Julia Roberts Gives Touching Tribute To 'Notting Hill' Director After His Death

Julia Roberts has posted a heartwarming picture and caption on Instagram to honour the late Roger Michell, director of Notting Hill, who died earlier this week aged 65.

‘I loved every minute we spent together,’ she wrote of the filmmaker, who was also behind hits such as Changing Lanes (2002) and My Cousin Rachel (2017).

‘He was such a kind and gentle man. He always had a sweet grin on his face and a perfect piece of direction to share. I feel so fortunate to have had such a fantastic opportunity to work with him,' Roberts added to E!, referring to the hit romantic comedy in which she starred with Hugh Grant in 1999.

Notting Hill, written by Richard Curtis, became the highest-grossing British film of all time. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, with Roberts and Grant also receiving nominations for their performances, while the film also earned two BAFTA nominations.

Michell directed numerous A-list stars during his career, including Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson in Changing Lanes and Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton in 2010 romantic comedy Morning Glory.

Several others have joined Roberts in paying tribute, including Samantha Morton, who starred in the Michell-directed Enduring Love, who Tweeted: ‘So incredibly sad to hear about the passing of Roger Michell, a wonderful director with huge integrity and compassion.’

Sam Claflin, who starred alongside Rachel Weisz in My Cousin Rachel, posted: ‘Mr Michell - you really were one of the finest men I've ever had the privilege of working with. Patient. Kind. Loving. Sir, you will be missed. Love to your family. Love to all. Life is too short.’

James Dreyfus, another Notting Hill cast member, said he had been ‘one of the loveliest, most gentle artistes I've ever worked with’.

Born in South Africa to a British father, Michell studied at Cambridge before becoming an assistant director at the Royal Court Theatre. He then went on to direct for the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the National Theatre.

Michell died just as one of his final films, period comedy The Duke, was about to reach cinemas.

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