‘Leave the World Behind’ director Sam Esmail says Julia Roberts is “so grounded and down to earth”

Director/executive producer Sam Esmail (L) and actor Julia Roberts attend the premiere of Amazon Studios' "Homecoming"

Sam Esmail and Julia Roberts at the “Homecoming” premiere on Oct. 24, 2018. PHOTO: RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES

Sam Esmail’s friendship with Julia Roberts was “weird” for him at first since he was such a big fan of hers.

The director/producer, who’s worked with Roberts on the television series Homecoming and Gaslit, recently collaborated with her on the new Netflix thriller movie Leave the World Behind.

At the film’s world premiere at AFI Fest Wednesday night, Esmail, 46, told PEOPLE about bonding with Roberts, 55, who did not attend the event due to the ongoing actors’ strike.

“It was weird in the beginning and now it’s not, because she’s just a person like all the rest of us,” he says. “By the way, it was very weird in the beginning because I was obsessed with her movies growing up. I watched them constantly. My Best Friend’s Wedding is one of my favorite films, one of my favorite romantic comedies of all time.”

“But,” adds Esmail, “that has since all washed away because Julia is just so grounded and down to earth. It’s hard to see her anything other than just this giving and generous mom and friend.”

: Director/writer/producer Sam Esmail attends the AFI Fest 2023: Red Carpet Premiere Of "Leave The World Behind"

Sam Esmail at AFI Fest on Oct. 25, 2023. MICHAEL KOVAC/GETTY IMAGES

Roberts shares three kids with husband Danny Moder, and Esmail has two children with his actress wife Emmy Rossum.

Esmail says he knows Roberts to be a “very likable person … on a personal level,” and that’s the “type of character she’s used to playing.” However, her Amanda in Leave the World Behind is “very flawed.”

Rumaan Alam, Tonia Davis, Sam Esmail, Marisa Yeres Gill, Chad Hamilton, Nick Krishnamurthy, and Nick Nesbitt attend the AFI Fest 2023: Red Carpet Premiere Of "Leave The World Behind"

From left: Rumaan Alam, Tonia Davis, Sam Esmail, Marisa Yeres Gill, Chad Hamilton, Nick Krishnamurthy and Nick Nesbitt at AFI Fest on Oct. 25, 2023. MICHAEL KOVAC/GETTY IMAGES

“She knew she could channel the humanity out of her. That’s the skill that a Julia Roberts can give you that a lot of actors can’t: they can make you see their side of it, even though you may disagree with all the things that they’re saying and doing.”

Leave the World Behind centers on a family grappling with the fallout of a widespread cyber attack. The adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s 2020 bestseller also stars Ethan Hawke, Myha’la Herrold, Mahershala Ali and Kevin Bacon.

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

Myha’la, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke and Julia Roberts in “Leave the World Behind”.  JOJO WHILDEN/NETFLIX 

Author Alam, who is also an executive producer on the film, says he was “so thrilled” that Roberts did the movie.

“It’s such an extraordinary performance, and from a performer who you sort of think you know because she’s just been in the public eye for so long. To see her do something that I think is a little different and a little thornier, it’s amazing to have an actor of that caliber in this movie.”

“It’s really thrilling to see her do something that is a little different and a little ugly sometimes,” he adds.

Esmails says “something about the story felt vital and needed to be told.”

“It hit on this interesting notion that in the moment of crisis, how easily we can forget our common humanity,” he says. “At the time, that was very relevant because it was during the pandemic. But it’s as relevant today with everything going on in the world. I think that was really important for us.”