On this week’s show (10th October) Graham welcomes Hollywood legend Julia Roberts, Irish star Colin Farrell, Oscar-nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, music great Gloria Estefan, and British pop icon Robbie Williams.

Julia, revealing an encounter with Benedict at Wimbledon, says, “I was sitting between Benedict and my husband in in the Royal Box, which I was very excited about until Benedict pointed out to me that I gasp very loudly every time the ball is struck.  In the Royal Box you are supposed to be completely quiet.  It is impossible to be silent in that scenario!” 

Talking about her latest role in psychological campus drama After the Hunt, she says, “It’s about a lot of things and there is a lot to talk about when you’ve seen it. People seem to have robust conversations for days after.  That’s my favourite part of going to the movies.” 

Chatting about her fellow cast members, she says, “None of us had ever worked together before and there was some sort of alchemy that happened where we have fallen into a life together now.  We finished this movie over a year ago and I don’t think a week has gone by when I haven’t spoken to or texted one or more of them.”

Asked if she is in the recently announced Ocean’s 14, Julia says, “We have talked about it, but I didn’t know George was going to announce it!” 

Colin, talking about playing a con man and gambling addict in atmospheric thriller Ballad of a Small Player, jokes, “It is a jolly tale of addiction and desperation, and looking in all the wrong places for a sense of who you are.  My character’s life is all smoke and mirrors and he is about to hit rock bottom.” 

Congratulated on his various awards for The Penguin, and asked if he would play him again, he says, “It was an amazing experience, like nothing I had ever been part of before, but I have no burning desire to play the character again in another film.  I do have a few scenes in the new Batman sequel, which I am okay with.  I had the script a few months ago and it is extraordinary.” 

Benedict, talking about his tour-de-force performance as a newly widowed father in The Thing with Feathers, says, “It is a portrait of what grief does, and how, in this imagining, it manifests itself as a crow.  It has a lot in it, and I am very proud of it.  It is so good to talk about grief, particularly for men.”

Talking about his seven-year-old co-stars, he says, “Working with them was like capturing lightning in a jar, but they are extraordinary, and I adore them – they are amazing. They are untrained so my job was partly to father them through the experience and partly just to try and get through the day with an animatronic crow and two out of control children!”

Asked by Julia if he finds it hard to switch off from such a moving role when he goes home to his family, he says, “No not at all.  I let it all go.  The older I get, the easier it is.”

Gloria, talking about her new album Raíces, says, “It was important to sing in Spanish.  It is about who we are, our culture, and the need to keep it alive.    It is autobiographical about family and love, and there is a lot of fun stuff on top of the romantic stuff. I really enjoyed doing it and I am so blessed.”

To Julia’s astonishment Gloria reveals that she was originally offered Julia’s break out role in Mystic Pizza.  Talking about turning it down, she says, “I would have sucked.  My music career was starting and I wasn’t ready.  I wanted to act one day, but I needed to be prepared and study.”  

Addressing Julia, she says, “You killed it – you were wonderful.”

Julia thanks Gloria for turning it down and inadvertently giving her the big break.

Robbie performs Pretty Face, part of which he sings to Pretty Woman Julia, before joining Graham for a chat about his forthcoming album BRITPOP, upcoming tour, and art exhibitions.  

Talking about his art, he says, “I have done it for years but then hid it in the garage because I wasn’t brave enough to show anyone.”

And finally, Graham pulls the lever on more foolhardy audience members brave enough to sit in the world-famous Big Red Chair to tell their funniest stories.

The Graham Norton Show BBC One and iPlayer Friday 10th  October 10.40pm

Next week (17th October) Graham’s guests include Bruce Springsteen, Jeremy Allen White, Jennifer Lawrence,  Tessa Thompson, and Florence + The Machine.

Picture: BBC/So Television/The Graham Norton Show/Christopher Baines