Kent


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ATH_05502_RC3.jpg" alt="Writer Nora Garrett on the set of the movie After the Hunt" class="wp-image-121696" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Writer Nora Garrett on the set of&nbsp;<em>After The Hunt</em>, Amazon MGM Studios, photo: Yannis Drakoulidis</figcaption></figure>



<p>When Nora Garrett, 34, sat down to write&nbsp;<em>After the Hunt</em>, she didn’t expect it to become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about debuts. The former actress and part-time waitress penned the script during a 12-week freelance workshop – a taut, #MeToo-infused campus thriller about a Yale professor (Julia Roberts) whose colleague (Andrew Garfield) is accused of sexual assault. Fast-forward two years and Oscar-winner Luca Guadagnino (<em>Call Me by Your Name</em>) is directing, Ayo Edebiri co-stars, and Garrett’s words are being spoken by Julia freakin’ Roberts.</p>



<p>It’s a surreal twist for someone who, not long ago, was serving tables in LA. Now she has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the film and a ticket to Hollywood’s inner circle. We caught up with her to talk imposter syndrome, luck, and what it’s like watching your side hustle become the next big thing.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-your-own-words-what-is-nbsp-after-the-hunt-nbsp-about">In your own words, what is&nbsp;<em>After the Hunt</em>&nbsp;about?</h4>



<p>That’s a tricky one to pin down because for me, it’s about so many things. At its heart, it’s a story about empathy, compassion, and the complexity of forgiveness – forgiving others and, maybe more importantly, forgiving ourselves. It also explores power: how we reach for it, and what it costs us. In this story, that pursuit often means denying parts of ourselves or turning away from truly seeing others. It’s layered, messy, and deeply human.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-script-first-film-and-it-turns-into-nbsp-this-what-was-going-through-your-head">First script, first film, and it turns into&nbsp;<em>this</em>. What was going through your head?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/After-the-Hunt-Image-12-Only-In-Cinemas-October-17.jpg" alt="BTS of Julia Roberts and Luca Guadagnino on set of After the Hunt" class="wp-image-121642" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">BTS of Julia Roberts and Luca Guadagnino, Amazon MGM Studios, photo: Yannis Drakoulidis</figcaption></figure>



<p>I kept thinking,&nbsp;<em>there’s no way</em>. Every time someone said, “Julia Roberts is attached,” I was like, what does&nbsp;<em>attached</em>&nbsp;even mean? It felt surreal. Luca and I were both convinced that at some point, someone would drop out, because how could all these incredibly talented people, people I’ve admired for years, actually be coming together on this project?</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-talk-about-pressure-how-did-you-handle-it">Talk about pressure, how did you handle it?</h4>



<p>I had to make a real mental shift, from being a fan to suddenly being in a room&nbsp;<em>with</em>&nbsp;them collaborating. And fast. That was hard. These are my idols, and suddenly I’m sitting in a rehearsal room at Julia Roberts’s house, trying to act like a completely normal human being. Just holding it together!</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wait-you-rehearsed-at-julia-roberts-house">Wait, you rehearsed at Julia Roberts’ house?!</h4>



<p>I know. Wild, right? Yeah, she hosted rehearsals at her home, which was incredibly generous. And honestly, someone of her stature, with her level of fame and talent, would have every right to be a bit aloof. But she’s the exact opposite – warm, down-to-earth, and totally present. It was surreal and also kind of amazing.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-any-imposter-syndrome">Any imposter syndrome?</h3>



<p>Oh, total imposter syndrome. Still do. It’s hard to feel like any of this was&nbsp;<em>deserved</em>, not in a self-doubting way, just, the scale of it, the people involved — it’s massive. I’m really aware that Luca’s passion for the script is what brought so many of these incredible people on board. His belief in it opened the door, and I feel endlessly grateful to him for that. But yes, I’ve had my moments where I feel like I’ve somehow slipped into the wrong story. At some point, you just have to accept that&nbsp;this<em>&nbsp;is</em>&nbsp;happening, and lean into it. But so much of this industry is random and just dumb luck.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-you-were-writing-nbsp-after-the-hunt-did-you-know-it-was-going-to-huge">When you were writing&nbsp;<em>After The Hunt</em>, did you know it was going to huge?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/After-the-Hunt-Image-9-Only-In-Cinemas-October-17.jpg" alt="Ayo Edebiri and Julia Roberts on the set of After the Hunt" class="wp-image-121732" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(L to R) Ayo Edebiri and Julia Roberts, Amazon MGM Studios, photo: Yannis Drakoulidis</figcaption></figure>



