Why Emma Roberts Chose Netflix's Holidate Instead Of A More 'Serious' Movie

Holidate Emma Roberts smiling sweetly

When you’re an acting talent like Emma Roberts, a wide range of roles can be presented to you at any moment. The past couple of years have been a pretty effective indicator of that, as projects like Paradise Falls, The Hunt and another season of American Horror Story have given Roberts a chance to exercise her serious acting muscles. But when it came to being offered the chance to star in Netflix’s raunchy romantic comedy Holidate, Emma Roberts chose that opportunity because it gave her the chance to embrace the type of movie she loves.

Taking the lead role of Sloane, a woman who’s in need of a special friend during the hectic holidays that see her family question every one of her life choices, Emma Roberts has the opportunity to blow up the typical rom-com lead. That was just one of the many things that drew her to the opportunity to endow Holidate with the adorable success it’s come to represent. As she spoke with Cosmopolitan, Roberts laid out the full picture of what else charmed her into the film’s cast:

The script came along and I remember thinking, This is what I want to do. I want to make a movie like this. It’s nostalgic; it’s romantic; it’s fun. I love serious work, but sometimes, you just want to laugh and watch a movie 10 times in a row, and that’s OK.

Choosing to jump into the fun and games that Holidate provided was probably one of the best ideas for Emma Roberts to follow through on. As she’s previously discussed the level of enjoyment she got out of filming several different holidays, rather than just focusing on one like most rom-coms tend to do, her enthusiasm for the Netflix original is readily apparent. It’s that up-for-anything attitude that even helped her and co-star Luke Bracey nail some of the most important, and most enjoyable, moments that the movie had to offer.

It’s all part of the balancing game that an actor has to engage in so that their career doesn’t cease to be such an enjoyable experience. And now, with one Holidate under her belt, Emma Roberts might be more inclined to do a sequel, should Netflix decide that they want to turn this latest hit into another fruitful franchise. After all, when you’re having that much fun at work, can it really be considered work?

Holidate is currently available for streaming on Netflix, with almost every holiday you can think of on display in the movie. And if you’re really looking to get into the holiday spirit, take a look at the full rundown of what other Christmas movies are available in the Netflix streaming library throughout 2020.

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.