and George's friendship impeded their one kissing scene

"It took 79 takes of us laughing and then the one take of us kissing," she shared, with George even saying: "Yeah. I told my wife, 'It took 80 takes.' She was like, 'What the hell?'"

Despite the amusing behind-the-scenes struggle, fans can't wait to see the pair reunited for what promises to be a fun tropical adventure.

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Ticket to Paradise revolves around two divorced parents, played by the lead stars, who travel to Bali to stop their daughter from marrying a man she just met.

Hijinks ensue as the pair reluctantly decide to join forces to get in the way of the wedding while trying to remain incognito about it.

The film marks a rom-com comeback for both of its leads

George spoke of his own return to rom-coms in the interview, explaining: "They sent me the script, and it was clearly written for Julia and I. In fact, the characters' names were originally Georgia and Julian."

Julia also added: "We have a friendship that people are aware of, and we're going into it as this divorced couple. Half of America probably thinks we are divorced, so we have that going for us."

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