We Talk Homecoming with Julia Roberts, Sam Esmail, Dermot Mulroney and more!

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Homecoming may not be the first time Julia Roberts has ever tested the waters on the small screen, but it is her first time headlining a series. However, after binging the entire first season, I can see why she chose this wonderfully compelling tale of a mysterious facility helping soldiers transition to life after their tour. And at Homecoming, nothing is as it seems. Created by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), the series is a smartly written and impressively directed feature – with each episode directed by Mr. Esmail. The series also stars Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James, Shea Whigham, Sissy Spacek and Dermot Mulroney.

Recently, we had the wonderful opportunity to speak with some of the talented people who brought this to life. First up we spoke with one of the nicest guys in the business. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Dermot Mulroney a few times, and it is always a terrific conversation. He talked about working with his leading lady, and how things were different on this project as opposed to their last appearance together in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. The two were also famously cast together in the fan favorite MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING, so they both have had a pretty terrific history together.

Next up we spoke with Sam Esmail, as well as Stephan James (RACE, SELMA) who spends quite a bit of his on-screen time in the series opposite Ms. Roberts. The two are terrific together, and he opened up about playing this particular character struggling with life back in the States. As the driving force behind Homecoming, Sam talked about the acclaimed podcast on which the film is based. He also opened up about creating a very specific look for the series when it comes to the changing timelines. He also talked about the less than half hour runtime for each episode, which quite frankly made the series an even easier watch.

Finally, I sat down with Julia Roberts and Shea Whigham. Sometimes when you walk into a room where two people are clearly good friends, they tend to almost not notice there is a journalist across from them. Not so with Shea and Julia. The two were utterly delightful, and they made you feel a part of the conversation. During the interview, she explained what drew her to headline the series, and Mr. Whigham talked about his very flawed but very likable portrayal of Thomas Carrasco. But most importantly, they tell a terrific story about how Shea had saved Julia’s life! And no, this doesn’t appear to be an exaggeration. It is also not an exaggeration that this was one of my favorite inteviews I've ever been involved in. I loved talking to both of this incredibly charming and talented actors.

Amazon Prime’s excellent new series Homecoming premieres this Friday, November 2nd. It is one of the most binge worthy episodic television shows I’ve seen in quite awhile. I highly recommend this satisfying thriller with a fantastic lead performance from Julia Roberts. This is well worth your time.