A fake bench and a true story: 10 things we didn't know about Notting Hill.

Twenty-five years after its initial release, I implore you to find a more perfect rom-com than Notting Hill. The love story between a charming commoner (Hugh Grant at his handsome, bumbling best) and a big time, Hollywood movie star (effortlessly played by Julia Roberts) is a flawless take on unlikely soulmates finding each other. 

Every character, line and location in this film? I have zero notes. 

But almost two decades after it first hit screens in 1999, I still reach for Notting Hill whenever I've got my period or it's raining or I'm hanging out with girlfriends or it's sunny outside or I'm waiting for my fake tan to marinate. 

Come to think of it, do I watch anything other than Notting Hill in my spare time? Will circle back asap. 

As an established Notting Hill stan I always love to discover new tidbits about Anna Scott and Will Thacker - who knew after 24 years they could still surprise me? As we approach this monumental milestone let's take a look at 10 factoids you might not have known about Notting Hill. And tbh you may as well pop the film back on while you're reading this too. 

Watch: Notting Hill trailer. Story continues after video.

Julia's ad lib scene.

If you ever had any doubt that Julia Roberts was the perfect actor to play Anna Scott, let me put your mind at ease with this fun piece of trivia. 

You may recall one particular scene where Anna and Will are enjoying a romantic dinner date when they overhear a group of smarmy finance bros postulating about Anna and likening her to a prostitute. 

"She's so clearly up for it," one diner said. "She is absolutely gagging for it."

After Will unsuccessfully shuts down the men, Anna delivers one of the most iconic zingers in film history - "I'm sure you have dicks the size of peanuts. Enjoy your dinner, the tuna's really good." 

This true masterclass in sticking it to the patriarchy was in fact an entirely ad libbed moment at the hands of Julia. Queen energy forever. 

Smelly Spike.

Ah Spike, the endearing roommate of Will gives this movie heart and humour at all the right times. 

This was actor Rhys Ifans star-making role and was played to precision with all of the quirks and characteristics of a loveable deadbeat right down to his scruffy appearance. 

It turns out Rhys went pretty method for this role, much to the chagrin of his cast and crew. In an interview with E! News the now-55-year-old said he decided to rough it by living in a tent during the filming of Notting Hill.

"We were filming in Shepperton Studios, and I couldn't bear the journey all the way from London every day, so I got a tent and I camped in a campsite nearby. Every morning this big limo would come and pick me up at the campsite, to the utter bafflement of the campsite owner. He thought I was some kind of eccentric millionaire," he said. "I would bathe occasionally, when I remembered to."

What a true and dedicated artistè - you really can smell the pungent aromas jumping off the screen. 

Hugh Grant was scared of Julia Roberts.

Around the time of filming in the late 1990's Hugh Grant had experienced fame with his roles in the likes of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sense and Sensibility, but he later mentioned he felt his star diminishing slightly.

Compare that to Julia Roberts who was the new golden girl of Hollywood with Pretty Woman, Steel Magnolias and My Best Friend’s Wedding under her belt. Her career trajectory was shooting into the stratosphere.

So it might come as no surprise that Hugh was more than a little terrified of his new co-stars' beaming CV. In fact, when it came to meeting face-to-face he recalls feeling terrified about being in the presence of such a powerful woman.

"I think the emotion you have when you first meet someone tends to linger with you," he said in an interview with Vanity Fair. "I was all ready to be scared, and I must say, the fear never quite left me." 

Imagine if Anna and Will were played by other actors.

I shudder to think of anyone else but Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant playing the lead characters in Notting Hill, but that very well could have been the reality. 

It turns out both Hugh and Julia auditioned for the lead roles in Shakespeare in Love but ultimately lost out to Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes. All's well that ends well though, because they were able to channel all of that chemistry into Notting Hill instead, which became an overnight box office hit and is one of the most beloved rom-coms in history. 

Maybe just don't rub it in that Shakespeare in Love won the Oscar for Best Picture and Gwyneth Paltrow for Best Actress in 1999. 

The tea behind those 'nudes'.

One of the story lines in Notting Hill focuses on a situation that became all too prevalent in the 2000's era - leaked nudes. 

As the story goes, Anna had some intimate pictures that were released to the press and subsequently there was a major personal and professional fall out. 

When quizzed on this part of the film in an interview with Vanity Fair, Julia Roberts had some kinda unconventional views on it. "I didn't agree with what she did, first of all," she said. "Didn't agree with how she got into this mess - I would never have been in that situation. Didn't agree with the way she was dealing with it. Didn't agree with the way she was reacting to it. Didn't agree with any of that stuff." 

In her defence, 1999 it was a different world and we now have moved into a more inclusive space where we give women complete autonomy to safely share their body in whatever way they feel comfortable. 

The 'Blue Door' auctioned for a pretty penny.

Ah yes, the iconic blue door, the entrance to Will’s quaint apartment in Notting Hill (how did he afford this as a struggling book owner? Deep dive to come) became somewhat of a character in the film in its own right. 

Following the film's release, the real home on London's Westbourne Park Road enjoyed quite a bit of fanfare, with patrons doodling across the blue door at all hours of the day.

Eventually they decided to rip the old girl off her hinges to be sold at auction. The blue door sold for a tidy sum of £5750 (~AU$11,000) under the hammer at Christie's. We hope she's off living her best life. 

Park bench drama.

Speaking of inanimate objects that we became attached to, the famous park bench that brings the film to a close has found itself in some local hot water. 

As legend has it, the original film prop was sold to an Australian man who then donated it to the Queens Garden in East Perth, WA. 

For some 20 years it garnered attraction from people all over until the great big lie was debunked.

According to a fine piece of investigative journalism from The West Australian, it turns out a man named Rodd had a replica made in a local furniture manufacturer. 

Needless to say, fans of Notting Hill were truly devastated to find out they’d been duped.

Image: Universal Pictures.

Fruity behaviour.

A little part of me dies when I hear that behind-the-scenes experiences from my favourite films don’t match up to what we fall in love with on screen. But alas, it sounds like the cast of Notting Hill had a silly old time together!

In an interview with E! News, Grant confirmed that some of the on-set antics included Roberts hurling fruit at her co-star. 

"She liked to throw fruit at me during takes, or just before takes, just to put me off," he said. We just hope she stuck to blueberries and not watermelons. 

Original cut was 3.5 hours long.

According to iMDB (you know the drill: take it with a grain of salt) the original director’s cut of the film clocked in at 3.5 hours long.

I speak on behalf of everyone who has a bladder when I say, thank heavens they edited. 

Around 90 minutes was left on the cutting room floor and now all I can think about is how I can get my hands on that unseen footage, because I won't sleep until I know what story arc demanded another 1.5 hours of airtime. 

Anna Scott and Will Thatcher are real - sort of.

Now this is the tidbit I'm really hanging on to. 

When watching Notting Hill for the first time, it felt like this romance was so unique that it just had to be born from a true story. Well, it turns out this tale is steeped in reality. 

In an interview with E! News, Hugh Grant spilled the beans on where screenwriter and director Richard Curtis drew his inspiration from.

"This is a story he won't admit to," he said. "But he's told me in a drunken moment. A friend of his, an ordinary, normal guy, was in Harrods one day and met a very famous woman, and ended up taking her back to his flat in Notting Hill - and all kinds of nonsense ensued. And they used to meet up, whenever she came to London their affair would reactivate itself - and that was the genesis of his script. But he's so scared of people finding out who this very famous person was that he won't tell anyone that story." 

Alright, let's start taking bets on who we think this VIP is. I'll start - King Charles?  

Feature Image: Universal Pictures