'The chance to be snarky to George really jumped out at me': Julia Roberts and George Clooney on 5th collab Ticket to Paradise

They are two of Hollywood's biggest stars, are really great friends, and take jabs at each other during a press conference.

But unlike another pair of Hollywood besties — Matt Damon and Ben Affleck — George Clooney and Julia Roberts aren't childhood friends. In fact, the duo first met when filming Ocean's Eleven.

During a recent press conference for their romantic-comedy film Ticket to Paradise, George, 61, revealed: "We met with Steven Soderbergh and we sat on the floor of a hotel and made jokes for about five hours... For us, it's always been fairly easy."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkP4tVTdsz8&ab_channel=UniversalPictures[/embed]

After George received the script from director Ol Parker, he called Julia and told her "it only works if you do it" and she agreed.

"Luckily, it all worked out," said George.

In Ticket to Paradise, Academy Award winners George and Julia reunite on the big screen as feuding exes who find themselves on a shared mission to stop their lovestruck daughter from making the same mistake they once made.

British director Ol also shared that he had written the roles specifically with them in mind.

The 53-year-old said: "It was only them... I wouldn't be sitting here — we wouldn't have made a film if it wasn't them. I might still be writing letters going, 'You don't understand, this needs to be you.'

"So yeah, it was conceived for them and written for them. And I begged them to do it and they took mercy on me."

George quipped: "In fairness, he had some compromising photographs."

When asked about what drew her to the role, Julia, 54, joked: "Just the chance to be snarky to George really jumped out at me... Just to see him just so pathetically in love with me and I've clearly moved on."

The platonic chemistry between the stars was palpable as Julia and George riffed off the other. After all, this is their fifth collaboration together and Julia said they "knew each other pretty well".

Surprisingly, despite the occasional barbs being thrown at each other during the press conference, Julia wasn't that game during filming.

Ol recalled: "The only issue they had was there's one scene where they have an argument and George was going for it and Julia was just not. And it's like the only note I gave her in the whole three months.

"I was like, 'Julia, what's happening?' And she went, 'I just don't want to be mean to George.' I was like, 'You gotta let him have it.' And she did."

Julia laughed: "Then you couldn't hold me back."

"Once the dam broke, it was all over," George deadpanned.

Ticket to Paradise is now showing in cinemas.

ALSO READ: Julia Roberts: George Clooney and family saved me from 'loneliness and despair'

bryanlim@asiaone.com

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