Author Rónán Hession Secures Julia Roberts as Narrator for TV Adaptation of His Novel

Rónán Hession, a civil servant and novelist based in Dublin, surprisingly succeeded in enlisting Hollywood star Julia Roberts to narrate the BBC Northern Ireland adaptation of his bestselling novel Leonard and Hungry Paul. The journey began when Hession received an unexpected email from Roberts’ assistant. After some initial doubts, his publisher contacted the series producers who then reached out to Roberts, who immediately expressed enthusiasm for the project. The TV adaptation stars Jamie-Lee O’Donnell and Alex Lawther and captures the essence of Hession’s novel, which explores themes of friendship, kindness, and introversion through the lives of two board-gaming friends in their thirties. Hession praised the actors’ portrayals and acknowledged Julia Roberts’ narration as a valuable addition. This series will be broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer on October 17, and later on BBC Two on October 20.