Julia Roberts was almost unrecognizable on the set of her new film, August: Osage County,
in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Stripped of makeup and dressed in dowdy clothes, the actress transformed for intense, emotional scenes alongside co-star Ewan McGregor.
Roberts, playing Barbara Weston, wore a white shirt over a cream top, loose blue jeans, and had her long brunette hair unglamorously styled. The scene depicted a pivotal moment where Barbara and Ewan McGregor’s character, Bill Fordham, walk to a boat dock to identify a dead body with a Sheriff. During filming, McGregor held Roberts’s hand as she delivered a tearful, hysterical performance upon seeing the body, collapsing into his arms for comfort.
Despite the heavy nature of the scene, Roberts was seen cracking up with laughter between takes, appearing to share a funny moment with co-star Julianne Nicholson. Nicholson, who also adopted a dowdy look for her role in a blue shirt and brown flared trousers, was reportedly pointing out something amusing to the group.
The 2013 film also features a star-studded cast including Benedict Cumberbatch as ‘Little Charles Aiken and Meryl Streep as Violet Weston. While Renée Zellweger and Andrea Riseborough were considered for roles, Riseborough ultimately dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Juliette Lewis as Karen Weston. Chloë Moretz auditioned for Jean Fordham but the role went to Abigail Breslin.