MUMBAI: Tom Hanks is to pair with Julia Roberts in upcoming film Larry Crowne.

The 54-year-old has co-written the script with director Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and was keen from the beginning to cast Roberts in the character of a teacher in the film.

"I had some teachers who looked like Julia. I would see them and think, ‘I love you, so there was never anyone but Julia. Still, even after she said yes to the role, I was the boss. That meant I got to say, ‘You don‘t wear this dress, you wear that dress and Julia‘s Julia, she can be intimidating," Hanks is reported to have said.

Hanks will star as a middle-aged man who loses his job and decides to go back to college while Roberts plays his disillusioned teacher.

While it might be a little scary directing Roberts, the mom of three confessed that parts of filming were scary for her too.

"This was my first college experience. And the first time I had to speak in front of a classroom, I was apoplectic. All these faces looking up at me, thinking, ‘What is she going to teach us? I needed to find my composure. It was very hard it was terrible, in fact," she averred.