The niece of Oscar-winner Julia Roberts and daughter of Oscar-nominee Eric Roberts, Emma Roberts is one of her generation's most beloved actresses. Starring in numerous movies and shows, playing lead and supporting roles alike, Roberts has built an impressive resumé that cements her as a versatile performer with a knack for comedy. She is currently leading American Horror Story's twelfth season and will be part of the ensemble for Sony's highly-anticipated Madame Web, adding two exciting projects to her celebrated filmography.
Displaying her abilities in comedies, dramas, romantic efforts, and horror movies, Roberts is an audience favorite, and many of her films and TV shows rank among the new millennium's most iconic entries. However, some of her movies and shows have left a stronger mark on opo culture, whether because of their irreverent nature, quotable dialogues, distinctive fashion, or a combination of all these factors.
10 'Unfabulous' (2004-2007)
Creator: Sue Rose
Emma Roberts had her breakthrough role in Nickelodeon's teen sitcom Unfabulous. The actress played the lead role of Addie Singer, a girl dealing with high school crushes and teen angst through songwriting. The show lasted three seasons, with a made-for-television movie between seasons two and three.
Unfabulous was the perfect platform for a young Roberts, cementing the nice-girl persona that would dominate most of her early roles. Although the actress had already played minor roles in movies and television, Unfabulous proved she was a natural in front of the camera. Roberts made Addie relatable and sympathetic, turning Unfabulous into one of Nickelodeon's highest-rated efforts and one of the defining teen shows of the 2000s.
9 'Aquamarine' (2006)
Director: Elizabeth Allen Rosenbuam
Roberts joined forces with noughties' icons Sarah Paxton and JoJo for the teen fantasy Aquamarine. The plot centers on two best friends who meet a mermaid named Aquamarine and help on her quest to gain the love of a handsome lifeguard.
Lighthearted and safe, Aquamarine was catnip for teenage girls growing up in the mid-2000s. The film succeeds thanks largely to its trio of talented leads, with Roberts and JoJo creating a sweet and slightly chaotic dynamic that mirrors many real-life friendships; adding Paxton's sassy take on the titular mermaid results in a charming and surprisingly resonant movie. Aquamarine is inspiring and heartwarming and another step in Roberts' blossoming career.
8 'Paradise Hills' (2019)
Director: Alice Waddington
Alice Waddington's 2019 science fantasy thriller Paradise Hills is an underrated sci-fi gem of the late 2010s. Roberts stars as Uma, a young woman trapped in a seemingly idyllic but dangerous center, Paradise. Joining forces with the other women, Uma must find a way to escape her fate. Awkwafina, Eiza González, and Milla Jovovich also star.
Paradise Hills is a well-crafted thriller with timely issues about female identity and empowerment. Roberts gives one of her most assured performances, forsaking the mean girl persona that dominates most of her late-career roles. Refusing to play it like a classic victim or an infallible savior, Roberts opts for sincerity, delivering a refreshing take on the sci-fi heroine.
7 'Nerve' (2016)
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Roberts and Dave Franco star in the 2015 thriller Nerve. Based on the eponymous 2012 novel, the film follows a group of participants in a dangerous online truth-or-dare game, where the challenges and stakes become increasingly tougher and higher the more it advances.
Nerve always feels like a remnant of the YA euphoria that dominated much of the early 2010s, the sort of invitee that arrives once the party is already over. However, the film is an intriguing critique of social media elevated by Roberts and Fracon's dynamic performances. With charming chemistry to balance the film's otherwise hectic premise, Roberts and Franco do their best to make up for Nerve's flaws -- they mostly succeed.
6 'Holidate' (2020)
Director: John Whitesell
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
The Netflix romantic comedy Holidate stars Roberts and Luke Bracey. The premise revolves around two strangers who agree to a platonic relationship, working as each other's plus-ones on important holidays. However, trouble ensues when they develop feelings for each other.
The land of romantic comedies is strange and slightly ridiculous, and Holidate exists firmly in it. However, like most successful rom-coms, Holidate succeeds because of the chemistry of its two leads. Roberts and Bracey are in on the joke, delivering a refreshingly self-aware take on the romantic formula that plagues modern rom-coms. Holidate proves Roberts is a natural in the genre, an effortless and compelling romantic queen in the making who should spend more time in rom-com land than in the scary halls of a new horror story.