<p>Ha! There’s this meme I love, it’s a cycle that goes:&nbsp;<em>I’m cut from the cloth of God&nbsp;</em>then&nbsp;<em>I’m the worst person alive</em>&nbsp;then&nbsp;<em>maybe everything’s fine</em>&nbsp;then&nbsp;<em>what should I have for lunch?</em>&nbsp;It’s exactly that. When I wrote the treatment, I thought,&nbsp;Okay, there’s something here, then I turned it into an outline and thought,&nbsp;Nope. It’s terrible.&nbsp;Then I started drafting and thought,&nbsp;Actually, this is kind of good!&nbsp;Then someone would read it and I’d spiral again. That cycle never really stops.</p>



<p>But no, I didn’t finish it thinking it would become a film. I was proud of it, and I liked it, but I saw it more as a sample script, to help get representation. Which it did. But I never imagined it would actually get made, especially not at this scale. It’s an original, psychological drama with no big set pieces, no glossy hook — just complicated, sometimes uncomfortable themes. That’s not exactly what Hollywood is throwing money at right now. So the fact that it&nbsp;<em>did</em>&nbsp;get made still feels pretty surreal.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-changes-did-luca-make-to-the-script">What changes did Luca make to the script?</h4>



<p>Absolutely. Luca was really keen to bring ambiguity into the story. He wanted the audience to have to work a bit to bring their own perspective and debate what they were watching. Originally, the story was more black-and-white. By the third act, you knew who the hero and villain were, and it was pretty clear-cut. Luca wanted to blow that out of the water and make everything much greyer – much more reflective of real life, where people are complex, flawed, and often a bit of both.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-you-feel-about-the-changes">How did you feel about the changes?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/After-the-Hunt-Image-10-Only-In-Cinemas-October-17.jpg" alt="yo Edibiri, Julia Roberts, Luca Guadagnino on the set of After the Hunt" class="wp-image-121646" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(L to R) Ayo Edibiri, Julia Roberts, Luca Guadagnino, Amazon MGM Studios, photo: Yannis Drakoulidis</figcaption></figure>



<p>Honestly, Luca’s work is so unassailable – he’s a genius and one of the best directors working today – that it was easy to trust him. Whenever I felt that pang of protectiveness over my work, I reminded myself that he has so much more experience. Plus, the actors brought their own wisdom. For example, Alma had some long speeches in the script, but Julia was brilliant at trimming them down, showing what could be said with a look or gesture instead. It was a learning process, and I’m grateful for it.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-film-dives-into-messy-moral-questions-truth-shame-power-memory-what-inspired-it">The film dives into messy moral questions – truth, shame, power, memory. What inspired it?</h4>



<p>It’s funny, because so many people – Yale alumni, people currently there – have asked if the film is based on a specific article or incident. Every time, I’ve had to say no. The truth is, no. But what’s truly harrowing is how&nbsp;ubiquitous&nbsp;these kinds of stories are. It’s sadly familiar territory, and deeply unfortunate. For me, though, the story really began with the characters, especially Alma. I was drawn to her internal struggle and wanted to find a narrative that would both mirror and challenge that.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-julia-roberts-is-sensational-as-alma-did-you-have-an-actress-in-mind-when-you-were-writing">Julia Roberts is sensational as Alma, did you have an actress in mind when you were writing?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/After-the-Hunt-Image-8-Only-In-Cinemas-October-17.jpg" alt="Julia Roberts as Alma in After the Hunt" class="wp-image-121644" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Julia Roberts, Amazon MGM Studios, photo: Yannis Drakoulidis</figcaption></figure>



<p>Honestly, no. I was writing in a bit of a vacuum back then. These days, I’m luckier, I feel like I can write with specific actors in mind, imagining who might actually want to do it. But at that time, it was all pure imagination, no framework or superstructure. That said, I agree Julia is absolutely brilliant in the role. She brought an unexpected warmth and groundedness, without that, Alma might have been too closed-off, too hard to connect with.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-once-julia-andrew-and-ayo-were-confirmed-did-you-tweak-the-characters-to-fit-them">Once Julia, Andrew, and Ayo were confirmed, did you tweak the characters to fit them?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/After-the-Hunt-Image-11-Only-In-Cinemas-October-17.jpg" alt="Ayo Edebiri in After the Hunt movie" class="wp-image-121710" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ayo Edebiri, Amazon MGM Studios, photo: Yannis Drakoulidis</figcaption></figure>



<p>Those three actors have very different approaches. When Ayo joined, Maggie wasn’t originally written as a Black woman – actually, her race wasn’t specified. So we couldn’t just cast a woman of colour without reshaping Maggie’s backstory and identity within the world. Ayo was amazing in that process – smart, generous, and very involved, especially since she’s a writer herself.</p>



