Julia Roberts is a famous American actress born on October 28, 1967. She’s known for starring in lots of different kinds of movies and has won big awards like an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. All the movies she’s been in have made over $3.9 billion worldwide, making her one of the most successful stars in Hollywood.
She became popular after appearing in movies like Mystic Pizza in 1988 and Steel Magnolias in 1989. But it was Pretty Woman in 1990 that made her a top actress.
During the 1990s, she was in many hit movies, especially romantic comedies like My Best Friend’s Wedding in 1997, Notting Hill, and Runaway Bride in 1999. She won an Academy Award for her role in Erin Brockovich in 2000. After that, she kept making successful movies like Ocean’s Eleven in 2001 and its sequel, Ocean’s Twelve in 2004, Charlie Wilson’s War in 2007, and Eat Pray Love in 2010.
Apart from acting, she also has her own production company called Red Om Films. She’s been working with them to make movies she stars in and has even been an executive producer for some projects. Since 2009, she’s been a global ambassador for Lancôme, a famous cosmetics brand.
Julia Roberts was one of the highest-paid actresses in the 1990s and 2000s, earning $20 million for Erin Brockovich and $25 million for Mona Lisa Smile. Her net worth in 2024 was estimated to be $250 million. People magazine has even called her the most beautiful woman in the world five times!
| Full Name | Julia Fiona Roberts |
| Date of Birth | October 28, 1967 |
| Place of Birth | Smyrna, Georgia, USA |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Spouse | Daniel Moder (m. 2002) Lyle Lovett (m. 1993–1995) |
| Children | Hazel Moder, Phinnaeus Moder, Henry Daniel Moder |
| Net Worth | $250 million |
Julia Roberts’s Early Life and Education
Julia Fiona Roberts was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia, near Atlanta. Her parents, Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, had backgrounds mixing English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, and Swedish ancestry. Her dad was Baptist, her mom was Catholic, and Julia grew up in the Catholic faith. She has an older brother, Eric Roberts, and an older sister, Lisa Roberts Gillan, both actors, along with a niece, Emma Roberts. She also had a younger half-sister named Nancy Motes.
Her parents were once actors and playwrights who met during performances for the United States Armed Forces. They even started the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop together. Julia’s parents ran a children’s acting school while she was on the way. Interestingly, the kids of Coretta and Martin Luther King Jr. were among the students, and Julia’s dad coached their daughter, Yolanda. In a kind gesture, Coretta King helped cover Julia’s hospital bill because of the family’s financial struggles when she was born.
Julia’s parents split in 1971 and by 1972 Julia was living in Smyrna with her mom. Her mom remarried Michael Motes but their relationship was tough. Julia didn’t get along with him and they eventually divorced in 1983 after having a daughter named Nancy, who sadly passed away in 2014.
Growing up, Julia Roberts had dreams of becoming a vet and played the clarinet in her school band. After finishing high school at Campbell High, she went to Georgia State University but didn’t finish. Instead, she moved to New York City to pursue acting. There, she signed with the Click Modeling Agency and started taking acting classes.
Julia Roberts Career
TV Drama to Hollywood Stardom
After Julia Roberts appeared on TV for the first time as a young woman who survived a terrible crime on a show called Crime Story, she got her first break in movies. You might have seen her in Satisfaction in 1988, where she played a member of a band looking for a summer job. She also had a small role in Blood Red in 1987, but it wasn’t released until later.
Then, in 1988, she showed up in the finale of Miami Vice. But her big success came with a movie called Mystic Pizza. In it, she played a Portuguese-American girl working in a pizza place. A famous movie critic, Roger Ebert, thought she was really beautiful and full of energy. He said the movie might become famous for all the young stars in it.
In 1989, she starred in Steel Magnolias as a young bride with diabetes. She acted alongside famous stars like Sally Field and Dolly Parton. When they were casting for the movie, they were considering other actresses, but the casting director insisted on Julia Roberts. The director, Herbert Ross, was tough on her, but the movie was a big hit, and Julia got nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her acting.
From Pretty Woman to Rom-Com Royalty
After getting nominated for an Academy Award in 1989, Julia Roberts became super famous when she starred in Pretty Woman with Richard Gere in 1990. She played a confident prostitute with a good heart. Lots of other famous actresses said no to the role before she got it. This movie got her another Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win. She got paid $300,000 for it. Pretty Woman sold more tickets in the U.S. than any other romantic comedy ever and made a ton of money worldwide. The red dress she wore in the movie became famous.
