Julia Roberts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julia Roberts
Roberts in 2022
Born	Julia Fiona Roberts (1967-10-28) October 28, 1967 (age 57) Smyrna, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1987–present
Works	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Lyle Lovett ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 1995)​ Daniel Moder ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	3
Relatives	Eric Roberts (brother) Emma Roberts (niece)
Awards	Full list

Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is a famous American actress. She is known for playing leading roles in many different types of movies. For her acting, she has won many awards, including an Academy Award.

Roberts became a huge star in the 1990s, especially in romantic comedies. People loved her because she played charming characters that felt real. The media often called her "America's Sweetheart" because she was so popular. Her movies have made over $3.9 billion worldwide, making her one of Hollywood's most successful stars.

She first became well-known in the movies Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1989). Her role in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) made her a superstar. She continued to star in hit movies like My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) and Notting Hill (1999).

In 2000, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing the main character in Erin Brockovich. She also starred in other popular films like Ocean's Eleven (2001), Wonder (2017), and Leave the World Behind (2023).

Besides acting, Roberts runs a production company called Red Om Films. She has also been a global ambassador for the beauty brand Lancôme since 2009. For many years, she was the highest-paid actress in the world.

Early Life and Family

Julia Fiona Roberts was born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia, near Atlanta. Her parents, Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, were both actors and playwrights. Her older brother, Eric Roberts, and her niece, Emma Roberts, are also actors.

Her parents ran an acting school in Georgia. The children of civil rights leaders Coretta and Martin Luther King Jr. went to their school. When Julia was born, Mrs. King paid the hospital bill to thank her parents for their work.

Julia's parents divorced when she was young. Her father passed away from cancer when she was ten years old. As a child, Julia wanted to be a veterinarian and played the clarinet in her school band. After high school, she moved to New York City to become an actress.

Acting Career

1980s: Starting Out

Roberts's first TV role was in the series Crime Story in 1987. Her first big movie role was in the romantic comedy Mystic Pizza (1988). She played a teenage girl working at a pizza parlor. Critics praised her performance, saying she was a "major beauty with a fierce energy."

In 1989, she starred in Steel Magnolias as a young bride with diabetes. She acted alongside famous stars like Sally Field and Dolly Parton. The movie was a big success. For her role, Roberts earned her first Academy Award nomination and won her first Golden Globe Award.

1990s: Becoming a Superstar

Roberts at the 1990 Deauville American Film Festival

In 1990, Roberts starred with Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. She played a woman with a tough life who meets a wealthy businessman. The movie was a huge hit and became the highest-selling romantic comedy in the U.S. at the time. It made Roberts a worldwide star and earned her a second Oscar nomination.

After Pretty Woman, she starred in several other films. These included the thriller Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) and as Tinker Bell in Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991).

After a short break, she returned in the thriller The Pelican Brief (1993) with Denzel Washington. The film was a commercial success.

In the late 1990s, Roberts had more success with romantic comedies. She starred in My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), where she played a woman trying to win back her best friend. The movie was a global hit. She then starred with Hugh Grant in Notting Hill (1999), playing a famous actress who falls in love with a bookstore owner. In 1999, she also starred in Runaway Bride, another box office success.

2000s: An Oscar Win and More Hits

In 2000, Roberts played the real-life activist Erin Brockovich in the movie Erin Brockovich. For this role, she was paid $20 million, a first for an actress. Her performance was highly praised, and she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Roberts in 2002

In 2001, she joined an all-star cast including George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Ocean's Eleven. The movie was a huge success. She returned for the sequel, Ocean's Twelve, in 2004. For the movie Mona Lisa Smile (2003), she earned a record $25 million.

In 2006, she voiced characters in the animated films The Ant Bully and Charlotte's Web. She also made her Broadway debut in the play Three Days of Rain. In 2007, she starred with Tom Hanks in the film Charlie Wilson's War, which earned her another Golden Globe nomination.

2010s and 2020s: New Roles

Roberts at the French premiere of Eat Pray Love in 2010

In 2010, Roberts starred in the romantic comedy Valentine's Day and the drama Eat Pray Love. In 2012, she played the evil Queen in Mirror Mirror, a new version of the Snow White story.

She earned her fourth Oscar nomination for the 2013 film August: Osage County, where she acted with Meryl Streep. In 2014, she starred in the TV film The Normal Heart, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination.

In 2017, she played the mother of a boy with a facial difference in the hit movie Wonder. In 2018, she starred in her first regular TV series, Homecoming, on Amazon Prime Video.

In 2022, she reunited with George Clooney for the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise. She also played Martha Mitchell, a key figure in the Watergate scandal, in the TV series Gaslit. In 2023, she starred in the thriller Leave the World Behind.

Other Work

Charity and Causes

Roberts supports UNICEF and other charities. In 1995, she visited Haiti to help raise awareness and money for the organization. She has also supported environmental causes, like the use of renewable fuels. In 2014, she was the voice of Mother Nature in a short film to raise awareness about climate change.

Production Company

Roberts runs a production company called Red Om Films with her sister. The name "Red Om" is her husband's last name, "Moder," spelled backwards. Her company has produced some of the movies she has starred in, like Eat Pray Love. It also produced films in the American Girl series.

Personal Life

Roberts has been married to cameraman Daniel Moder since 2002. They met on the set of the movie The Mexican in 2000. They have three children: twins, a daughter and a son, born in 2004, and another son born in 2007.

In 2010, Roberts shared that she practices Hinduism. She is a follower of the guru Neem Karoli Baba.

Roberts has also been involved in politics. She often supports candidates and helps with fundraising. For example, she supported Kamala Harris during the 2024 United States presidential election.

Filmography and Awards

Some of Roberts's most successful films include:

Roberts has received four Academy Award nominations and won one for Best Actress for Erin Brockovich. She has also won three Golden Globe Awards for her roles in Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman, and Erin Brockovich. She has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.

See also

In Spanish: Julia Roberts para niños