5 'We're The Millers' (2013)
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis star in the outlandish 2013 crime comedy We're the Millers. Sudeikis plays David, a small-time crook who enlists a stripper, a runaway, and a socially awkward teen to pose as his family so he can smuggle drugs from Mexico. Roberts plays the supporting role of Casey, a violent and distrustful teen runaway who agrees to be part of David's fake family.
We're the Millers works because of its chaotic mix of characters that perfectly complement each other. In many ways, Roberts has the toughest role of the four, playing the straight man to Sudeikis, Aniston, and scene-stealer Will Poulter's antics. However, We're the Millers is better because of her understated approach to the otherwise wild comedy, providing the key ingredient to bring this unhinged and unexpectedly compelling family together.
4 'Wild Child' (2008)
Director: Nick Moore
Wild Child stars Roberts as Poppy Moore, a wealthy, spoiled, and selfish girl sent to Abbey Mount, a prestigious English boarding school, by her father. The late Natasha Richardson plays Abbey Mount's headmistress, while Alex Pettyfer portrays Poppy's love interest.
In hindsight, Wild Child was Roberts' true breakout role. Proving she had more range than previously thought, the actress delivered a quintessential portrayal of rebellious adolescence that ranks as one of the best in the noughties. Sinking her teeth into the role, Roberts creates a deliciously wicked character that's both annoying and engaging, the kind of popular girl people stay away from while secretly longing to be best friends with. It's a tricky act to pull, but Roberts makes it seem effortless. Wild Child is a worthy heir to Mean Girls, a teen comedy that is aging like fine wine.
3 'Scream 4' (2011)
Director: Wes Craven
The Scream franchise returned to the big screen with 2011's Scream 4. Bringing a new generation of teenagers together with the franchise's veterans, the film follows Sidney Prescott as she returns to Woodsboro on the anniversary of the original murders, only to become prey to a new Ghostface killer. Roberts plays Jill, Sidney's niece and the series' apparent new leading lady.
It might be an overstatement to say Roberts is the best Ghostface in the Scream franchise -- purists clutching Billy and Stu's pictures will complain, while Laurie Metcalf fans will roll their eyes. However, Roberts' Jill is Scream's most interesting Ghostface, a fascinating subversion of the final girl trope that emerges as one of the series' most iconic figures. Scream 4 is also a showcase for Roberts' acting, with the actress stepping out of her comfort zone to deliver her best performance up to that point. Roberts' portrayal was so good that it began a new phase in her career, abandoning the good girl roles and embracing darker, more devious characters.
2 'Scream Queens' (2015-2016)
Creators: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan
All hail the ridiculous and mighty Chanel Oberlin. From the deliriously wicked minds of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan came the campy and delicious horror comedy Scream Queens. Roberts led an impressive ensemble cast, including Lea Michele, Glen Powell, Keke Palmer, and the original final girl, Jamie Lee Curtis, in an old-fashioned slasher story about a masked killer terrorizing a college sorority.
Ahead of its time, absurd, tasteless, and featuring arguably the best costume department in any modern comedy, Scream Queens is a modern TV classic. Roberts' Chanel Oberlin ranks as one of modern television's most memorable characters, the selfish and devious embodiment of everything wrong with college life. With Scream Queens, Roberts laughs at herself, resulting in a refreshing and hilarious portrayal and possibly the crowning achievement of her career thus far.
1 'American Horror Story' (2013-Present)
Creators: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Roberts' first collaboration with Ryan Murphy came in 2013 with the third season of American Horror Story. The actress would become a staple in the anthology series, with major roles in seasons four, eight, nine, and twelve and a minor appearance in season seven.
Emma Roberts' best character in AHS is by far Madison Montgomery, the epitome of the mean girl trope she perfected throughout the 2010s. Murderous and endlessly quotable, Madison is the poster child for the social media generation, a ruthless witch who ranks as one of Murphy and Falchuk's finest creations. Roberts' other roles in AHS have been memorable, but Madison is a career-best performance that cemented her legacy as an icon of modern television.