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30th August 2025
03:37pm BST
The Pretty Woman actor (57) will star alongside Derry Girls cast member Jamie-Lee O’Donnell in a new Northern Ireland series.
Roberts will narrate the six-part comedy drama series, Leonard and Hungry Paul.
The series is based on Dublin writer Ronan Hession's best-selling novel of the same name and is set to star Departure actor Alex Lawther and Fool Me Once’s Laurie Kynaston.
The show is described as 'a feel-good series [that] follows two board-gaming friends in their thirties who meander through leafy suburban life finding solace in their quiet routines,' per The BBC.
Leonard (played by Alex), a ghostwriter of children's encyclopedias, and Hungry Paul (played by Laurie), a part-time postal worker, live quiet, unassuming lives.
But when Leonard's mother dies unexpectedly, a family wedding approaches, and a new romance begins to blossom, their peaceful routines are suddenly upended.
Executive producer for Dublin production company Subotica said: "It is truly wonderful to have the amazingly talented Julia Roberts join the production.
"We had heard she was a fan of Ronan’s book, and she brings a real warmth and genuine understanding to this role," per the BBC.
Produced for BBC Northern Ireland, Leonard and Hungry Paul will be available later this autumn on the BBC.
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