<p>Andrew, on the other hand, comes from theatre. He brings himself fully to the character and works closely with the text. Any changes were very carefully calibrated, which is typical of theatre actors. They treat the script like a map, exploring it deeply, and ask questions if something needs adjusting.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-quite-nice-to-see-andrew-in-a-bit-more-of-a-sleazy-role-isn-t-it">It’s quite nice to see Andrew in a bit more of a sleazy role, isn’t it?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/After-the-Hunt-Image-2-Only-In-Cinemas-October-17.jpg" alt="Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield in After the Hunt" class="wp-image-121648" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(L to R) Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield. Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios</figcaption></figure>



<p>Totally! One of my favourite moments is that Tandoori scene when he’s talking to Julia, takes off his sweater, then catches himself in the mirror and fixes his hair. It’s such a subtle actor choice, but it says so much about the character’s vanity. You can tell Andrew really thought deeply about who this guy is.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-i-couldn-t-get-over-how-much-food-he-ordered-in-that-scene-considering-he-was-in-crisis">I couldn’t get over how much food he ordered in that scene, considering he was in crisis!</h4>



<p>Exactly! And the funny thing is, that was always in the script! He’s always eating something. But originally, it was just shitty diner food. So the constant eating was there from the start, just with a different vibe.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-am-i-right-in-saying-you-were-working-at-meta-when-you-wrote-the-script">Am I right in saying you were working at Meta when you wrote the script?</h4>



<p>So I started the script when I was working at a counter-service restaurant called Pine &amp; Crane. By the time I was doing final edits, I was at Meta, though not in tech! People hear ‘Meta’ and assume I’m some engineer or woman in STEM, but nope. I was actually recruited via LinkedIn because of my editorial background. At that point, I was broke and so tired of being broke. I just wanted a job where I could make enough to pay bills and have health insurance. It was a godsend. Then everything started happening with the script, and I basically became the worst employee on earth.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-ve-done-some-acting-has-it-been-strange-stepping-behind-the-scenes">You’ve done some acting, has it been strange stepping behind the scenes?</h4>



<p>I love writing. I love being a screenwriter. Honestly, I never thought I’d be one. The people I knew who wanted to be screenwriters were mostly white men who’d been obsessed with film since birth. My path has been much more multivariate. My film knowledge isn’t as wide as my knowledge of literature or plays, but I’m working on that. Acting is magical, there’s something alchemical about live performance, something totally unrepeatable. But ultimately, writing feels so much more freeing. I don’t have to worry about how I look, or aging, or competing with a thousand people who look like me. I get to exist purely in imagination, and feel like I can tackle any genre. That’s really special.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-people-are-fuming-the-film-doesn-t-tie-everything-up-neatly-how-do-you-feel-about-those-reactions">Some people are fuming the film doesn’t tie everything up neatly, how do you feel about those reactions?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/After-the-Hunt-Image-3-Only-In-Cinemas-October-17.jpg" alt="Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts in After the Hunt movie" class="wp-image-121653" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(L to R) Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts. Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios</figcaption></figure>



<p>I’ve tried to step back from the press and not read too much – just for my own sanity! But honestly, I think it’s far more interesting when a film provokes strong reactions, even if they’re uncomfortable or confrontational. The worst thing would be for it to land and be totally “meh,” inoffensive, forgettable. That’s not to say the goal is to offend, but I do think being innocuous is the death of art.</p>



<p>I understand that ambiguity unsettles people, especially in film. Stories are often where we go to make sense of chaos — and when a narrative resists that, it can feel like a broken contract. But for me, that discomfort is where the real conversation begins. I hope it makes people ask&nbsp;<em>why</em>&nbsp;they feel disoriented or upset — because that reaction is part of the point.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-you">What’s next for you?</h4>



<p>The lovely thing is we wrapped in August last year, so I’ve had a bit of time – and I’ve been really lucky to have a door opened into the industry since then. I’m working on a few exciting things now: a couple of TV projects, some film work, it’s all still early days, but I just feel incredibly grateful to be doing it. Right now, I’m just excited for the world to see&nbsp;<em>After the Hunt</em>, especially Julia’s performance and Luca’s direction. And yes, definitely hopeful for what’s next.</p>



<p><em>So are we! After the Hunt is out in cinemas Fri 17 Oct.</em></p>



<p><em>Interviewed by Claire Hool</em></p>



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<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more"><em>IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</em></h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://kent.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/new-film-release-october/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pop the corn: 8 new films worth leaving the sofa for this October</a></li>



<li><a href="https://kent.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/what-to-watch-on-tv-this-week-netflix-prime-bbc-sky-itv/">Let’s talk TV! 7 unmissable new shows to watch this week</a></li>



<li><a href="https://kent.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/wicked-for-good-trailer/">The final Wicked: For Good trailer is here – and we’re obsessed (again)</a></li>
</ul>


After The Hunt’s Nora Garrett: On Julia Roberts and becoming Hollywood’s most wanted

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