After Pretty Woman, Julia starred in a movie called Flatliners where she played a student doing experiments on near-death experiences. Critics didn’t all like it, but it made money and became a cult favorite. In 1991, she was in three more movies: Sleeping with the Enemy, Hook, and Dying Young. They didn’t get great reviews, but they made a lot of money.
Julia took a break from acting for two years, only doing a small part in a movie. People started wondering what happened to her. But then she came back in 1993 with The Pelican Brief, a thriller with Denzel Washington. It made a bunch of money. Her next few movies, like I Love Trouble and Something to Talk About, didn’t do so well.
In the late 1990s, Julia became famous again for romantic comedies. My Best Friend’s Wedding was a big hit, as was Notting Hill where she fell in love with Hugh Grant. Runaway Bride was another success, even though critics weren’t all fans. She even got nominated for an Emmy for a guest role on Law & Order.
Iconic Roles to Golden Globe Nods
Julia Roberts made history when she got paid $20 million for her role in Erin Brockovich, a movie about a real person fighting against a big company in California. People loved her performance, and the movie made a ton of money. She even won an Academy Award for it. After that, she starred in a few other movies like The Mexican with Brad Pitt and Ocean’s Eleven with George Clooney. These movies did well too.
In America’s Sweethearts, she played a funny role alongside Billy Crystal and John Cusack, but some critics didn’t think the characters were very likable. Despite that, the movie made a lot of money. Then she starred in Mona Lisa Smile as a teacher, and later in Closer where she replaced another actress. Both films did alright at the box office.
In Ocean’s Twelve, she played the same character as before, but this time she pretended to be someone else in a funny scene. Even though the movie wasn’t as well-liked as the first one, it still made a lot of money.
After that, she appeared in a music video and was one of the highest-paid actresses for several years. She did some voice acting in animated movies and even acted on Broadway, but some critics didn’t think she did a great job.
In Charlie Wilson’s War, she played a socialite and got nominated for a Golden Globe. She also starred in Fireflies in the Garden, a drama shown in Europe but not in North America until later.
In Duplicity, she played a CIA agent, and even though the movie didn’t do great, critics praised her performance. She got nominated for another Golden Globe for that role.
Box Office Hits and Critical Acclaim
In 2010, Julia Roberts was in two big movies. In Valentine’s Day, she played an army captain for a short time and got $3 million plus a bit of the money the movie made. In Eat Pray Love, she played a writer who travels to find herself after a divorce. This movie did well at the box office. She was also in a comedy called Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks, where she played a teacher.
In 2012, she was the evil queen in Mirror Mirror, a twist on the Snow White story. Some critics thought she tried too hard in this role, but the movie made a lot of money.
In 2013, she was in August: Osage County with Meryl Streep and Ewan McGregor. It’s about a messed-up family that comes together when their dad goes missing. Julia got nominated for lots of awards for her acting in this.
In 2014, she played a doctor in a TV movie called The Normal Heart. Critics loved her performance. She also did some narration for a documentary and appeared in a fashion campaign.
In 2015, she acted in Secret in Their Eyes with Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor, but it didn’t do well. Then she was in Mother’s Day, a rom-com that didn’t impress people much. But Money Monster with George Clooney did alright.
In 2017, she was in Wonder as the mom of a boy with a facial disorder. This movie did well worldwide. She also voiced a character in a Smurfs movie.
In 2018, she played a mom dealing with her son’s problems in Ben Is Back. Critics liked her in this role. And she did her first regular TV role in Homecoming, a psychological thriller series that got a lot of praise. She even got nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
Ticket to Paradise, Gaslit, Leave the World Behind
Julia Roberts teamed up with George Clooney again for a romantic comedy called Ticket to Paradise, which came out on October 21, 2022. She also took on the role of Martha Mitchell in the TV series Gaslit, based on the podcast Slow Burn by Leon Neyfakh, where she portrayed a controversial figure from the Watergate scandal.
In 2023, Roberts played Amanda Sandford in the movie Leave the World Behind, alongside Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali. This film, based on the novel by Rumaan Alam, was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s company, Higher Ground Productions.
