Julia Fiona Roberts, born in Smyrna, Georgia, never dreamed she would become the most popular actress in America. As a child, due to her love of animals, Julia originally wanted to be a veterinarian, but later studied journalism. When her brother, Eric Roberts, achieved some success in Hollywood, Julia decided to try acting. Her first break came in 1988 when she appeared in two youth-oriented movies Mystic Pizza and Satisfaction. The movies introduced her to a new audience who instantly fell in love with this pretty woman. Julia's biggest success was in the signature movie Pretty Woman, for which Julia got an Oscar nomination, and also won the People's Choice award for Favorite Actress. Even though Julia would spend the next few years either starring in serious movies, or playing fantasy roles like Tinkerbell, the movie audiences would always love Julia best in romantic comedies. With My Best Friend's Wedding Julia gave the genre fresh life that had been lacking in Hollywood for some time. Offscreen, after a brief marriage, Julia has been romantically linked with several other actors. Julia has also become involved with UNICEF charities and has made visits to many different countries, including Haiti and India, in order to promote goodwill. Julia is one of the most popular and sought-after talents in Hollywood.
Mona Lisa Smile (2003): $25,000,000
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002): $250,000 (scale)
Ocean's Eleven (2001): $10,000,000
America's Sweethearts (2001): $15,000,000
The Mexican (2001): $20,000,000
Erin Brockovich (2000): $20,000,000
Runaway Bride (1999): $17,000,000
Notting Hill (1999): $15,000,000
Conspiracy Theory (1997): $12,000,000
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997): $12,000,000
Mary Reilly (1996): $10,000,000
The Pelican Brief (1993): $8,000,000
Hook (1991): $7,000,000
Dying Young (1991): $3,000,000
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991): $1,000,000
Flatliners (1990): $500,000
Pretty Woman (1990): $300,000
Steel Magnolias (1989): $90,000
Mystic Pizza (1988): $50,000
Lent her celebrity name to help raise money for research to develop a cure for Rett Syndrome (a disease which is potentially fatal and randomly strikes girls between the ages of 2 to 6 years). Chosen of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People magazine in 2000. Has a half-sister, Nancy Motes (b. 1976). Dated Benjamin Bratt from 1998 to June 2001. Turned down the female lead in Shakespeare in Love. Ranked #66 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list (October 1997). Was engaged to Kiefer Sutherland for a short period. Dated Matthew Perry. Sister of Lisa Roberts Gillan and Eric Roberts. Played clarinet in the band. She attended Griffin Middle School and then Campbell High School. Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1990 and 1991. Has "movie within a movie" scenes in The Player, Notting Hill, America's Sweethearts and Full Frontal. Was considered for the role of Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin. She once tried out for a part on All My Children, but was turned down. Lived with Liam Neeson. Dated Daniel Day-Lewis. Born to Walter Grady Roberts, a vacuum cleaner salesman, and his wife Betty Lou Bredemus, a one-time church secretary and real estate agent. Ranked #1 (in Hollywood Power) and #12 (in $$) on Forbes magazine 'Power 100'. Tops the list of the 200 "hottest" actors and actresses in the business in "James Ulmer's Hollywood Hot List: The Complete Guide to Star Power - 2000" book which is published in October 2000 (June 2000). Turned down the Sharon Stone role in Basic Instinct. Was engaged to her Steel Magnolias co-star, Dylan McDermott. Beat out Sandra Bullock for the role of Maggie Carpenter in Runaway Bride. Lies on her back to have her make-up applied before going onto a film set -- she insists it gives her a relaxed look. Frequently works with Steven Soderbergh Sister-in-law of Tony Gillan Sister-in-law of Eliza Roberts Aunt of Emma Roberts After George Clooney and Brad Pitt found out that she was going to be joining them in Ocean's Eleven, they sent her a card that read "We heard that you get 20 per film" and in it was a $20 bill; the joke was that she reportedly gets $20 million per film. Named one of People Magazine's '25 Most Intriguing People of 2001'. Named one of E!'s "top 20 entertainers of 2001". At the 2002 Peoples Choice Awards she admitted to being a huge fan of Days of Our Lives and asked to be seated near the cast. Splits her down time between her ranch in Taos, New Mexico and a home in New York City Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002. Was ranked 6th of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001). Married boyfriend, cameraman Daniel Moder, at their ranch home in Taos, New Mexico in a midnight ceremony. Bruce Willis was the only celebrity that attended her wedding to Daniel Moder. Julia wore a simple pink cotton halter dress by pal Judith Beylerian (4 July 2002). She never acted in a sequel until Ocean's Twelve. She has Irish ancestry. Moved from rank # 18 in 2002 to rank #16 in 2003 on Premiere's Annual Hollywood Power List. Also in 2003 Julia ranked #10 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s. In 2005, Premiere Magazine Stars in Our Constellation feature ranked Julia as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time. in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005). Ranked #10 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003) Measurements: 34B-23-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine) She is a huge fan of actress Aishwarya Rai, whom she once commented on being "The most beautiful woman in the world, more beautiful than any Hollywood actress." Pakistani film director Rauf Khalid wanted her to work in his film, and even invited her to Pakistan to discuss the project, but she refused because of prior commitments. Observed art history classes at New York University in order to prepare for her role in Mona Lisa Smile. Her Oscar-winning performance as Erin Brockovich-Ellis was ranked #31 on the American Film Institute's Heroes list of the 100 years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains. Announced that she and husband Daniel Moder are expecting twins. Twins run in her family. She is due in early 2005. [June 2004]. Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk wrote the song "Julia" about her after seeing her at a Los Angeles restaurant. Shares a birthday with actor Joaquin Phoenix. A 9000 year old female skeleton excavated in Bulgaria in November 2004, was called by the archaeologists "Julia Roberts" because of the perfect teeth it had. They said that woman would have had a perfect smile - just like the actress. Has worked with both Hector Elizondo and Richard Gere in two different movies, first in Pretty Woman, and then again in Runaway Bride. Because Erin Brockovich-Ellis is right handed and Roberts is not, she had to learn to use her right hand for Erin Brockovich. Premiere Magazine ranked her as the #7 Greatest Movie Star of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005). Has played an art historian twice, once in Everyone Says I Love You and also in Mona Lisa Smile. First actress to reach 20 million dollar mark salary (for Erin Brockovich) She and her Ocean's Eleven / Ocean's Twelve co-stars, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Elliott Gould, all have guest-starred on the TV show Friends, though not in the same episodes Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2005 and appeared on the cover of the May 9, 2005 issue. "The Alchemist" is one of her favorite books. Roberts' production company "Red Om" films is her husband Danny's second name reversed As a gesture of thanks for giving her children music lessons, Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bills when the pregnant Mrs. Roberts' delivered her next child. That child ended up being Julia. Early in her career, she auditioned unsuccessfully for two soap opera roles. She lost the part of "Linda Warner" to Melissa Leo on All My Children; and the part of "Hayley Benson" to Stacy Edwards on Santa Barbara. Was named of the 100 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2006. Her great-grandmother Elin (Eleanor) was Swedish, born 1884 in Värmland, Sweden. She died in Minneapolis 1960, seven years before Julia was born. Chosen "Sexiest Bespectacled Star" by the readers of "In Touch" magazine ahead of Felicity Huffman and Alicia Keys (November 2006). Her Broadway debut in the play "Three Days of Rain" received terrible reviews for her performance and ran only 70 performances. Longtime good friends with actor Denzel Washington and actress Susan Sarandon. Daughter-in-law of Mike Moder. Cited as America's Favorite Movie Star in a Harris Poll conducted in 2001. Ranked #8 in Forbes the 20 Richest Women In Entertainment. Drives a Toyota Prius (April 2004). She won an Oscar for playing Erin Brockovich-Ellis in Erin Brockovich, making her one of eleven actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony (as of 2007). The other ten actors and their respective performances are: Spencer Tracy for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town, Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York, Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, Jason Robards for playing Benjamin C. Bradlee in All the President's Men, Robert De Niro for playing Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, Sissy Spacek for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter, Susan Sarandon for playing Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking, Geoffrey Rush for playing David Helfgott in Shine, Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris and, most recently, Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. An accomplished equestrienne, Julia did her own riding in Runaway Bride. Turned down leading role in Sleepless in Seattle which went to Meg Ryan. Gave birth to a son, Henry Daniel Moder, on 18 June 2007 in Los Angeles. Henry weighed in at 8 1/2 lbs. Daughter, Hazel Patricia, and son, Phinnaeus Walter (Finn), were born on 28 November 2004. Received the American Cinematheque Award (10 October 2007). Is an alumni of the Lee Strasberg Institute such as actors Frank Miranda, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Rosario Dawson, Dennis Hopper. Five directors that cast Julia at least twice are: Mike Nichols, Steven Soderbergh, Garry Marshall, Robert Altman and Joel Schumacher. Good friends with Bruce Willis. After divorcing Walter Roberts in January 1972, her mother Betty Lou married theater critic Michael Motes (11 September 1972). Her films have grossed more than $ 2 billion at the US box office, making her the biggest female movie star of all time (February 2007). Has supported UNICEF enthusiastically. Buys her own organic greens at the market near her apartment in New York. In 2006, she earned $5 million for endorsing Gianfranco Ferre. She posed for eight print ads, which was equivalent for one day of work. Named #57 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars. (2007). By 2004, she had a fortune estimated to be worth $212 million. In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $9 million. Made just one movie - Blood Red - with brother Eric Roberts.