Other ventures
Philanthropy
Julia Roberts has been involved in helping others for years. In 1995, she spent six days in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to learn more about the issues there. UNICEF hoped her visit would encourage people to donate money—$10 million was the goal. She also supported Earth Biofuels in 2006, promoting the use of renewable fuels. In 2013, she joined a campaign called Chime for Change by Gucci, which aims to empower women.
In 2000, Roberts narrated a documentary about Rett syndrome, a disorder affecting brain development, to raise awareness. Then, in 2014, she lent her voice to a short film for Conservation International. The film, called Nature Is Speaking, aimed to make people more aware of climate change by personifying Mother Nature.
Co-Owner of Red Om Films
Julia Roberts co-owns a production company called Red Om Films with her sisters Lisa Roberts Gillan and Marisa Yeres Gill. The name ‘Red Om’ is actually ‘Moder’ spelled backward, which is her husband’s last name. Through Red Om, Julia Roberts has helped produce several movies she’s acted in, like Eat Pray Love and Homecoming.
She’s also been involved in producing the first four movies in the American Girl film series, which are based on the popular American Girl dolls. These movies were released between 2004 and 2008.
From Glam Endorsements to Eco-Friendly Jewelry Collections
Back in 2006, Julia Roberts struck a deal with a fancy fashion brand called Gianfranco Ferre. They paid her a whopping $6 million to endorse their stuff. She got all glammed up and had her picture taken by a famous photographer named Mario Testino in Los Angeles. Then they put her face on ads that went out in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
After that, in 2009, she became the face of Lancôme, a big makeup company. She didn’t just pose for pictures; she helped make and sell their makeup. She liked it so much that in 2010, she signed up with them for another five years, this time for a jaw-dropping $50 million.
Later on, starting in 2021, she became the star of ads for Chopard’s Happy Sport and Happy Diamonds jewelry. Then, in 2023, Chopard made her their top ambassador.
In 2024, Julia Roberts teamed up with Chopard again, but this time it was for something really special. They worked together on a fancy jewelry collection called ‘Chopard x Julia Roberts.’ They made a big deal out of this collection, especially featuring a precious gem called the Insofu Emerald. It was all about mixing Julia’s style ideas with Chopard’s fancy jewelry-making skills. And the cool part? They made sure everything was made in a way that was good for the planet. They showed off their collab in Los Angeles, showing that Julia’s not just about acting; she’s into fashion, saving the Earth, and making cool stuff too.
Julia Roberts Personal life
Romances with Hollywood Stars, Marriages, and Family
Julia Roberts has had quite a colorful love life. She’s been linked romantically with several Hollywood actors like Jason Patric, Liam Neeson, Kiefer Sutherland, Dylan McDermott, and Matthew Perry. Back in 1991, she was supposed to marry Kiefer Sutherland, but they called it off just before the wedding. Julia says it wasn’t a last-minute decision like the media claimed, but rather something they both agreed on.
Then, in 1993, she tied the knot with country singer Lyle Lovett, but sadly they split up in 1995. After that, she dated Benjamin Bratt from 1998 to 2001.
Things took a turn when she met Daniel Moder, a cameraman, on the set of one of her movies in 2000. At the time, he was married to someone else, which caused a bit of a scandal. But they got together after he divorced, and they got married in 2002. They have three kids together: twins born in 2004 and another son born in 2007.
Embraces Hinduism
Back in 2010, Julia Roberts mentioned she was Hindu, saying she found spiritual fulfillment in it. She’s really into Neem Karoli Baba, a guru, whose image got her interested in Hinduism.
While filming Eat Pray Love in 2009, a Swami named Daram Dev at Ashram Hari Mandir in Pataudi gave Julia’s kids new names inspired by Hindu gods. Hazel became Lakshmi, Phinnaeus became Ganesh, and Henry became Krishna Balram.
Ancestry Revealed
In a 2023 episode of Finding Your Roots, Julia Roberts found out that her great-great-grandfather’s last name was Mitchell, not Roberts.
She also discovered that her ancestors were slave owners. She said, “If you’re from the South, you’re either connected to the side that owned slaves or the side that was enslaved. It’s sad, but it’s part of our history. We can’t ignore it, even if it doesn’t match our values.” Interestingly, Roberts is distantly related to actor Edward Norton.
Net Worth
Julia Roberts’s Net Worth is estimated to be $400 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
